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Archpriests Theodore Boback and Joseph J. Gallick represented the Orthodox Church in America’s Office of Military Chaplains at the recent annual National Conference on Ministry to the Armed Forces [NCMAF], the Endorsers Conference for Veterans Affairs Chaplaincy [ECVAC], and the Armed Forces Chaplains Board.
Father Theodore serves as Dean and Executive Director of Orthodox Military and Veterans Administration Chaplains, while Father Joseph serves as Assistant Dean and Deputy Director. His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon, is Ecclesiastical Endorser, with His Grace, Bishop Daniel of Santa Rosa, serving as Episcopal Liaison.
“The theme of the conference was ‘Excellence in Leadership for Religious Liberty Advocacy,” Father Theodore explained. “Sessions included an update by the National VA Chaplain Center; a Chief of Chaplains update by Chaplain Keith Ethridge; a presentation by Ms. Lisa Pape, Deputy Chief of Patient Care Services Officer for Care Management and Social Work; and a presentation on 21st Century Chaplaincy by Chaplain Lowell Kronick, Associate Director at the National VA Chaplain Center. A wide variety of related presentations, spanning such topics as transformational leadership and organization resilience to self awareness, empathy and leading with purpose, highlighted the three-day gathering.”
Father Theodore was elected to serve on the ECVAC committee as an at-large delegate.
Among the other Orthodox Christian participants were His Grace, Bishop Thomas of the Diocese of Oakland, Charleston and the Mid-Atlantic of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America; Protopresbyter William J. Bartz, Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America; and Priest Christopher Allen, Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia.
In related news, Priest Timothy Yates recently was accessioned by the Air Force Chaplaincy, while Priest Matthew Fuhrman, who was in the United States Army Reserve, was accessed back onto active duty. Archpriest Peter M. Dubinin, USAR, was promoted to the rank of Colonel, while Archpriest Stephen Duesenberry, USN, was promoted to the rank of Captain and will be receiving orders for a new assignment in Virginia. Archpriest Eugene Lahue was selected to attend the Air Force War College, while two other priests are applying for reserve duty.
For more information on military and VA chaplaincies contact chaplains@oca.org.
