Hugh's News & Commentary

The 2011 IPHC Chaplains and Spouses Retreat will feature Chaplain, Major General Cecil Richardson, Chief of Air Force Chaplains.

It gives me a great deal of pleasure and personal delight to inform you, my readers of Hugh's News, that we have made plans for our 2011 Chaplains and Spouses Retreat, June 20-23, at Founder's Inn, Virginia Beach, VA.

Chaplain, Major General R. Cecil Richardson, Chief of Air Force Chaplains, has graciously accepted my offer to be our retreat speaker. He will be speaking on "Moral Courage."

Chaplain Richardson leads an Air Force Chaplain Corps of approximately 2,200 chaplains and chaplain assistants from the active and Air Reserve components. As a member of the Armed Forces Chaplains Board, he and other members advise the Secretary of Defense and Joint Chiefs of Staff on the religious, ethical, and quality-of-life concerns.

Chaplain Richardson began his career as an enlisted intercept operator and Russian interpreter. He has served two assignments as a senior Protestant chaplain and two as a wing chaplain. He has also served as the chaplain assignments officer and a major command division chief. His senior leadership positions include Air Combat Command, and Director of USAF Chaplains Service Institute. Prior to his present position, he served as the Deputy Chief of Air Force Chaplains.

He has earned the Bachelor of Arts degree in Biblical studies, Evangel University, Springfield, MO, and the Master of Divinity degree in Hebrew studies, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Deerfield, IL.

Chaplain Richardson is an ordained minister of the Assemblies of God and a Spirit-filled or empowered Christian like we are as Pentecostal Holiness chaplains, spouses, and friends.

Cecil is married to the former Janet Ross of Warren, Michigan. They have three outstanding sons: Steve, an Air Force chaplain; Jim, a legislative director for the United States Congress; and Mike, an electrical engineer for a defense contractor.

Monday, June 20, 2011, will be a travel day for our chaplains and their spouses. Our chaplains in the area will be present to welcome everyone at the Visitor's Booth by the fireside and right across from the hotel check in desk.

Tuesday morning, June 21, we will depart on a 50-passenger charted bus at 8 a. m. to go to Williamsburg for a tour of this historic town for the day. Prior to departure, we will have a devotional message, and sing joyfully as we travel along the highway. Henry Pillow, a certified tour guide, and a classmate of mine at Holmes Bible College in the late 50s, will be our leader for the day. This will be a fun day, educational, interesting, instructive, and historical. This area of our country is where it all began--the birthplace of our nation. Henry plans a drive-by view of Jamestown and Yorktown.

We will eat a hearty breakfast together on Wednesday morning, June 22, at 8 a. m. Retired Army Chaplain (Colonel) Lou Shirey will give our devotional message and prayer. At 9 and 10 a. m. Chaplain Richardson will speak on "Moral Courage."

At 11 a. m. Dr. Vinson Synan will speak on "Things I never Expected to See in my Lifetime." I have asked my good friend, Dr. Vinson Synan, our church historian and internationally known scholar and speaker, to address us as chaplains whose ministries are vital to the moral and spiritual life of the military.

Wednesday afternoon will be a free time for shopping, golfing, relaxing, and sharing. Navy Chaplain Timothy Moore who is now with the Coast Guard was unable to get a tour of an aircraft carrier since there will be no aircarft carriers in port. However, Tim has contacted Captain Mark Scovill, Deputy Commodore for COMPHIBRON 8 (Commander Amphibious Squadron) who has extended a gracious invitation for our group to tour USS IWO JIMA (LHD-7).

Captain Scovill was Tim's former XO onboard USS ARCTIC (AOE-8). He is arranging for the Command Chaplain onboard to give a tour of the flight deck, officers quarters and enlisted quarters, the wardroom, galley and worship spaces onboard the ship then discuss nuances of ministry onboard this vessel and with the SURFACE FORCES. This opportunity may be another option for the afternoon for any who may want to go.

Wednesday evening, June 22, will be our dinner banquet with a reception beginning at 6:30 and the dinner meal at 7 o'clock.

Our chaplains will be dressed in their uniforms and their ladies in their dinner dress. The chaplains in uniform will be a visible reminder of the men and women of faith who have answered the call of God to serve a noble cause by providing love and ministry to the finest soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, and coast guardsmen in the Armed Forces of our great nation. Their presence in uniform will provide a special witness for those in the hotel. I can tell you it will be an awe-inspiring sight for all to see. I hope we can have a few good photographers to take our group and individual photos.

Chaplain Richardson will speak one last time at the dinner banquet. He is one of the most humble men I have ever met. He is a servant/leader. We are proud of him for many reasons, but most of all because he is Pentecostal. He is an ordained minister of the Assemblies of God. Melvine and I shared a condo with him in Branson, MO, for a training conference for the NAE Chaplains Commission, a few summers ago for three days. He is down to earth, and would you believe he still presses his own uniforms.

Retired Air Force Chaplain, Colonel David Sessions will be presenting Chaplain Richardson with a special trophy depicting his servant/leadership. David and Cecil were classmates in the Chaplain Officer Basic Leadership Course when they began their Air Force careers as chaplains.

Then, we want to pray over Chaplain Richardson at the close of the banquet for God's continued blessings on his extensive ministries. I have asked Retired Army Chaplain (Colonel) Ervin L. "Lou" Shirey, Jr. to lead in that special prayer.

I can tell you this--our chaplains and spouses, along with some special guests, will love Chaplain Cecil Richardson and hang on to his every word. He is a masterful story teller, and all of us can identity with him. The audience will laugh and cry, as well as rejoice as he speaks. He is awesome and a gift from God to all of us.

At the close of our banquet we want to remember our Lord's death until He comes again. We will have Holy Communion (the Lord's Supper, Eucharist), and sing a hymn together. The hymn I have selected is "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross."  We will use a freshly bake loaf of bread. We will use a chalice of grape juice, and each person will tear off a piece of that bread and dip it in the chalice. I plan to pronounce the benediction (blessing) upon our people from the Word of God.

Thursday, June 23, we will say our goodbyes and go our separate ways. I believe we will all say we had a real good time and were blessed immensely.

May I ask that you, my readers remember this retreat for our chaplains and spouses, and special guests in your prayers. Pray that God will give us traveling mercies, lovely weather, and a wonderful time of getting to know one another better, and share our hearts for ministry and love for our young men and women in the military.

We endeavor to get together once every two years for a retreat. We are grateful to God for providing us with this golden opportunity to honor and serve our chaplains and spouses. It is my prayer that this retreat will provide a time of spiritual renewal, relaxation, rest, and connecting with fellow chaplains and their spouses. We are grateful that our Chairman, Bishop D. Chris Thompson and his wife, Betty, and members of the Chaplains Ministries IPHC Board and their spouses can be present.
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