Members of the National Association of Evangelicals Chaplains Commission will lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery on Thursday, Jan. 16 at 3:15 p.m. At the ceremony, chaplains will honor their brothers and sisters in arms.
“Our chaplains touch many lives through their ministry, and they are also touched by many,” said David Cyr, Executive Director of the NAE Chaplains Commission. “As we lay the wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier we will remember those to whom we have ministered, especially those who are no longer with us on earth.”
Chaplains provide spiritual care to service members in good times and in crises. Perhaps the most difficult and poignant moments are those that chaplains spend with men and women as they lay dying on the battlefield or in a hospital room.
Prior to the ceremony at Arlington, the wreath will be displayed at the NAE Chaplains Commission Annual Centurion Banquet. Since some will not be able to attend the ceremony at Arlington, Centurions and their guests will have the opportunity to participate by prayerfully placing a rose on the wreath thanking God for those who have sacrificed for the cause of freedom. The rose is a symbol of the blood shed for freedom as well as the blood of Jesus Christ shed for spiritual freedom.
The NAE Chaplains Commission is composed of denominations and churches that together are the largest representative body of chaplains in the U.S. Armed Forces and Veterans Administration. The Commission currently represents over 1,000 active duty, Reserve, National Guard and civilian institutional chaplains serving around the world and directly endorses nearly 100 chaplains and candidates.
The public and press are welcome to attend the ceremony.