CHS Director Visits U.S. Armed Forces Chaplaincy Center & School
Holli Emore, CHS Executive Director, was the guest last week of the recently-retired commandant of the U.S. Armed Forced Forces Chaplaincy Center and School at Fort Jackson in South Carolina, Chaplain (Col.) Sam Boone. The day included lunch on the base, then an extensive tour of the Chaplaincy Center, which serves all branches of the military.
Emore was received warmly at the new state-of-the art facility, which includes "worship labs" (rooms with the supplies and space to learn to set up services) for Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jewish and other faith groups. Some of the classrooms include one-way glass observation rooms so that instructors can receive detailed assessment and feedback on their teaching.
The U.S. Army Center for World Religions was created in recognition of the growing religious diversity represented, not just by those in uniform, but also by their families and the civilians in countries where they are stationed. The Center is also the home of a beautiful museum of the history of military chaplaincy - well worth a visit if you are ever in the area.
Finally, a new memorial garden outside lists the names of all who have ever lost their lives while serving as military chaplains, from the Revolutionary War to the present day. The sculpture pictured is part of that memorial garden.
An article in the May 7, 2010 issue of USA Today reports on the dedication of the Chaplaincy Center as a joint school serving not just the Army, but all branches of the service. Col. Boone and Emore also volunteer together for the HOPE Chaplaincy HIV/AIDS hotline in the Columbia area. Visit the Cherry Hill Seminary Facebook page to see more photos.
