Summer Hours through August 17: Monday, Thursday, Friday 11 a.m.-4 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Exceptions: Closed Saturday, June 1; Thursday, July 4; Friday, July 5; Friday, July 19.
Summer Hours through August 17: Monday, Thursday, Friday 11 a.m.-4 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Exceptions: Closed Saturday, June 1; Thursday, July 4; Friday, July 5; Friday, July 19.
Located on the campus of Liberty University, the Chaplains Museum features an extensive collection of objects and artifacts that tell the stories of U.S. military chaplains in the camp, on the battlefield, and among prisoners of war. Visitors will learn how chaplains from diverse backgrounds have used a variety of means and methods to carry out their ministry during times of war.
Founded in 2005 as a private organization, the Chaplains Museum is now part of the History Department at Liberty University. Our mission is to showcase the service of U.S. Military Chaplains throughout American history through historical research and the collection and preservation of related artifacts.
The museum also functions as a student laboratory for research, exhibit design, collections care, and special projects.
The Chaplains Museum:
As part of the History Department at Liberty University, the Chaplains Museum has become an active learning laboratory for students.
Monday through Friday 12:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Saturday 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Summer Hours (June, July, August)
Monday, Thursday, Friday 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
The museum is located in the Jerry Falwell Library on Liberty University’s Campus. Learn more about our location and parking.
Historically, U.S. military chaplains have performed many roles. They have preached, acted as personal counselors, cared for the sick and dying, handled military postal services, administered literacy programs, and in some cases even joined in battle. View the following exhibits and more at the Chaplains Museum.
Take the accessible-friendly route to the Chaplains Museum.
The Chaplains Museum can be found on the terrace level of the Jerry Falwell Library. The Library’s main exterior entrance is located at the southern end of the Academic Lawn.
Visitor parking passes are required daily excluding weekends. For further assistance or questions about the parking policy, see LUPD’s visitor parking information.
For directions to campus, shuttle information, and more, explore the university’s visitor’s guide.
This year, female chaplains of the U.S. Army are celebrating 50 years of service!
In 1974, Diana Pohlman-Bell became the first female chaplain appointed by the Army. Ever since that milestone, women have been making a difference by serving as chaplains for American soldiers.
One female chaplain who demonstrated a career of excellence is retired Chaplain (Col.) Janet Horton, who worked with Master Sergeant Iraida Velazquez to form the first all-female unit ministry team serving a division. In 1997, Horton became the first female Army chaplain promoted to the rank of colonel.
Female chaplains are still fulfilling their calling to serve soldiers both abroad and at home. Check out the photo from @armychaplaincorps to see some modern female chaplains who gathered for professional development training on July 23rd.
#armychaplaincorps #femalechaplains #chaplains #armychaplains
On Friday, July 19th, the Chaplains Museum hosted a promotion ceremony for Mark Tinsley, an Army Reserves chaplain who was promoted to colonel.
A former faculty member and alumnus, Tinsley has both a long history with the university and an impressive military career. For his service on bases in Cuba, Kuwait/Iraq, and around the U.S., Tinsley has received several decorations, including the Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Army Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster, the Army Achievement Medal with three oak leaf clusters, and the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal. He currently serves as the Associate Vice President of Arts and Sciences at Central Virginia Community College in Lynchburg.
Liberty University President Dondi Costin and keynote speaker Chaplain (BG) Charles Causey, Deputy Chief of Chaplains, Army Reserve, were just two of several dignitaries in attendance. Tinsley’s wife, Elizabeth (Beth), and their five children were also present.
President Costin’s remarks resonate deeply with us here at the museum: “Liberty University has always been what I’ll call a ‘God and country’ school. Liberty has trained more chaplains, serving in all branches and all segments of the military, than any other school...it’s really (special) to see [Tinsley] going on to do great things in the world.”
For more information, visit the Liberty News article covering the event: https://www.liberty.edu/news/2024/07/19/promotion-ceremony-for-army-reserves-chaplain-former-liberty-dean-held-in-on-campus-chaplains-museum/
Photo 1: Chaplain (Col.) Mark Tinsley speaks at his promotion ceremony. Photo courtesy of LU Marketing.
Photo 2: Tinsley takes the Oath of Office.
Photo 3: Tinsley shares a congratulatory handshake with keynote speaker and mentor Ch. (BG) Causey. Photo courtesy of LU Marketing.
