MISSION

VISION
NCMAF connects member faith groups with military and VA chaplaincies, and celebrates the religious diversity of the United States of America.
NCMAF will advocate for the First Amendment and provide a unified voice on religious freedom and religious diversity.

Distinctive
We are Protestant and Roman Catholic, Jewish and Orthodox, Buddhist and Islamic and span the total theological spectrum of religious life in the United States.  As such, we are a uniquely American organization, sustained by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, and found nowhere else in the world.  Our members represent all major faith communities in America in a mutually supportive relationship.

Who We Are
Our members endorse chaplains for service in the Armed Forces on behalf of their respective religious organizations.  They are the point of contact between the Department of Defense and over 150 religious denominations and faith groups. We recruit, endorse and provide oversight for clergy-persons who desire to serve as chaplains in any one of the branches of our Armed Forces. Our common vision is  clergy-persons who are credible, committed to their faith, open to all persons, able to meet all military standards, and who represent the highest standards of their faith communities. 

   ECVAC
 The Endorsers Conference for Veterans Affairs Chaplaincy (ECVAC) is a standing committee of NCMAF.  ECVAC’s focus is endorsing clergy-persons for service as chaplains in  VA hospitals. ECVAC serves as a liaison between  American religious communities and the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Our History
We began in 1982 as a private, non-profit, organization, but our roots go back to 1901 when the War Department decided to require ecclesiastical endorsement for clergy-persons  as a prerequisite for service as chaplains in the Armed Forces.

Support
Most of our support comes from our member religious organizations but it is donations from individuals, offerings from faith communities, and grants from foundations that allow us  to accomplish our mission. If you believe in chaplaincy in the Armed Forces and VA hospitals, or support religious freedom in America, please donate to NCMAF today using the button below.  Alternatively,  you may send a check to NCMAF, P.O. Box 7572, Arlington, VA 22207-9998.  All gifts are tax-deductible.   

NCMAF Staff

Executive Director

Executive Assistant

Director of ​Training, Programs, and Research
Jack Lea, ED @ NCMAF.com
 ​Admin @ NCMAF.com
Ken Bush, Training @ NCMAF.com​

NCMAF Executive Committee

Chair

Chair-Elect

​Treasurer

Secretary

Members at Large
Gary Carr, The Wesleyan Church
Leslie Nuñez Steffensen, Armed Forces & Federal Ministries of ​The Episcopal Church
Renee Owen, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship
Robert Canon, ​Archdiocese for Military Services
Richard Roggia, ​Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 
Irv Elson, JWB, Jewish Chaplains Council
​Patricia Murphy, ABHM /American Baptist Churches, USA#
Sam Lee, North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention
Jim Denley, Assemblies of God
​Mark Penfold, Charis Fellowship
Klon Kitchen, Chaplaincy Full Gospel Churches*

#​​ECVAC Representative

*Chair Emeritus