Chaplain Ministries Staff Bios
CHAPLAIN (BG) DOUGLAS E. LEE, USA Ret
Executive Director
Presbyterian and Reformed Joint Commission
For Chaplain and Military Personnel (PRJC)
(short version)
Douglas E. Lee was born and reared in Minneapolis, MN. He received his Bachelors Degree in Radio and TV Production from the University of Minnesota. A Master of Divinity degree was earned from Covenant Theological Seminary, St. Louis, MO, followed by ordination to the Presbyterian ministry. After graduating from seminary, Chaplain Lee served as a Presbyterian pastor in three churches over a period of 16 years: Associate Pastor, Faith Presbyterian, Sarasota, FL; Pastor, Highline Reformed Presbyterian, Seattle, WA; and the founding pastor of Parkwood Presbyterian, Apple Valley, MN. He also served as an Army chaplain for over 30 years – 16 of them on Active Duty as an Army chaplain. Doug retired from the Army in September 2008 and now serves as the Executive Director of the Presbyterian and Reformed Joint Commission on Chaplains and Military Personnel (PRJC).
Chaplain and Mrs. (Nancy) Lee are the proud parents of four children, and nine grandchildren.
(long version)
Chaplain Douglas E. Lee was born and reared in Minneapolis, MN. He received his Bachelors Degree in Radio and TV Production from the University of Minnesota. A Master of Divinity degree was earned from Covenant Theological Seminary, St. Louis, MO, followed by ordination to the Presbyterian ministry.
After graduating from seminary, Chaplain Lee served as a Presbyterian pastor in three churches over a period of 16 years: Faith Presbyterian, Sarasota, FL; Highline Reformed Presbyterian, Seattle, WA; and the founding pastor of Parkwood Presbyterian, Apple Valley, MN.
Chaplain Lee was commissioned in the Washington State Army National Guard in 1977. In April of 1982, he transferred to the U.S. Army Reserve.
His military education includes the Chaplain Basic and Advanced Courses; Command and General Staff Course; Air Assault School; Air War College; and the Army War College.
During the years 1977-1989, Chaplain Lee served in various capacities as a Reserve Components Chaplain: Army National Guard - 81st Mechanized Infantry Brigade (WAARNG); US Army Reserve - 174th General Support Group, 457th Transportation Battalion, 103d Corps Support Command, 56th Material Movement Command, the 302d Maintenance Battalion. In 1989, he was selected to serve on Active Duty in the Army Active/Guard Reserve program. His first assignment was as the Recruiting Chaplain for Second U.S. Army, Atlanta, GA. In 1992, he was assigned to the U.S. Army Reserve Command, Ft. McPherson, GA, as the Chief, Plans/Policies/Operations chaplain. In June of 1998, Chaplain Lee graduated from the Army War College at Carlisle, PA, after which he received orders to the U.S. Army Reserve Command as the Command Chaplain. In July 2004 he became the Army Chief of Chaplains Director, Reserve Components Integration, Arlington, VA. In October 2005 he assumed the duties of the Army Assistant Chief of Chaplains for Mobilization and Readiness. After almost 31 years he retired from the Army on 1 Oct 2008.
Chaplain Lee’s awards include the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal (oak leaf cluster), the National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, the Armed Forces Reserve Medal (with 20 year device), the Army Reserve Components Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, and the Air Assault Badge. He is authorized to wear the Pentagon Army Staff Identification Badge.
Chaplain Lee currently serves as the Endorser for the six denominations of the PRJC.
Chaplain and Mrs. (Nancy) Lee live in Alexandria, VA and are the proud parents of four children, and nine grandchildren.
RE Gary Hitzfeld
MNA/PRJC Administrative Assistant &
Associate Director for Civilian Chaplaincy
Gary was born in Alice, TX on December 15, 1947. He resided in Texas until 1984, when his work in financial management with regional department stores took him to Des Moines, IA as Controller for Younkers. He met and married his wife Diane in 1987. They received Christ the same year and soon afterward, the Lord took them to Hattiesburg, MS for employment. By an act of providence, they stepped into the wrong church building one Sunday morning, and (now PCA Stated Clerk) L. Roy Taylor was used by God to help them find their church home in the PCA.
