Jim C.

Serving Since:

2022

Presidential Commendation:

2023 President’s Gold Volunteer Service Award

What I do to put energy into my life:

My activities include Tai Chi, Qigong exercises, walking, pedaling my fishing kayak around our lake, reading, yardwork and meditation.

Why I became a Chaplain:

Becoming a chaplain was not on my radar 5 years ago; yet, God had been preparing me for this ministry my entire life. The final door to become a chaplain opened up when I met Chaplain Larry at Ace Hardware. What a better time to talk with someone when he’s helping you find what you need. Over time, I started to share, and we quickly gravitated toward our son, since he’s a correctional officer. This is when Chaplain Larry told me about his work in the Law Enforcement Chaplain program. I was concerned about the emotional change our son was experiencing. He wasn’t like my father-in-law, who was a retired correctional officer. In Dad’s case, he had a powerful walk with Christ, our son’s walk with Christ isn’t the same. So, Chaplain Larry helped me out, and recommended a book, “Emotional Survival of Law Enforcement.” This gave me better insight to the many challenges, which our son and my friends face in their various law enforcement careers. I now had a desire to serve which became a spiritual calling, one where my faith’s journey, along with compassion and empathy would have a role. I give praise to God Almighty for using Chaplain Larry to plant that final seed. Once enrolled into the academy, I came to see a much larger purpose which chaplains serve in our community. Simply put, God molds us, then calls us. We’re His humble servants in this ministry.