A church parade is a

military parade A military parade is a formation of soldiers whose movement is restricted by close-order manoeuvering known as drilling or marching. The military parade is now almost entirely ceremonial, though soldiers from time immemorial up until the lat ...

by service personnel or members of a uniformed organization for the purposes of attending religious services.

United Kingdom

In October 1946 after debate in Parliament, the then–King’s Regulations paragraph 1605 was amended to read that "officers and soldiers will not be ordered to attend a religious service or to parade before a service or on returning from it". In 1949 the issue was brought back to the table by the Church, and after six years of debate and consultation, it was written into the new 1955 Queen's Regulations. In the Queen's Regulations it states: "J5.264. Sympathetic consideration is to be given to the needs of officially recognized religious minorities who do not profess the Christian faith. No one is to be compelled to attend divine service against his wishes (except as provided in para 5.268). All personnel of the armed forces under the age of 17 years may be ordered to attend divine service of their own denomination". There are 5 sub sections in para 5.268. Sub-section e states: "Parades are not to be ordered in connection with divine service except that a CinC or GOC may order a parade which includes a religious service on special occasions of national or local importance. No officer or soldier on such a parade is to be compelled to take part in a service of any denomination other than his own or in any joint service. In special circumstances, authority to order such a parade may be delegated to local commanders".

Military chaplain A military chaplain ministers to military personnel and, in most cases, their families and civilians working for the military. In some cases they will also work with local civilians within a military area of operations. Although the term ''cha ...

s depended on a church parade to speak to the entire military formation.Crerar, Duff. ''Padres in No Man's Land: Canadian Chaplains and the Great War'', p. 93. McGill–Queen's Press – MQUP, 02/03/1995

Notes

{{Military ordinariates of the Catholic Church Military parades Religion in the military