Support Military Chaplains Today
Thank you for choosing to support Wesley Theological Seminary!
We are grateful for your generosity to help us fulfill our mission to equip persons for Christian ministry and leadership in the church and the world, to advance theological scholarship, and to model a prophetic voice in the public square.
If you need assistance or would like to make your gift over the phone, please call the Wesley Development Office at 202.885.8630 or email [email protected].
In Yokosuka, Japan, Chaplain Philip King leads a team of chaplains, enlisted sailors, and civilians that runs the largest overseas military religious program in the United States Navy. The team supports 16 unique religious groups that share space and programs in the military base’s chapel. It is a demanding ministry and opportunity for deep study can be rare.
King is an active duty Captain in the United States Navy and the Command Chaplain at the Chapel of Hope in Yokosuka. He was also one of 12 military chaplains who graduated at Wesley’s 2019 Commencement ceremony in May with a Doctor of Ministry in “Military Chaplaincy: Religious Leadership in a Complex, Multi-Faith Environment.”
“Being able to re-engage professionally and intentionally in theological and divine studies that are central to the identity of a pastor was a God-send oasis for me in the desert pilgrimage of my journey as a Navy chaplain,” King said. “I cannot express enough my gratitude for this opportunity, especially the professional excellence Wesley brought to the experience.”
In addition to academic study, the military chaplain cohorts journey together over multiple years, forging relationships through reflections on shared ministry experiences.
“The opportunities I had to deconstruct the practice of military ministry in a safe and intellectual space with colleagues who share my experiences and understanding provided a priceless experience,” King said. “More vital than the actual readings or research were the conversations that spun off of our exploration and individual experiences and challenges. The ‘Brain Trust’ of each cohort was set in unique and inspirational constructs that also worked forward into our ongoing ministries and challenges.”
Wesley’s Doctor of Ministry program for chaplains was developed following the events of 9/11 as the seminary committed to serving U.S. military chaplains in new and deeper ways.
“The Doctor of Ministry is the premier executive education program for religious leaders,” President David McAllister-Wilson said. “It’s a rigorous program of graduate-level courses and it helps chaplains go deeper and broader intellectually, emotionally, psychologically, and in their leadership skills.”
To aid chaplains in their pursuit of educational and theological development, the seminary also committed to providing 100 percent tuition scholarships for all military chaplains. Meeting the goal of funding each chaplain’s tuition requires Wesley to partner with individuals and local churches to financially support the program. In late-2018, Floris United Methodist Church in Herndon, Va., became a key financial partner as the congregation gifted Wesley with $60,000 collected as part of the church’s Christmas Eve offering.
Wesley’s commitment to military chaplains continues to bear fruit as additional chaplains are brought into the program and significant financial support is secured. We have been able to offer generous scholarships to military chaplains every year since the initial cohort in 2017.
“When the chance to study at Wesley came up, I was very busy with a position at the Washington Navy Yard, working extremely long hours in a high stress environment,” King said. “Taking on the challenges of doctoral studies was a very serious decision. That Wesley offered to cover the costs of the degree was the swaying factor in my calculus. Now my challenge is to pay it forward in a way that reflects the considerable generosity of my benefactors.”