Three men have joined the ranks of Grace Brethren military chaplains, according to Chaplain Colonel John Schumacher (Retired), the Grace Brethren endorsing agent, and Larry Chamberlain of the Eagle Commission. Not only are all three new to the roster of endorsed Fellowship of Grace Brethren chaplains in the U.S. Army, but all three are scheduled to deploy to Iraq.
01 May 2009
David, Whitney, and Mbia Mvondo
Chaplain David Mvondo is stationed at Fort Gordon, Ga., home of the Army’s Signal Battalion. Chaplains John Jacobsen and Pete Stone are stationed at Fort Hood, Tex.
Chaplain Mvondo was raised in the Cameroon and came to know the Lord as a student in a Bible college established by former Grace Brethren missionary Don Hocking. David attended seminary in the U.S. and secured a slot in the U.S. Army Reserves as a chaplain. He spent a one-year tour in Iraq and was then accepted into active duty upon his return to the states, gaining U.S. citizenship in the process. He met Whitney during seminary and they are the proud parents of a beautiful three-year-old, Mbia.
John and Marlene Jacobsen
At Fort Hood, Chaplains Jacobsen and Stone are assigned to the First Air Cavalry Division of III Corps at a post that comprises more than 340 square miles, including a massive air base that houses Apache and Chinook helicopters. With the multiple deployments troops are enduring, the strain on family relationships is severe. Many of the counseling sessions with troops are related to marital stress. John (and his wife, Marlene) and Pete (and his wife, Monica) are new to the chaplaincy, recently completing chaplaincy school together at Fort Jackson.
Pete and Monica Stone
The Eagle Commission provides support and encouragement throughout the year for Grace Brethren chaplains, their families, and the brave men and women in the U.S. Armed Forces who wear our nation’s uniform, often in harm’s way.
(Editor’s Note: As of press time, FGBC World learned that Charles Pridgen has been given a commission in the U.S. Army as a Grace Brethren chaplain. Learn about him in an upcoming issue.)
