The Military Chaplaincy
History

The International Pentecostal Holiness Church has been endorsing ordained ministers to the Armed Forces for more than half a century. In 1941, our church pledged its support of the United States government in war, while "decrying the evils of war." Our general officials created a National Servicemen’s Commission with a National Service Pastor by the name of Samuel J. Todd, a young evangelist from Georgia.

In 1943, a Chaplains Examining Committee composed of J. A. Synan, G. H. Montgomery, and H. T. Spence endorsed John Vinson Ellenberg to be our first chaplain to represent the Pentecostal Holiness Church in the U.S. Army. Other distinguished men followed and served in World War II and the Korean Conflict like Thomas Eugene Myers, Ervin L. Shirey, Sr., Freeman Mashburn, Julius Green, and Jacob E. Till for a total of forty-four (44) chaplains. Since then some thirty-eight (38) other chaplains, including our first woman Air Force chaplain, Christy Sorrow, have served on active duty in the Army, Navy, and Air Force with honor and distinction. Our chaplains have served during the Berlin Crisis, Vietnam, Grenada, Panama, Desert Shield/Storm, Somalia, Haiti, Bosnia, Kosovo, Operation Enduring Freedom in Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, and Kyrgyzstan—the current War on Terrorism.

Bishop Leon O. Stewart is considered to be the Father of Modern Day Military Chaplaincy in the IPHC. It was during his tenure as the General Superintendent, from August 1981-August 1989, that he reappointed Chaplain, Colonel, Ervin L. Shirey, Sr., US Army, Retired, to serve as director of chaplains. Bishop J. Floyd Williams had appointed Shirey to be the first retired chaplain to serve in this position. In addition, Bishop Stewart persuaded the General Board of Administration that the Chaplains Ministries Board should endorse IPHC chaplains rather than the NAE Commission on Chaplains, a fellowship of which the IPHC is an affiliate member. This strategic paradigm shift paved the way for a closer relationship with IPHC chaplains as well as the Chiefs of Chaplains of the Air Force, Army, Navy, and Veteran Affairs. In addition, it provided the infrastructure to obtain more chaplains' positions in each of the military services.

Dr. Ronald W. Carpenter, Sr., the present chairman of Chaplains Ministries, is known as an innovator and a pacesetter, as well as one who has a heart for Chaplains Ministries. Because of his vision for a memorial to the chaplains, the Corridor of Courage was carefully designed and constructed. Bishop James D. Leggett presided over the dedication ceremony of this memorial in July of 1999 at the Resource Development Center in Oklahoma City. The Corridor of Courage is second to none. It honors active duty, retired and deceased military chaplains, as well institutional chaplains. In 1999, under Dr. Carpenter's leadership the institutional chaplains in the IPHC were organized as a vital part of Chaplains Ministries. When visiting the Resource Development Center in OKC, you are encouraged to stop by and visit the Corridor of Courage.