NATCHEZ &045; Ever closer to the dream of becoming a military chaplain, the Rev. Derek Schultz &045; U.S. Navy Lt. Derek Schultz &045; on Friday took a final step toward his goal.

In a small ceremony at Westminster Presbyterian Church, the Rev. William Brock Watson &045; retired Brig. Gen. William Brock Watson, who served as chief of chaplains for the U.S. Army National Guard &045; administered the oath.

Schultz, who decided to become a chaplain while serving in the Marines, has given up the rifle for the Gospel, he said. From Marine military duty to the seminary, he has completed his studies and is at the end of a two-year internship spent at First Assembly of God in Natchez.

&uot;It’s been a blessing to our church,&uot; said the Rev. Doug Wright, pastor at First Assembly. &uot;He has helped disciple our young people and has been a good assistant for me. He blessed us and he got some practical experience.&uot;

The next step is a two-week school in Rhode Island, after which he, his wife Rebecca and their infant daughter, Kaitlyn, will move to the Chicago area, where Schultz will be assigned to the Great Lakes Training Center.

Having the chaplain oath administered in Natchez was important to him, Schultz said. &uot;This will always be home. I will be sharing what they have taught me with everyone I meet,&uot; he said. &uot;In a way, this little town of Natchez will always go where I go.&uot;

And for Watson, pastor at Westminster Presbyterian, the opportunity to take part in the short but impressive commissioning was important.

&uot;This is something we don’t do often,&uot; Watson said. &uot;It is in a sense a legal requirement for a chaplain to become a chaplain, but in my mind it is an occasion in which God is present, also.&uot;

With the Navy hymn &uot;Eternal Father Strong to Save&uot; as the invocation, Watson reminded Schultz that &uot;only God can make a chaplain.&uot;

He administered the oath and then read a document from President George Bush that appointed Schultz both a chaplain and a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy.

Schultz said after the ceremony that he is overwhelmed by the responsibility but looks forward to the challenge of sharing the Gospel with Marine and Navy personnel around the world.

At the Great Lakes facility, he will minister to new recruits. &uot;I look forward to giving them some peace as they go through their training to serve our country,&uot; he said.

Serving in his internship at First Assembly in Natchez was a fulfillment of his requirement of becoming a chaplain, Schultz said.

However, his experience far exceeded that, he said. &uot;Natchez has been pivotal in my preparation in becoming a chaplain.&uot;

He looks on the association with Watson and Wright as special blessings during his two years.

Watson &uot;helped me in the military aspect to begin this journey. He gave me insight and encouragement,&uot; Schultz said. &uot;I’ve definitely been blessed by these men of God who led me and prepared me.&uot;