Chris has served more than 19 years in public safety, in both fire and law enforcement as a firefighter/EMT, police officer, and chaplain. Chris grew up in Oregon and graduated from Northwest Christian College in Eugene. During and after college he worked for the US Forest Service as an EMT, wildland firefighter, and cartographer, before moving to Charlotte to serve with SIM, an international mission agency, for almost 10 years. After serving with SIM he felt called to get back into public safety and moved into law enforcement in Hawaii and Oregon, graduating from the Oregon Police Academy.
While serving with the Santa Clara Fire District in Eugene, Oregon he was asked to fill the position of chaplain. He completed the Police and Fire Chaplain Academy in Seattle and later an MDiv in Chaplaincy from Multnomah Seminary, with a focus on public safety chaplaincy. He also held the rank of lieutenant and EMS lead. He is completing a Ph.D. in Practical Theology from Columbia International University.
Chris currently serves as the South Carolina State Fire Chaplain based out of the South Carolina Fire Academy and is the President of the South Carolina Public Safety Chaplains Association. He is a Master Chaplain and instructor with the Federation of Fire Chaplains.
Chris has a heart to see all public safety chaplains in the state equipped to serve those to whom they are called and to see our first responders find healing when times are tough.
