Grace Brethren chaplains in the military continue to touch lives, as evidenced by recent communications from the Eagle Commission, a strategic link between the people of the Grace Brethren churches and Grace Brethren military chaplains around the world.
Chaplain (First Lieutenant) Jeff Mason is currently serving in Iraq with the 157th Combat Service and Support Brigade (based in Willow Grove, Pa.). He writes regularly from the front lines of the war on terror at http://thearmychaplain.blogspot.com/.
The newest Grace Brethren chaplain, recruited by Endorsing Agent John Schumacher, is David Mvondo. He is a graduate of Bob Jones University, is married to Whitney, and they have a daughter, Mbia. David, who was a Grace Brethren pastor in the Chad, already has his commission and has transferred his endorsement from the National Association of Evangelicals Chaplaincy Commission to the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches.
Chaplain James Schaefer, U.S. Army, serving as a chaplain recruiter and based in Atlanta, has many opportunities to share with students in seminaries and colleges about the strategic and effective ministry of chaplains in the U.S. Armed Forces. He also has frequently shared his story as a chaplain at community events. In the fall, he and his wife, Elizabeth, were invited to speak at a ceremony honoring veterans in Franklin, Ga. Reports Elizabeth, “I was able to present chaplains’ wives’ pins to the two pastors’ wives who were present. It was a very honoring ceremony for the vets who were in attendance.” James has been instrumental in sending a number of highly qualified chaplains to the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches, several of whom recently have been given a commission in the U.S. Army with a Grace Brethren endorsement.