Photo 4: Tinsley speaks with Chaplain (BG) Causey and Liberty University President Dondi Costin following his promotion ceremony.
#chaplains #promotionceremony #armychaplains #libertyupres #libertyuniversity
We are excited to introduce an addition to our chaplain kit exhibit: a mounted chaplain’s flag! Special thanks to Professor Caitlyn Burnell, resident textiles expert and friend of the Museum, who stitched the flag in place for framing. The mounted flag hangs alongside a display of two chaplain kits used by Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Calvin H. Garner during his service in Vietnam and beyond. An unused chaplain’s flag donated by Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Brian Palmer completes the exhibit.
In the military, chaplains hold services in many different settings, whether in the field, in camp, aboard ship, or in a chapel. These services might include communion, hymn-singing, scripture reading, prayer, and a sermon.
Here in the museum, we have several chaplain kits on display, including a modern kit that you can touch! Visit us to learn more about the spiritual role of chaplains and the tools they use in their ministry.
Photo 1: The newly mounted flag that was once used by Chaplain Garner (left) and a modern-issue chaplain flag hanging over an exhibit about chaplain kits.
Photo 2: Chaplain Garner conducting a religious service for soldiers in Germany, shortly after his Vietnam tour. Notice the chaplain kit on the hood of his jeep and the Chaplain’s flag hanging to the left. Come see these items and more when you visit the Chaplain’s Museum!
The museum will be closed Friday, July 19 for a private ceremony.
We are excited to host this event, which is the first of its kind to be held in the Chaplains Museum. Be sure to check back for updates!
It’s no surprise that here at the museum, we love looking back to the past! Today we’re celebrating the history of our own Chaplain’s Museum, remembering brochures of old and appreciating all the hard work and innovation that has gone into expanding the museum over the years.
In 2005, the museum began as a private collection displayed in the office of Kenny Rowlette, who served as a professor of English here at Liberty University. The collection expanded and became part of the university in 2012. Today, we display items pertaining to the service of chaplains in almost every major U.S. conflict.
Can you rank the brochures from oldest to newest? Which one is your favorite design? Let us know in the comments below!
Thank you to all those who have been part of our journey this far. Keep checking back for exciting new additions and be sure to come see our collection in person!
#history #chaplainsmuseum #museum #brochure #chaplains
Happy (early) Independence Day!🎉
Today we remember the man who started it all, the first commissioned military chaplain of the United States: John Hurt. Hurt became an ordained Anglican minister in 1774 and enlisted in the Continental Army just one year later. In 1791, he was appointed first chaplain of the new army and assigned to the Sixth Virginia Regiment under the command of his close friend, General George Washington.
Hurt fought alongside his men and sought to gain intelligence from the British lines. Traveling by General Washington’s side, he braved the icy waters of the Delaware to fight at the pivotal Battle of Trenton. Later, he ministered to and suffered alongside his fellow soldiers during the winter encampment at Valley Forge. As a result of his espionage efforts, he was captured in 1781 and held as a British prisoner of war.
One excerpt from Hurt’s most influential sermon, titled “The Love of Our Country,” sums up the importance of faith in the American Revolution: “We see then how closely the kind Creator has connected our interest with our duty, and made it each man’s happiness to contribute to the welfare of his country…”
Check out the attached photo scans of a letter Hurt wrote to President Thomas Jefferson. July 4th marks both the birth of our nation and the 198th anniversary of Jefferson’s passing.
Image 1: A 1911 color print of George Washington at Valley Forge, created by E. Percy Moran. As the chaplain in Washington’s regiment, Hurt ministered to the men at Valley Forge. Courtesy of the Library of Congress.
Image 2-3: A letter from John Hurt to Thomas Jefferson, August 31, 1801. Hurt signs off by wishing “the Great Jehovah prosper you...your honor and the peace and happiness [of] our Country is the prayer of your dying friend, John Hurt.” Images courtesy of the Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/resource/mtj1.024_0676_0677/?sp=1&st=image.
#independenceday #july4th #4thofjuly #chaplains #chaplainsmuseum #thomasjefferson
Today is PTSD Awareness Day, which reminds us of the chaplaincy’s multifaceted role in the modern military.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is “a mental health problem that some people develop after experiencing or witnessing a life-threatening or traumatic event.” According to the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, 7 out of 100 servicemembers experience PTSD. The risk is even higher for female servicemembers, with thirteen percent diagnosed each year.