The Lord called Gary and Diane to full-time administrative ministry at a missions conference at First Presbyterian Church where Gary was ordained an Elder, having served previously as Chairman of the Diaconate. In 1999, they sold their home in Hattiesburg and moved to the Atlanta, GA area, raising support to work for Dr. Archie Parrish and Serve International, Inc. The Hitzfelds helped Dr. Parrish develop the Kingdom Campaign Prayer Training materials (www.Kingdomprayer.org), and Gary assisted with prayer conferences around the country.
Gary’s assistance to Archie included the church revitalization ministry of MNA. When Archie retired as MNA Coordinator for Church Vitality, Dave Peterson hired Gary in 2004 as Administrative Assistant for MNA Chaplain Ministries, also filling a part-time position as the Associate Director for Civilian Chaplaincy.
Gary and Diane have relocated to a small ranch outside of Cuero, TX, near San Antonio. Diane is the Communications Director for Desire Street Ministries, and in their free time, they enjoy their dogs, cats, and Arabian horses. They are members of Christ PCA in Victoria, TX.
Ch Col Beryl Hubbard, USAF, Ret, and Carolyn Hubbard
Associate Director, PRJC
Associate Coordinator for MNA Chaplain Ministries
Beryl T. Hubbard, Ch, Col (USAF Retired), completed more than twenty-five years of ministry in the United States Air Force as of January 1995, retiring as Wing Chaplain at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan. He and Carolyn now make their home in Navarre, FL. Both “Preacher Kids”, they have been married for 41 years and are parents of two married daughters, Debbie and Shari, and have three grandchildren
Beryl, an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church in America, received a BA from Bob Jones University, an MDIV from Philadelphia Theological Seminary and a DMIN from Fuller Theological Seminary. He also attended the Air Force’s Air Command and Staff College. Before entering the Air Force, he served as Director of Christian Education at Faith Presbyterian Church, Wilmington, DE. Assignments in the Air Force have taken the Hubbards stateside to Florida, Nebraska, Alabama and Colorado and overseas to Spain, Panama and Japan. Beryl also served a remote tour on radar sites in Alaska. Two unique positions held during this time of ministry was as Director of the Ministry to Chaplains Program at the Air Force Chaplain School at Maxwell Air Force Base, Montgomery, AL, and Command Chaplain at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. He retired in the rank of Colonel. After retiring, he served as the Coordinator for Small Group Ministry at Westminster Presbyterian Church, Fort Walton Beach, FL, and was the Interim Senior Pastor at Key Biscayne Presbyterian Church in Key Biscayne, FL for sixteen months. Currently he is the Associate Director for Chaplain Ministries for the Presbyterian Church in America and served on the Executive Committee of the National Council on Ministry to the Armed Forces that represents all religious bodies of America to the three Chiefs of Chaplains and their staffs.
Carolyn received a BA in English from King’s College (NY) and an MS in Guidance and Counseling from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. She has taught on the elementary and secondary levels in Pennsylvania, Florida, Nebraska, Alabama and in the Department of Defense Dependents Schools in Spain, Panama and Japan. She has conducted workshops, conferences and retreats for women both overseas and in the States and is a gifted Bible teacher. For the past few years she has been taking Scripture verses and setting them to her original music.
Beryl and Carolyn have been active with military families through education, counseling and conferences. In July 1995, they did a workshop on Ministry to Military Families in Denver for Focus on the Family. Other interests include music, camping, travel, tennis, biking and walking.
BERYL and CAROLYN HUBBARD
9736 Seafarer’s Way
Navarre, FL 32566
Phone: (850) 939-3720 Fax: (850) 936-7165
bhub@earthlink.net
Captain Ron Swafford , Chaplain Corps, U. S. Navy RET
PRJC Associate Director
EDUCATION AND PASTORAL EXPERIENCE
Chaplain Swafford grew up in Gadsden, AL (First Pres.) with Jim Baird as his pastor. After graduating from the University of Alabama (1969 B. S. Industrial Relations) he worked for Allstate Insurance Company in Atlanta, in Regional Office Management. During a World Missions Conference at his home church, Smyrna Presbyterian, Smyrna, GA, he was called to pastoral ministry. (John Kyle, the first MTW Coordinator, was the speaker at that conference.)
