Of chaplains and chapels
Presbyterian Historical Society has images from a dedication ceremony of the Air Force Academy Chapel
On Sunday, Feb. 2, Presbyterians are called to remember the ministry of Presbyterian chaplains and to celebrate the important roles they have played throughout history. And there have been many!
If you are unfamiliar with what chaplains do, as Ministers of the Word and Sacrament, they serve with compassion and dedication and provide vital pastoral care, spiritual support and moral guidance to those in need. Today, the PC(USA) has 150 teaching elders serving as chaplains in various federal agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Veterans Affairs and the military.
In this installment of “unique and unexpected chapels,” we’re focusing on military chaplaincy: specifically, the American Air Force chaplaincy, which celebrated its 75th year in service in May 2024.
Military chaplaincy was a topic of discussion as early as the 18th century — in fact, the first American military chaplaincy to be established was called into order by the Continual Congress of 1775. A monthly salary of $20 — a captain’s pay — was offered to those who became chaplains, which, at that point in time, could’ve been anyone: no formal ordination was required.
As the years passed, and particularly during the Civil War, efforts were made to increase professionalism within the armed forces’ chaplaincy ministries. Soon enough, ordination became a requirement, and the non-combatant status of chaplains was officially recognized.
The first “Air Chaplain” was Captain Charles I. Carpenter, who was appointed to the position in late July 1942. At the time of his election, the Air Force and Army were still one unit — the Air Force became a separate department five years after Carpenter’s appointment, in 1947. From that point onwards, from 1949 until 1958, Carpenter served as the Air Force Chief of Chaplains. His main purpose, then, was to support the free exercise of religion by members of the Air Force, cadets who came from a variety of religious backgrounds.
In the late 1950s, the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado, saw the work being done by its chaplains and decided that the creation of an all-faiths worship center was the next step for the school. That’s how, eight years after it welcomed its first class of cadets — 306 men were sworn into the inaugural class in 1955 — the Academy saw the dedication ceremony of its newly-built cadet chapel welcome 10,000 visitors.
PARADE REST AT CHAPEL DEDICATION, 1963. Islandora:358131
On a cloudy mid-September day in 1963, some 2,400 cadets attended the dedication service of the new ultra-modern, $3.4 million Chapel at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado. With its 17 spires reaching 150 feet into the sky, the recently constructed sanctuary consisted of separate sections for Protestant, Roman Catholic, Buddhist and Jewish services, as well as two all-faiths’ worship rooms. The dedication ceremony, as is seen in the image above, was held outside. Around 10,000 people attended, including religious, military, government and civic leaders. Below is a peek at the interior of the Colorado Springs Chapel.
FIRST SERVICE IN AIR FORCE PROTESTANT CHAPEL, 1963. islandora:358105
From the caption: “Cadet ushers begin to seat worshippers at the first service held in the gleaming Protestant nave ... Seating 900 persons, with space for 100 more in the choir, the Protestant section is located on the upper level of the chapel with its 17 spires forming the nave’s vaulted ceiling. Stained glass between the roof’s panels suffuse the room with multi-colored light. Behind the altar is a curved 14-foot wall covered with pastel shades of glass tessera. The top of the altar table is a 15-foot marble slab. The pulpit is circular, cut from solid blocks of marble.”
A chaplain’s work is never done. Today, and every day, we are grateful for those who dedicate their lives to the sharing and teaching of God’s great love — from chaplains working at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, to those working in universities and hospitals and stations across the globe.
Click here for more information on the work of Presbyterian Federal Chaplaincies.
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