Greetings. I’m James Detwiler, the Chaplaincy Pastoral Care Manager for NAMB. It’s a privilege and honor to support the over 3,000 SBC-endorsed chaplains serving worldwide.
Simply put, my job is to help chaplains do their job. I want to facilitate care and concern to chaplains and their families in a timely, effective manner, whether through our chaplaincy team here at NAMB, one of our Chaplain Ambassadors, the local church, other supporting agencies, or me personally.
What this care looks like depends on the unique need and situation. It could be a friendly telephone call or an encouraging text or email. It might be a site visit, where a meal is shared and relationships are built. It definitely means, to use military language, providing spiritual “top cover” to our chaplains serving on the frontlines of ministry. When a chaplain submits a request for prayer or other assistance (e.g., through a quarterly report), our team is mobilized to help in whatever way we can, especially by boldly approaching the throne of grace through intercessory prayer.
Chaplain, please know I am praying for you, your families, and your ministries as you share the love of God and the hope of the gospel. Don’t hesitate to reach out to me, your Chaplain Ambassador, or the chaplaincy team. We are here for you.
On a more personal note, here’s a little about me.
In addition to my role at NAMB, I serve as a chaplain in the Kentucky Air National Guard (prior active duty). The Lord has blessed me with over two decades of vocational ministry experience in various cultural settings and ministry contexts. I’ve pastored churches, taught seminary students, and cared for Airmen. And my family has served alongside me the entire time.
My wife, Meredith, and I met while serving as short-term missionaries. We have two daughters, Eden and Joelle. Outside of the grace of God working in and through me, I consider my family my greatest asset and biggest blessing. Meredith is skilled to provide a sympathetic ear and sound, biblical counsel. Eden and Joelle both have the hearts of missionaries. They all love serving in the local church and blessing our community as the hands and feet of Jesus.
I was born and raised in the Commonwealth of Kentucky (Go Big Blue!) but have lived in five different U.S. time zones. I came to Christ at a young age, mainly through the godly influence of my mother. I experienced the call to ministry in my teens but spent several years as a prodigal son. I’ve gone to college, seminary, and even culinary school. Over the years, I’ve tied steel in construction, caddied at a PGA golf course, wrote and edited articles for an IT publisher, cooked cafeteria food, made cappuccinos, and waited tables. In my spare time, I enjoy cooking, music, and sports.
I am excited to support our SBC-endorsed chaplains and their families. Jesus has been so good to me. I just want to share that goodness. To quote the apostle Paul, “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain” (1 Corinthians 5:10, CSB).