He attended Reformed Theological Seminary, Jackson, MS from 1970-1973. Following a student pastorate at First Presbyterian Church, Taylorsville, MS, during his senior year of seminary, he accepted a call as their first full-time pastor. He was ordained in June, 1973 in the Presbyterian Church United States (PCUS.) In October 1973, he was part of the majority of Presbyters who left the South Mississippi Presbytery (PCUSA) to begin Grace Presbytery of the Continuing Presbyterian Church. He represented his local church at the First General Assembly of the National Presbyterian Church, at Briarwood Presbyterian Church, in December 1973. Ron was a founding member of three PCA presbyteries (Grace Presbytery, Central Florida Presbytery, and North Florida Presbytery).
In 1975 he was called by the (then) Gold Coast Presbytery (now South Florida Presbytery) as organizing pastor for the Melbourne, FL area. That church was particularized in 1977 as Covenant Presbyterian Church, Melbourne, FL (now of Palm Bay, FL.) In 1980 Swafford felt called to the military chaplaincy, and attended the Navy Chaplains Basic Course in April-May 1981 and thereafter accepted Active Duty orders as a Navy Chaplain.
MILITARY EXPERIENCE
Chaplain Swafford’s Naval career began in June, 1981 in Norfolk, VA at Destroyer Squadron Two (COMDESRON 2) with 17 Destroyers and Frigates. From 1984-86 he served as the Command Chaplain for the Fleet Introduction Team (FIT) in Bath, ME where most of the OLIVER HAZZARD PERRY class Guided Missile Destroyer ships were being built. In 1986 he was detailed to the 3Rd Marine Division in Okinawa, Japan for 3 plus years, where he made numerous deployments to South Korea and Mainland Japan. His tours of duty within the 3Rd MarDiv included the 3/12 Artillery Battalion and the 3rd Combat Engineer Battalion. In 1987 he was promoted to Lieutenant Commander and served as the Command Chaplain for the 12th Marine Regiment.
In 1989-90 he was selected for a one year Chaplains Advanced Course study in Newport, RI. Following his year of study, he was detailed to begin a new Chaplain Corps organization in Mayport, FL called the Chaplains Religious Enrichment Development Organization, or CREDO. Due to the success of CREDO Mayport, Chaplain Swafford was instrumental in helping to either establish or deliver CREDO programs or retreats at multiple locations, including Guantanamo Bay, Puerto Rico, Pensacola, FL, Memphis, TN, Charleston, SC and New Orleans, LA.
In 1993, Chaplain Swafford was one of three Navy Chaplains assigned to assist the Military-to-Military program of CINCUSNAVEUR in establishing a Military Chaplaincy in the Romanian Military. He was sent to Bucharest to train Senior Romanian Military Officers in the proper use of Chaplains, a totally new experience for their military.
At the end of this tour, in 1994, Chaplain Swafford was promoted to the rank of Commander. He was then selected to develop and deliver a one-day Chief of Chaplains’ Workshop for newly selected Naval Flag Officers (0-7) and their spouses during their one week orientation program in Washington, DC. This program was designed to present what the Navy Chief of Chaplains had determined was essential information for these new Admirals to know before they assumed their new roles as Flag Officers.
Beginning in 1996, Chaplain Swafford served two consecutive tours with the U. S. Coast Guard. He was the Deputy Chaplain of the Coast Guard (Washington, DC) until 1999. He was then promoted to the rank of CAPTAIN and detailed as the Command Chaplain to the Pacific Area Commander in Alameda, CA. In this capacity he supervised all Coast Guard Chaplains in the Pacific AOR from San Diego to Alaska and Hawaii.
In 2003 Chaplain Swafford served his “twilight” tour as the Command Chaplain for Submarine Base Kings Bay, GA (his only Chapel duty in 24 years of military service.)
Chaplain Swafford retired from the U. S. Navy in August 2005 at the rank of CAPTAIN after 24 years of active duty service.
FAMILY
Chaplain Swafford and his wife, Martha, have been married for 47 years. Martha’s father was a beloved, Ruling Elder Emeritus at First Presbyterian Church, Gadsden, AL (B. L. “Doc” Parsons.) She is a true “child of the church” who even attended Presbytery meetings at her local church while she was in Junior High and High School.
The Swaffords have two grown sons, Len (Ron, Jr) of Flowery Branch, GA and David of Gaston, OR. Ron and Martha have two married grandchildren “by marriage” and five great grandchildren, with one more due in March 2009. David has given them two more grandchildren, with another on the way (due in July 2009.)
PRJC Chaplain launches a ministry of prayer for terrorists.
Click here to watch the video.
