SASRA: Caring for UK Armed Forces Since 1838

This article originally appeared in the Autumn 2026 edition of the Social Issues Bulletin.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) recognises that military capability depends fundamentally upon the quality and wellbeing of its people. Its policy describes personnel as Defence’s most important asset and presents their care as both a moral responsibility and an operational necessity. Contemporary Defence doctrine adopts a holistic understanding of wellbeing, encompassing physical, mental, social and spiritual dimensions, while emphasising that responsibility for the welfare of military personnel rests with the Chain of Command, supported by healthcare professionals, welfare agencies and the Armed Forces chaplaincy. This commitment reflects an understanding that operational effectiveness is strengthened not only through sound doctrine, training, equipment and leadership, but also through resilience, trust, moral conduct and a sense of purpose. 

Given that the role of the MOD is to protect the nation and help it prosper, these qualities, together with ethical cohesion and integrity, contribute directly to a moral component of warfighting capability and effectiveness, or fighting power. It is within this component, caring for the whole person, that the Soldiers’ & Aviators’ Scripture Readers Association (SASRA) has made its distinctive contribution since 1838. Working alongside military chaplaincy and welfare, SASRA seeks to strengthen the spiritual and moral wellbeing of serving personnel through its work of Christian evangelism, pastoral care and faithful presence among those who serve our nation. Its ministry illustrates how spiritual care can contribute to the moral foundations upon which effective military service and national defence ultimately depend. Britain’s Armed forces need to be ready, both physically and spiritually, for every eventuality, which is why SASRA’s motto is ‘Be Ready’, drawn from Matthew 22:44. 

For today’s Armed Forces, fighting power is more than military capability. Superior weapons, advanced technology and rigorous training all increase the likelihood of success, but they are insufficient on their own. UK Defence doctrine has long recognised that fighting power rests upon three mutually supporting components: the conceptual, the physical and the moral. Frequently, the moral component is the most decisive because it concerns: 

1. The will to fight; 
2. The courage to endure adversity; 
3. The ethical use of force; 
4. The conviction that military service is directed towards a purpose greater than self-interest; 
5. And, if necessary, the will to sacrifice oneself.

It is within this moral dimension that SASRA has served for 188 years. While SASRA is first and foremost a Christian evangelistic ministry, its fruits are an important contribution to the spiritual welfare, resilience, confidence and integrity of military personnel. And it does so not through military command and control, but through the quiet, consistent presence of Scripture Readers living and working alongside soldiers and aviators.

SASRA summarises its mission simply: to spread the saving knowledge of Christ among serving personnel. Every Scripture Reader is a military veteran who has subsequently sensed God’s call into evangelistic ministry. As they live and work alongside serving personnel, they seek to introduce them to a practical experience of the Christian faith. Scripture Readers are distinctive by being neither detached visitors nor commissioned military chaplains. Rather, they intentionally share the daily rhythm of military life, serving ‘behind the wire’ and building trustworthy, long-term relationships. Their effectiveness lies not simply in organised events or Bible studies, but in their consistent availability for ordinary conversations, difficult deployments, family pressures and personal crises. Such relational ministry has profound implications for the moral component of fighting power.

As well as success, military doctrine recognises that morale is sustained by confidence, purpose, leadership, comradeship and shared values that cannot be manufactured solely through instruction, training or discipline. They emerge from character, which in turn is shaped by deeply held beliefs about truth, responsibility, sacrifice and hope. SASRA approaches these questions unapologetically through the Christian gospel. Its Basis of Belief affirms the authority and sufficiency of Scripture, salvation through Jesus Christ and the transforming work of the Holy Spirit. However, SASRA does not present Christianity as a moral philosophy but as spiritual renewal – the foundation from which morals, moral courage and faithful service grow. This theological foundation distinguishes SASRA from secular wellbeing initiatives. Contemporary welfare programmes addressing psychological health, resilience and emotional wellbeing are complemented by SASRA engaging questions of meaning, forgiveness, identity, purpose, hope and eternity – questions that frequently become acute during military service.

British troops routinely encounter experiences that test the deepest convictions of the human heart, mind and soul: prolonged separation from family, exposure to danger, responsibility for life-and-death decisions, moral injury, grief and uncertainty. Technical competence alone cannot answer the existential questions that often arise in such circumstances. SASRA’s ministry therefore combines evangelism with pastoral care. Scripture Readers listen carefully, provide friendship, study the Bible with those who are interested, encourage Christian fellowship and, where appropriate, signpost individuals towards medical, welfare or chaplaincy services. This integrated approach recognises that spiritual and pastoral care are complementary rather than separate, with the latter flowing from gospel ministry rather than replacing it. 

Scripture Readers seek to offer truth and purpose through a relationship with Jesus Christ, while supporting those experiencing anxiety, trauma, despair or isolation. The Association believes that long-term spiritual formation contributes to resilience by equipping individuals to face future trials with enduring hope. This reflects an important distinction because, whereas resilience is often defined as the capacity to recover after adversity, Christian hope goes further by providing an enduring framework within which suffering itself acquires meaning. For believers, identity rests not ultimately upon military success, career progression or operational achievement, but upon God’s grace revealed in Jesus Christ.

