May 11, 2021

By Aaron Weaver

DECATUR, Ga. — The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship announced today that retired US Army Chaplain Charlie Reynolds is joining the CBF Chaplaincy and Pastoral Counseling team as Associate Endorser for Military Chaplains. Reynolds retired in 2016 after a 28-year distinguished career as a military chaplain.

In this part-time role, Reynolds will provide professional and personal support to CBF-endorsed military chaplains and chaplain candidates. He will also assist with the planning and implementation of chaplaincy events and initiatives and focus on opening avenues of ministry between CBF Chaplaincy and CBF congregations.

Renée Owen, CBF’s Director of Chaplaincy and Pastoral Counseling, expressed her excitement for the addition of Reynolds to the CBF team, which also includes chaplaincy and pastoral counseling specialist Carrol Wilson, and more than 785 active CBF-endorsed chaplains and pastoral counselors serving around the world.

“Charlie has represented CBF in an excellent manner throughout his tenure as US Army Chaplain,” Owen said. “He brings a wealth of field and leadership experience and an expertise in military chaplaincy that greatly enhances the work of our Chaplaincy and Pastoral Counseling Ministries. Charlie is passionate about caring for our military chaplains and their families, including helping them to navigate a complex accession system within each branch of the US Armed Forces. I am very excited to have Charlie join our team!”

Reynolds began his ministry as a chaplain in 1989 as National Guard Battalion Chaplain in San Lorenzo, California. His military assignments include years of service in Germany, Macedonia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Afghanistan, Iraq, Italy, Ft Jackson (SC), Fort Drum (NY) and Fort Bragg (NC). In 2011 Col Reynolds served as the Strategic Religious Advisement Chaplain at the US Embassy in Iraq, where he built relationships with religious leaders from multiple faith groups. He was the Command Chaplain for US Army Africa from 2013-2015. During the height of the Ebola crisis, Reynolds was deployed to Liberia as the Joint Forces Command Chaplain for Operation United Assistance. In addition to caring for military personal, he also ministered to United States Embassy personnel in the capital city of Monrovia. In his last year of active-duty Reynolds was the Director of the US Army Center for World Religions.

He holds degrees from the University of Richmond (Bachelor of Arts), Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary (Master of Divinity, Doctor of Ministry) and Princeton Theological Seminary (Master of Theology in World Religions and Culture). Reynolds was also an academic fellow with the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution. He and his wife, Marcia have two adult children and four grandchildren.

Learn more about Reynolds’ ministry of pastoral presence and focus on improving interfaith relationships around the world here.

Reynolds shared that he was honored to take on these new responsibilities serving with CBF Chaplaincy.

“I know of no ministry that is more important than that of military chaplains,” Reynolds said. “I believe this is the most challenging assignment God has given me in my 40-plus years of serving as a minister. I am honored that CBF has entrusted me with this responsibility and excited about the future possibilities for CBF Military Chaplaincy. I am looking forward to working with all of you.”

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CBF is a Christian network that helps people put their faith into practice through ministry eff­orts, global missions and a broad community of support. The Fellowship’s mission is to serve Christians and churches as they discover and fulfill their God-given mission.