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In mid-October 2022, outside the gates of Forward Operating Site (FOS) Powidz, a local Bible study was formed. Doug Elliott, a minister from Ministry to the Military (MTTM)–Freedom Outreach, along with local veterans, a Polish military chaplain and American chaplains established a Bible study in the home of a U.S. Army veteran living near Powidz.
Mr. Elliott has been providing spiritual counseling to the U.S. military in Europe for over 50 years. Prior to coming to Poland, Mr. Elliott was the MTTM–Freedom Outreach Center Director in Aviano, Italy.
MTTM–Freedom Outreach has been operating in Europe for over 50 years and provides services in 17 different countries. The goal of MTTM–Freedom Outreach is to provide additional ministry services to servicemembers away from the military setting. The organization’s Bible studies, fellowship, and worship services take place outside the religious services held on military installations.
The U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) created The Holistic Health and Fitness initiative. In that initiative, there are five domains of readiness, one of them being spiritual fitness. It is the mission of chaplains to provide this spiritual fitness to the military. The goal of MTTM–Freedom Outreach is to supply additional support services. FOS Powidz is a growing installation and currently has units on rotational deployment. Having Bible studies and worship services away from the base provides the comfort of home, much like USO programs.
Mr. Elliott and others have worked with the city of Powidz to access facilities and provide worship services that will begin on February 19, 2023 at the Powidz Community Center. These services will be conducted between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. every Sunday.
Eventually, the goal for the Powidz ministry is to acquire facilities of their own to provide 24/7 spiritual support to the military while they are away from home. In mid-March, a leadership team from MTTM–Freedom Outreach will be in Powidz to assess how the ministry is moving forward and identify what investments will be needed in the future.
Powidz, Poland was granted town rights in 1243 and is located in central Greater Poland Province. It sits on the western shore of Powidz Lake which was identified as one of the cleanest lakes in Poland. Many vacationers come to Powidz to swim, fish, or boat on the lake. The lake is a designated quiet zone, with no gas motor vehicles allowed.
Around 1953, the Polish Air Force established an air base near Powidz with an additional caserne in the city itself. It is this caserne where the majority of the U.S. forces have been located since 2017. Near the air base are new warehouses for the U.S. and NATO Forces. In addition, the railway system has been updated to meet the U.S. Forces demands for heavy equipment. Currently, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is constructing an ammo depot that will supply both U.S. and NATO forces. The expanding military footprint indicates a future increase of military personnel located in Powidz. Currently over 10,000 U.S. military personnel are located within Poland and in November 2022 it was announced Powidz would become a permanent base for American forces.
Understanding Powidz allows MTTM–Freedom Outreach to plan for the spiritual needs of the increasing numbers of deployed military members in the region. The weekly activities will include regular Sunday Worship Service, a variety of weekly Bible studies, and a 24/7 facility to provide a home atmosphere. In addition to serving the deployed U.S. service members, there is anticipation that the local population and tourists will seek out English-speaking activities. This has been the case at other MTTM–Freedom Outreach center locations, with the centers staying relevant even after base closures. In European locations with dependents, MTTM–Freedom Outreach also provides services such as conferences, seminars, counseling, and camps for children. As Powidz grows, MTTM–Freedom Outreach will be right there, providing spiritual fitness for the incoming soldiers.
