On Monday 12th October, the AFCU is running a Training Day for those wishing to understand and respond well to PTSD, Moral Injury and Military Trauma, led by the Community for Post-Traumatic Growth (CPTG). ‘Exploring a Christian response to PTSD and Military Trauma.’ This will take place at Didcot Baptist Church, from 09:30 – 17:30.
What follows are the reflections of one of our serving members, Scott Brodrick. Scott recently attended a healing ministry for veterans with PTSD in America.
Scott has served in the Royal Navy for 16 years, and six years ago, he came to Christ. He is currently discerning ordained ministry within the Church of England.
As you read Scott’s reflection, please do consider and pray over attending the AFCU’s PTSD training day mentioned above on 12th October.
‘I was recently fortunate enough to be invited to the Welcome Home Initiative at Galilee Church in Norfolk, Virginia. The Welcome Home Initiative is a healing ministry led by Nigel Mumford, an exceptional man, far beyond what my words can fully capture. A former Royal Marine drill instructor who saw combat during The Troubles, the Lord has faithfully used him for decades to bring healing to veterans suffering from PTS and moral injury.
Before travelling, I wasn’t sure how I would fit in. I’m not yet a priest, and although I serve in the Armed Forces, I don’t suffer from PTSD. I felt caught in a strange middle ground, though in truth, I was the only one concerned about it. I was welcomed with open arms and a warmth that quickly put that fear to rest. I should have remembered to trust in the Lord’s calling.
I have to admit that before going to America, my understanding of healing ministry was fairly limited. I knew that God heals; my own testimony includes miraculous healing that I still struggle to comprehend fully, but I often viewed healing as something distant. Something that might happen… or might not. And I always associated it with the physical, rarely considering the healing of trauma, memory, and emotion. Yet Scripture is clear: “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds” (Psalm 147:3). Not just physical wounds but the hidden ones too.
I’m not ashamed to say that I cried more in those few days than I have in the past decade. Since becoming a Christian, the Lord has softened my heart, and I couldn’t help but weep at the stories I heard. Tears of sorrow and tears of joy. Nigel taught us to anoint a cross on our foreheads with our tears. Even Christ wept in the garden of Gethsemane. “Jesus wept” (John 11:35). Our God is not distant from suffering; He enters into it.
During the initiative, I met extraordinary people. Men and women who had served their country with honour, yet carried deep, invisible wounds. People living with trauma that shapes their everyday lives. And I witnessed the Lord begin to bring healing through His presence, working through prayer, compassion, and the faithful ministry team. “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18).
Two aspects of the ministry particularly stood out to me: reframing trauma and prayer.
Reframing trauma involved revisiting painful memories, but this time, inviting Jesus into them. Not as a distant observer, but as Emmanuel, “God with us” (Matthew 1:23). To return to those moments and ask: Where was Christ? And to begin to see that He was not absent, but present in the suffering.
For many, trauma holds power because it feels isolated, like a moment where God was nowhere to be found. But reframing allows that lie to be challenged. When Christ is invited into the memory, something shifts. You begin to see His compassion, His nearness, His grief over what happened. He is not condemning you in that moment; He is standing with you in it.
Scripture tells us, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me” (Psalm 23:4). Not that we avoid the valley, but that we are not alone in it.
Reframing does not erase the event. It doesn’t pretend it didn’t happen. But it transforms how it is held. The memory is no longer a place of isolation, but a place where Christ’s presence is revealed. What was once only pain can begin to hold peace.
Prayer was another area that deeply challenged me. I realised how often I pray in generalities. Safe, broad prayers that avoid the deeper wound. But the prayer I witnessed here was intentional, specific, and led by the Holy Spirit.
The team took time to understand each person’s story. They listened carefully, because to pray effectively, we needed to identify the root, not just the symptoms.
I also saw the importance of inviting Jesus not just into our present struggles, but into our past and bringing everything into the light.
One thing the Lord placed strongly on my heart during my time there was identity. So often we define ourselves by our role, our past, our pain, or our struggles. But as Christians, our identity is not in what has happened to us; it is in Christ.
“I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2:20).
That means we are not bound by trauma, not defined by suffering and not held captive by our past. There is freedom in remembering who we truly are.
I could speak about my experiences in America for hours, and they will always hold a precious place in my heart. But what I now know with certainty is this: God still heals today.
As Nigel says, not everyone is cured, but everyone is healed.’
As Scott recently explored the area of PTSD, maybe you too would benefit from doing the same through AFCU’s PTSD training on 12th October.
The training will offer a compassionate, Christian response to those who may be struggling with symptoms of PTSD, moral injury, anxiety, depression, and related effects.
This training will be especially valuable for church leaders, pastoral workers, chaplains, prayer ministry teams, veterans, family members, and anyone with a heart to support those bearing the effects of trauma.
For further information, click here.
Exploring a Christian response to PTSD and Military Trauma
Monday 12th October 2026
9:30am – 5:30pm
Didcot Baptist Church