This spiritual perspective contributes to the moral component of fighting power in four practical ways.

1. It reinforces integrity. Scripture Readers consistently encourage personnel to live according to biblical principles, demonstrating honesty, humility, compassion and self-control. These align naturally with the values and standards expected of every British sailor, soldier and aviator, which build trust within military teams.
2. It strengthens moral courage, which involves more than physical bravery under fire. It also includes the willingness to make difficult and unpopular ethical decisions under pressure, resist wrongdoing in the heat of the moment, and accept personal cost for doing what is morally right. Christian discipleship nurtures precisely these qualities by teaching obedience to God before convenience or popularity. 
3. SASRA fosters community. Loneliness remains a significant challenge for many serving personnel, particularly following relocation, deployment or posting to unfamiliar units. Through Bible studies, fellowship groups and informal hospitality, Scripture Readers help individuals discover supportive communities where they are known personally rather than simply by rank or appointment. 
4. SASRA encourages servant leadership. The New Testament model of leadership, exemplified by Jesus Christ, emphasises humility, sacrificial service and concern for others. Such leadership strengthens cohesion because it builds confidence that authority exists for the good of the whole team rather than personal advancement. This is recognised in the motto ‘Serve to lead’ of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, where Army officers train. 

Perhaps most significantly, however, SASRA helps answer a question every generation of military personnel must eventually confront: what makes freedom worth fighting for? Military power can secure national borders, deter aggression and protect democracies, yet those achievements ultimately serve something greater than themselves. Freedom is valuable because it enables human beings to flourish in truth, justice, compassion and responsibility. Detached from those moral realities, freedom risks becoming mere individual autonomy.

SASRA’s ministry reminds serving personnel that the deepest foundation of freedom is spiritual. Christianity teaches that genuine freedom begins with reconciliation to God through Jesus Christ and is expressed in lives characterised by love of neighbour, self-sacrifice and faithful service. Within this vision, military service becomes not merely an occupation but a vocation exercised under God’s authority for the protection of others. For this reason, SASRA’s contribution extends beyond individual wellbeing. By nurturing character, strengthening hope, encouraging ethical conduct and proclaiming the gospel, Scripture Readers contribute to moral cohesion within which military effectiveness is optimised.

SASRA expresses this objective clearly in its charitable purposes. Alongside advancing the Christian faith, these seek to promote the social, moral and spiritual welfare of His Majesty’s Forces by (as stated previously) introducing personnel to a practical experience of the Christian faith, befriending servicemen and -women, encouraging Christian witness, facilitating Bible study, providing pastoral support and contributing to the moral component of fighting power. These ambitions should not be misunderstood. SASRA does not claim that Christian faith automatically produces better soldiers, nor that pastoral ministry replaces professional military training. Rather, it argues that spiritually grounded men and women are better equipped to serve with integrity, resilience, compassion and hope. They are more likely to endure hardship without losing purpose and to exercise military power within a coherent moral framework.

In an age marked by increasing uncertainty, complex security threats, and growing pressures upon the mental and spiritual wellbeing of service personnel, SASRA’s ministry remains remarkably relevant. Technology is again transforming the character of warfare – look at drone use in the current Ukraine-Russia conflict – but the nature of both war and the human heart both remain unchanging. Every generation requires courage, hope, forgiveness, purpose and moral conviction. By living among those who serve, faithfully proclaiming the gospel, providing patient pastoral care and working alongside Armed Forces chaplaincies, SASRA continues to strengthen not merely the individuals it encounters, but the moral foundations upon which enduring fighting power depends. In so doing, it helps ensure that the defence of freedom is sustained not only by capability and courage, but by character, conviction and the enduring hope found in Jesus Christ.

In summary, SASRA supports the moral component of fighting power across our Armed Forces by sharing the life-changing gospel found in Jesus Christ. While military effectiveness depends upon the integration of physical, conceptual and moral components, the latter is ultimately sustained by character, purpose and resilience rather than capability alone. Scripture Readers provide spiritual and pastoral care by living and working alongside serving personnel, building trusted relationships and presenting the good news within the unique context of military life. Its ministry complements the work of military chaplains and other military welfare and wellbeing assets, to build and enhance our Armed Forces’ moral component of fighting power. 

The Christian discipleship SASRA delivers nurtures virtues such as integrity, humility, moral courage, compassion and servant leadership; qualities that strengthen unit cohesion, ethical decision-making and resilience under pressure. By encouraging personnel to ground their lives in the person and teachings of Jesus Christ, SASRA contributes not only to individual wellness but also to the moral foundations upon which enduring fighting power depends. Freedom is sustained not merely by military strength but by the values and convictions that justify its defence. Through faithful evangelism, relational pastoral care and spiritual formation, SASRA helps to ensure that those entrusted with defending our nation’s freedoms are equipped with the moral and spiritual resources that make those freedoms truly worth fighting for.

You can learn more about SASRA’s growing work with our Armed Forces at sasra.org.uk.