Air Force Chaplain Charles Mallory and his wife, Jennifer, are at Bolling AFB, (Washington, D.C.) serving their second assignment. Charles’ roots are in Sioux Falls, SD, in the North Central Conference. His is pastor to 1100 attendees of the general protestant service at Bolling Chapel and provides pastoral care for Bolling units and some Pentagon and Arlington units. He earned the Meritorious Service Medal in his recent assignment at Andrews AFB (MD). Jennifer gave birth to a daughter on August 24, 2007, and home-schools their two sons. The Mallorys praise God for directing their lives and assignments and for their children. They ask prayer for adapting to the ever-changing environment of chaplaincy ministry, and for God’s choice of a new (and hopefully family-friendly!) assignment where Charles can grow as a chaplain.
Don Deighton is a full-time hospital chaplain at St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center in Toledo, OH — a level 1 trauma hospital in the inner city. Don works the night shift and ministers often in the ER and at the heart center. He is a certified palliative care resource person. St. Vincent is Toledo’s first hospital. It has 550 beds and 8 full-time chaplains. Don is enthusiastic about his ministry to people in great need. He and his wife, Jamie, praise God for salvations and for the health and protection of their family. They ask prayer for Don to grow as a chaplain and for wisdom as parents.
Richard Winchester is an active duty Army chaplain serving at Eisenhower Army Medical Center, Ft. Gordon, GA. Rick is a chaplain clinician, visiting in surgical recovery and oncology wards, as well as the SMART (Special Mobile Augmentation Response) Team. He is also the resource manager for the department of pastoral care for the Southeast Region of Medical Command. He actually enjoys doing early morning PT with a "ruck sack" on his back. Chaplain Winchester praises God for excellent health and the opportunity to serve the kingdom and the country. He asks prayer for rotator cup healing for his wife, Lesa, and for providential direction and completion of his D.Min. project thesis.
Linda Vecchiarelli is a full-time chaplain to 900 residents at Denver Women's Correctional Facility, where she has served for several years without cost to the state. (Support contributions can be given via the Rocky Mt. Conference office.) She is enthusiastic about her connections with Living Tower FMC and their ongoing ministry partnership. Since 2005, church members have regularly gone on visitation with Linda to encourage the women and offer support and fellowship when they are released. Chaplain Vecchiarelli praises God for His many answers to prayer; she requests prayer for personal renewal and rest.
Tim Porter is the senior protestant chaplain at Moody Air Force Base near Valdosta, GA, where worship has grown significantly under his leadership. His wife, Pat, is his partner in ministry. Both are ordained elders and members of the Oregon Conference. Pat is an avid supporter of International Child Care Ministries and has recruited 120 new child sponsors! Tim has orders this summer to move to an air base in Korea, where Pat was born. The Porters praise God for a strong marriage and His providence in their ministry. Please pray for the spiritual growth of their extended family and the physical health of their parents.
Although Chaplain Col. Larry Racster retired in August 2004 after 32 years in the Army chaplaincy, he continues to minister and serve as the civilian Operations, Mobilization and Deployment Officer for the Army Chief of Chaplains Office in the Pentagon. He supports soldiers in the war zone by ensuring there are sufficient numbers of chaplains for religious support in the austere environments of the Global War on Terrorism. Chaplain Racster praises God for the joy of continued service in His vineyard. He asks prayer for his family, especially for daughter Captain Abby Racster, who is currently active duty in the military.
Chaplain Ben Belcher has served for 26 years as the sole full-time chaplain at Harrison Medical Center in Bremerton, WA, and (more recently) at a second facility in Silverdale, WA. He is the director of spiritual care for patients, clients and staff. He also recruits, trains and supervises more than a dozen volunteer chaplains. Chaplain Belcher praises God for strong support from the hospital staff, and asks prayer for trained clergy to be available for “on call” relief and for the spiritual growth of his family.
Deployed Air Force Chaplain Captain Don Bridges takes a small group
from his compound to the theater hospital each Saturday to visit patients
and deliver care packages. Many of the patients are injured Iraqi civilians caught in the cross fire of this war.
CH Bridges says, “This photo is with a father and son
we had been visiting for several weeks. Sadly the son had part
of one leg amputated, but the father was always very gracious and welcomed our visits with
deep gratitude. There is so much great suffering here. I pray for peace.
“Please continue to keep me and my family in prayer, and especially the brave men and women
who go into harm’s way each day. Most of all, pray for peace and reconciliation.”
Chaplain Dan Hummer of the South Atlantic Conference serves on the staff of Clearwater-Largo (FL) FMC as well as his full-time ministry at the Veteran's Hospital. His initiatives in making the Cancer Support Group and monthly "Celebration of Life" happen are among the ministries resulting in his 2007 outstanding performance aware from the VA rater! Hummer is vice president of the FM Chaplains Association.
Army Captain Anthony Randall is chaplain to the troopers of the 3rd Squadron, 1st U.S Cavalry Regiment in Iraq. He leads a well-attended, 8 p.m. contemporary/emergent worship service. Randall's squadron has lost three soldiers this year.
Chaplain Randall says, “Please pray for my wife, as she raises our daughter and son as a ‘professional single mom’ while I am away. Please pray for our soldiers' continued protection and success in accomplishing our mission. Please pray for my safety and protection as I travel on the road several days a week to remote patrol bases. Know that the Lord is moving in a mighty way as 18 soldiers have been baptized and several have come to accept Christ as Savior! Our brigade is the MOST deployed in the entire army since 2002 (41 out of 72 months between MAR 02 and JUN 08) so please pray for the marriages and families that have endured and sacrificed in their service to our nation.”
Visit Chaplain Randall's website to learn more about his deployment, his faith and his family.
Ft. Campbell, Kentucky Sam Cabrera is brigade chaplain for the headquarters brigade of the highly acclaimed 101st Airborne Division. Sam recently completed a tour in Korea and will be helping his brigade prepare and deploy to Afghanistan next year. He praises God for his family — wife Laura and children Sam, Nicole, Aaron and Anna — strong church support, and a great job as lead chaplain (with a team of six other chaplains) for 4,000 troops.
