WASHINGTON, DC (BP) — In his first week as an active-duty chaplain more than 25 years ago, Chaplain Major General Trent Davis discovered the unique impact of the conversations chaplains are privileged to have.
A young officer trainee walked into his sparsely decorated office with tears in his eyes. The trainee was struggling in his first six weeks of officer training school and had just been told he would need to start over. But the young man had seen something different in the life of his Christian roommate, and he wanted to know more.
Through his tears, the trainee asked one of the most profound questions of his life: “Who is Jesus?”
“It was an opportunity for me, early in my Air Force career, to share the relationship I have with the Lord personally,” Davis said. “Now as a chaplain, I regularly walk through difficult times with service men and women, offering hope and peace in their moments of need.”
In August, Davis, a Southern Baptist, stepped into the role of the 21st U.S. Air Force Chief of Chaplains, taking over after Chaplain Major General Randall Kitchens — also a Southern Baptist — retired. Around the same time, Brigadier General David Kelley, another Southern Baptist, was named the deputy chief of chaplains.
“We remain extremely grateful to Southern Baptist churches for their encouraging and prayerful support in helping young men like Trent Davis and David Kelley discern their calling to the ministry and the military chaplaincy,” said Chaplain (Major General) Doug Carver, the executive director of chaplaincy at the North American Mission Board (NAMB). “As a result, the Lord has raised up these humble servants of God as the senior shepherd leaders of the United States Air Force and Space Force communities.”
Leading ‘Hope Specialists’ for the Air Force
Davis was raised in a Christian home, where his family was deeply involved in church. He decided to follow Christ as a boy at First Baptist Church of Winter Park, Florida.
“I remember recognizing the sin in my life, my need for a Savior, and committing my life in prayer on my knees alongside the associate pastor of the church,” Davis said. “Equally, and probably more importantly to me, my father was there beside me as I committed my life to the Lord that day. That commitment, that turning over of my life to the Lord, has truly led to where I am today.”
Davis grew up with a dream of serving his country in uniform, but he set it aside when God led him into ministry. After finishing his studies at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, he and his family packed up and moved to Minot, North Dakota, in 1996, where he started serving as a church planter through NAMB.
A year later, Davis became a reserve chaplain at nearby Minot Air Force Base. In 1998, he moved into active duty.
“It was like a beam of light came upon me when I first donned the Air Force uniform,” Davis said. “God reminded me that this is exactly where he wanted me to serve.”
Twenty-five years later, Davis is now the Air Force’s Chief of Chaplains, leading about 2,200 chaplains and religious affairs Airmen and guardians across the Air Force and Space Force, regardless of faith background. He also serves as an adviser to Air Force and Space Force leaders on spiritual matters.
Davis describes the chaplains he serves as “hope specialists.”
“From the earliest days, shortly after the Air Force started following World War II, through times of conflict — such as Korea, Vietnam, and more recent conflicts — we have been providing freedom, faith, ministry, and ultimately hope to Airmen and guardians across the globe, including deployed locations worldwide,” Davis said.
Caring for Airmen and Guardians During Good and Bad Days
While Davis grew up in a Christian home, Kelley had little spiritual background when he came to faith in Christ in college at the Kent State University. He began serving in the U.S. Army as a chaplain assistant in 1987, before attending seminary at Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary in Lynchburg, Virginia, and then serving as a pastor.
Kelley has appreciated the opportunity to walk alongside Airmen and guardians on the best and worst days of their lives.
“One morning, as a young captain, I spent a Saturday with an Airman and his family because they had lost a child,” Kelley said. “That same evening, I celebrated with another Airman and his family because they had just gotten married. Walking alongside the sons and daughters of our nation’s best in uniform are some of the best memories I’ve ever had.”
Both Davis and Kelley asked Southern Baptists to continue praying for chaplains to have the wisdom, clarity, and stamina to meet the spiritual needs of Airmen and guardians.
“Thank you, Southern Baptists, for your years of support for me and for the mission of care we provide,” Davis said. “Your prayers and encouragement make a real difference.”