CHAPLAINCY ENDORSEMENT COMMISSION

CHRISTIAN CHURCHES AND CHURCHES OF CHRIST

www.cec-chap.org

jcray@qx.net

(859) 294-0693

7 August 2008

Dear friends ,

                The past year has been a time of growth for the Chaplaincy Endorsement Commission.   Our numbers rose from 99 to 108 chaplains, a 9% increase.   We increased by 6 military and 3 civilian chaplains despite losing 5 military chaplains by retirement and 1 civilian by death.   Retiring were Johnny Messer , Thomas Harned, Thomas Joseph, Gary Salmon and Vincent Mansfield.   Glen Barton, a faithful friend and long-time VA chaplain, died last July.

                Our Commissioners endorsed 13 applicants to represent us.   They were:   Robert Bane Angles, Abdiel Fuentes, and Ruben Saldana (Army); Jonathan Todd (Army National Guard); Prescott DeVore (Naval Reserve); Michael Carollo and Edward Sanders (Air Force Reserve); David Doty (Air National Guard); Douglas Fox, Brian Giebler and Donald Williams (Hospital); T. Joe Shryock (Hospice); and David Fanta (Veterans Administration).    Most have received appointments and are now serving in their respective fields.

                In the past year my wife, Glenda, and I spent about three and a half months traveling for the CEC.   In October we toured through Tennessee and Georgia, visiting schools and chaplains.   We visited chaplains, churches and schools in February in Mississippi , Louisiana and Texas , and in April and May across the northwestern U.S.   Several times I had the opportunity to preach at school chapels and at churches and to teach college classes.   We were able to explain the mission of the CEC to many people.   In the past two years we have been able to visit two-thirds of our major schools and tell students about chaplaincy as a form of ministry.   Being new on the job, we are keen to spend time with chaplains, both military and civilian, and establish relationships with them and their families.

                We said goodbye to dear friends this year.   Lucile Trinkle died in November and thirteen days later her husband, Charles, died.   I was honored to be asked to speak at their funerals and committal services.   Charles and Lucile served as Executive Director and Secretary of the Commission from 1980 to 1996.   They were the first couple to fill their positions on a full-time basis and they established procedures the Commission still follows.   They were faithful and productive servants!

                In the coming year we plan to continue doing what we have done for the past two years.   By this time next year we hope to have visited most of our schools and, along the way, to see as many chaplains and churches as we can.   In September we are slated to be in Virginia , North Carolina , South Carolina , Georgia and Florida .   We plan to spend a couple of weeks in early December in the Midwest following the National Missionary Convention in Tulsa .   In February we hope to be in California , Arizona , and Nevada .   We are also looking at catching a military flight to Korea and Japan , where we have chaplains serving, in late April-early May.

                This year the North American Christian Convention featured our chaplains in several events.   One of our Commissioners – himself an endorsed chaplain, – Paul Boatman , led the workshop, “Care for Our Veterans:   Practical Information for Families, Churches and Friends.”   The last day of the convention fell on Independence Day and four of our Army chaplains who recently returned from Iraq, Mike DeRienzo , Craig Honbarger , Brandon Moore , and Mark Golaway, led the workshop, “Boots on the Ground:   Ministry to a Military at War.”   The session was well attended and people were moved to tears as our chaplains recounted their Iraq experiences.   At the last meeting of the convention, the morning worship service, I gave a report to the whole convention on how our chaplains have served in the Middle East since 9/11.   I have a PowerPoint presentation of my talk and plan to mail it to all contributing churches later this year.   Speaking of materials you may find helpful, we can furnish large folding pictorial displays to churches.   If you have scheduled a missions fair or if you want to feature our chaplains' work in your congregation, please contact us and we will be glad to send you a display and literature, at no expense to you.

                On behalf of our commissioners and all our chaplains, I want to thank you for your prayers and support.   In our last fiscal year we received $80,501.44 and spent $81,902.61.   You can see that we are trying to be good stewards by staying close to budget.   Regrettably, we anticipate higher expenses in the coming twelve months, largely because of rising travel costs.   I hope you will be able to help us this year.   As much as financial support we ask for your continued prayers.   We have four chaplains in Iraq now:   Mark Knox, Derek Pottinger, Brian Murphy and Larry Toney.   In October two, Robert Guy and Jonathan Todd, will deploy to Afghanistan .   Please remember them in your prayers.

                I am happy to report that our chaplains are representing our churches well. Not many organizations can boast that they have 108 missionaries; we can, and largely because of your help they are spread all over the world representing Christ and our churches.   Again, thank you.   As we travel across the country and are in your area, we will make an effort to visit you.   We want to get to know you because you mean so much to us and our work.

Yours in Christ,

John D. Craycraft

Executive Director