Evangelical leader Dr. Verna M. Linzey was invited to visit the Protestant Service at the Airmen Memorial Chapel, Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, San Diego, on Martin Luther King Sunday. Lieutenant Robert LeCompte, CHC, USN, who represents the Evangelical Church Alliance, delivered a stirring message exalting the name of Jesus Christ and the meaning of a devout prayer life through a relationship with God, which he said comes through Jesus Christ,” Verna Linzey said.

“In an era when military chaplains are sometimes disrespected for preaching Christ, this is newsworthy,” said Dr. Linzey. “When Lieutenant LeCompte walked to the lectern with an air of uncommon sophistication, you could hear a small pin drop. His message and voice resounded with such eloquence that the congregation of Marines were exuberantly moved to their feet several times. They were in awe of the Lieutenant’s speech and what he said,” Dr. Linzey exclaimed.

 “Prayer is the mechanism by which He changes our world. We have to trust Jesus for the answer,” said Lieutenant LeCompte. “And when he said, ‘Faith forces utter dependence on God for everything,’ I could understand why the young Marines packed out this chapel. They wanted to hear their shepherd’s voice before deploying into harm’s way, wherever their Commander-in-Chief might order them to go,” said Dr. Linzey.

 The Lieutenant then discreetly described faulty thinking which might seem to say, “There’s an aspect of your life God can’t change.” “Don’t go there,” the Lieutenant cautioned. “God can change one’s entire life.” Then he rhetorically asked, “Why doesn’t God seem to answer prayer?” And he answered, “This points to the necessity of relationship with Christ.” The Lieutenant’s eloquent speech with how he conducted the altar call was comparable with the manner of Charles Spurgeon and even Pope John Paul II.

At 92 years of age, with her son James Linzey, Dr. Linzey walked out of the chapel and left the base, where her husband, Battle of Midway survivor Captain Stanford E. Linzey, Jr., CHC, USN (Ret.), was buried. Lieutenant LeCompte made quite an impact on this Martin Luther King Sunday. “The Commanding General should give Lieutenant LeCompte added responsibilities and promote him at first opportunity,” Dr. Linzey said. Quite clearly, the Lieutenant is a Marine’s chaplain and an Officer’s chaplain.