SBC Chaplaincy Endorser Updates

Public Service Endorser

Brent Bond, Senior Director of Chaplaincy

“When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, ‘Lord, what about him?’

‘If I want him to remain until I come,’ Jesus answered, ‘what is that to you? As for you, follow me’” (John 21:21–22, CSB).

Have you ever felt excluded or marginalized as a chaplain? Chaplains often feel like an accessory rather than a necessity. They get excluded from important family consults, ethics meetings and crucial organizational discussions. This exclusion can lead to frustration.

However, as a chaplain, God has placed you strategically at the intersection of your institution’s personnel structure. Unlike others in your institution, chaplains have access to leadership, staff and constituents.

Moreover, the roles, presence and voices of chaplains are essential. Chaplains are the subject matter experts for spiritual needs and religious freedoms. Yet, because of the perceived disregard of others, many of us still feel unappreciated.

Like Peter in John 21:21-22, we get caught up with what is or isn’t happening with others or the establishment. According to Jesus, what’s crucial is following Him. When we’re in the selfless service of obedience, we will always find ourselves in the proper place with God, the institution and others.

Lord, deliver us from the urge to compete with others for place, prestige or position. Help us forget ourselves and find our rest in simply following You, our Lord and Savior. To Him who chose us for His own forever. Amen.

Information to know:

• Take advantage of the SBC Chaplaincy support calls. Serving as an endorsed SBC chaplain requires more than checking a box to meet the qualifications of serving at an institution. SBC endorsement should include a relationship with your SBC Chaplaincy Team and other SBC endorsed chaplains. Healthy relationships include regular communication. I invite you to connect with me as your Public Service Endorser or with a group of chaplains to help support your colleagues and to share ideas, resources and best practices in providing spiritual care to those in your institution. We hold these calls through the Microsoft Teams platform and SBC endorsed chaplains can attend via computer or telephone. To schedule your support call, let me know your best meeting time between 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (ET), Monday, Thursday or Friday. 

• Keep your church informed of your chaplaincy ministry. Consider sharing a PDF of your Quarterly Report with your pastor or church leadership so they can celebrate what God is doing in your life and ministry and pray for you.

• REMINDER: Each chaplaincy ministry or professional organization requires an SBC Chaplaincy endorsement. SBC Chaplaincy endorsements are not universal since the requirements for each category differ. Contact our office to update your endorsement if your ministry setting, institution, certifying organization or church membership has changed.

• Transitioning out of a federal chaplaincy position? Change can be difficult and lonely. Additionally, basic requirements and guidelines exist for each Public Service chaplaincy category that may require advance preparation. Please know I can assist you with your transition from federal to public service chaplaincy. Contact when you start planning your transition so I can come alongside you on this journey.

Brent’s Upcoming Conference and Site Visits:

• May 26: Angola Prison (West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana)
• May 27–28: Correctional Ministries and Chaplain Association Summit Meeting at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (New Orleans, Louisiana)
• June 12–15: SBC Annual Meeting and Chaplains Reception (Anaheim, California)
• July 20–22: 2022 International Conference of Police Chaplains Conference (Orlando, Florida)
• August 9: SBTC 2022 EQUIP Conference at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (Ft. Worth, Texas)

Federal Endorser

Samuel Lee, Director of Chaplaincy
Regarding Ministry Limitations as an Endorsed SBC Chaplain

We want to reaffirm the Southern Baptist position on biblical sexuality, the family and social order as stated in the Baptist Faith and Message 2000, especially in light of the Department of Defense’s policy (dated: April 30, 2021) on transgender service members.

Foremost, we expect all SBC Chaplains to demonstrate the highest degree of Christian character and professionalism by treating all people under their pastoral care with dignity and respect regardless of their theological beliefs, cultural worldview and personal behavior.

Grace and mercies of God extend to all without compromising the holiness of God. Therefore, as a chaplain endorsed for Federal service, you may minister to every person under your care without compromising your faith, belief and practices, as stated in the SBC Chaplaincy Endorsement Manual. Your ministry should include authorized Department of Defense or civilian Federal employees and their respective family members.

Endorsed SBC Federal Chaplains will extend dignity, love and compassion to everyone. They will not officiate, participate in or attend a marriage or union ceremony of LGBTQ+, including any premarital or marital counseling and marriage enrichment training in support of such a union.

We want to emphasize that our SBC Chaplains should not experience harassment, mistreatment or feel threatened by maintaining conservative and evangelical values. If you face any discrimination due to your faith, please contact me immediately.

Chaplaincy Annual Training

Chaplaincy Professional Development Training (CPDT) events for endorsed chaplains allow them to stay connected with the SBC Chaplaincy Team and fellow SBC chaplains to grow professionally.

We expect all SBC endorsed federal chaplains to attend one annual CPDT event (on-site or online) to maintain ecclesiastical endorsement. If unable to participate in an on-site CPDT (due to a deployment, a personal emergency, financial reasons, scheduling conflict, etc.), please contact me or refer to the SBC Chaplaincy Endorsement Manual for other training alternatives.

To download the 2022 SBC Chaplaincy Events Letter of Invitation details, please click here.

Accountability – Updating Personal Portal

Per our Chaplaincy manual, the chaplain’s responsibility is to update their portal for better communication with our office.

Please confirm your chaplain portal is up-to-date and current at mynamb.net. Complete both Basic Information and Public Profile.

Also, please utilize one email address. Some chaplains use both Hotmail and Google accounts to submit their Quarterly Reports, which causes duplicate reports. Please use your personal email address to avoid miscommunication. Federal chaplains, please note the government system often rejects or deletes mass emails from our office.

Endorser’s Site Visit

Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary Visit, March 1, 2022

Fort Bragg Fellowship Dinner, March 2, 2022.

Camp Lejeune Chaplains at a local pastor fellowship, March 3, 2022.

Navy Chaplain Basic Leadership Course Graduation Ceremony on April 19, 2022, at Newport, Rhode Island

Chaplains Truett Byrns, Joshua Palmer and John Rowe. Chaplain Palmer, an SBC Chaplain on the far-right, was the course director.

Celebrating the graduation of the Army Chaplain Basic Officer Leader Course April 21, 2022, for five SBC Chaplains and Chaplain Candidates. Chaplains: Robert Cook, Myung Mun, Allen Lindholt; Chaplain Candidates: Erik Boots and Logan Amador.

Once again, thanks for your unwavering commitment to God and His will. You and your family are in my prayer.

Be faithful always and honor God!

Published May 11, 2022