In addition to leading religious services, chaplains are also dedicated to caring for the spiritual and physical well-being of the servicemembers in their respective units. Since its establishment in 1775, the chaplaincy has provided spiritual counselors who offer support, motivation, and emotional guidance to all members of the Armed Forces. This support system extends beyond the boundaries of different religions, making the chaplaincy one of the most important tools in maintaining mental health in the Armed Forces.
We are grateful to all former and current chaplains. To learn more about the responsibilities and unique challenges chaplains face every day, come by the museum!
If you or someone you know suffers from PTSD or is interested in more information, visit the National Center for PTSD at www.ptsd.va.gov/gethelp/peer_support.asp.
Images: The front and back of a Suicide Intervention card, distributed by the U.S. Army. While these cards are not exclusively used by chaplains, they highlight the importance of maintaining spiritual and mental wellbeing among servicemembers.
Does the chaplaincy oppose the American right to freedom of religion?
Freedom of religion is spelled out in the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” People have been questioning the constitutionality of the chaplaincy as far back as 1818, claiming the government should not pay servicemembers to act in any religious capacity. In 1985, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in the chaplaincy’s favor, stating that the First Amendment “obligates Congress...to make religion available to soldiers.” Today, several organizations work together to navigate how chaplains can best serve specific faiths while also accommodating a wide range of beliefs. One of these is the Armed Forces Chaplains Board.
The Armed Forces Chaplains Board is committed to protecting the free exercise of religion, training and assigning military chaplains, and working with civilian organizations regarding religious issues. Most notable is the Board’s mandate to protect rights listed under Department of Defense Instruction 1300.17: “Religious Liberty in the Military Services.” While it may sound like dry reading, this issuance and others like it make freedom of religion possible for our active servicemembers.
Visit the museum to learn more about how chaplains past and present respect the Establishment Clause while also giving spiritual guidance to members of diverse flocks.
Image 1: The seal of the Armed Forces Chaplains Board. Courtesy of the U.S. Department of Defense.
Image 2: Ch (Col) David Wake, Executive Director of the Armed Forces Chaplains Board. As executive director, Chaplain Wake communicates with the Secretary of Defense and makes recommendations regarding the free exercise of religion. Courtesy of the U.S. Department of Defense.
Image 3: A section of the Diversity in Service exhibit at the Chaplain’s Museum. Check out some of our old posts to see more information on the diverse faiths represented in the chaplaincy.
Born in Thomasville, Georgia in 1909, John G. Burkhalter started down an unlikely road to the chaplaincy as a professional boxer, fighting under the pseudonym Jacky Mills. In 1935, he hung up his gloves and became senior pastor of the West Flagler Park Baptist Church in Miami, Florida. According to his granddaughter, Burkhalter “became more of a fundamentalist Baptist cut out of the mold of Jerry Falwell."
Burkhalter enlisted in the United States Army and later graduated from the Chaplain’s School at Harvard. He was assigned to the 1st Infantry Division, which fought during the D-Day Invasion. According to Burkhalter, “nobody can love God better than when he is looking death square in the face and talks to God and then sees God come to the rescue...God was on the beach D-Day; I know because I was talking with him.” After tending the wounded during the Battle of the Bulge, he was declared missing in action for several weeks before being found in a French hospital with injuries caused by exploding shrapnel.
Burkhalter was later promoted to captain and assigned to occupational duty in Japan, where he stayed until the Korean War began. In the summer of 1950, Life magazine published a photo of Burkhalter conducting a burial service for the first American casualties of the Korean War. After serving thirteen months in Korea, he worked in several different posts before entering the US Army Reserves.
Rev. Burkhalter retired on July 3rd, 1969, as a lieutenant colonel. Some of his highest accolades include a Silver Star, two Bronze Stars, and two Purple Hearts. His extraordinary chaplaincy was memorialized in the book Heroes to Remember by Brandon Sanders. On September 30th, 1992, he died at the age of eighty-three and was buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery.
Photo 1: Chaplain John G. Burkhalter, who was highly decorated for his service in both WWII and the Korean War. Photo Courtesy of U.S. Army.
Photo 2: Ch Burkhalter officiates the burial of the first twenty-one American casualties in the Korean War. Taken by Life magazine photographer Carl Mydans. Photo courtesy of the Carl Mydans Estate, https://americanhistory.si.edu/c
Chaplains Museum
Liberty University Department of History
1971 University Blvd.
Lynchburg, VA 24515
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