Profiles in African-American Chaplaincy

Rev. Crystal Miller-Davis

Deputy Endorser, Chaplains for the Church of God in Christ, Inc.

Field of chaplaincy: Military (United States Air Force)

• Rev. Crystal Miller-Davis serves as the Deputy Endorser of Chaplains for the Church of God in Christ, Inc. (COGIC) She assists the Endorser in policy, mentoring and advocacy for military and institutional chaplains. Crystal is a 4th generation COGIC minister, serving at the local, state, national, and international levels.
• In 2019, She was appointed Assistant Supervisor of Women for COGIC’s 2nd  Jurisdiction in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
• A career Air Force Chaplain, Lieutenant Colonel Miller-Davis is stationed at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. Her assignments include The United States Air Force Academy,  The Pentagon, Walter Reed Medical Hospital and overseas tours.
• She earned dual bachelor’s in business and theology and dual master’s in education and divinity  from Oral Roberts University, Tulsa, OK. She is a candidate for the Doctor of Ministry in Military Chaplaincy from Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, DC. and Graduate Certificate of Strategic Studies, Air War College, AL. Her research project is on re-imagining Military Chaplaincy as an integrated component of holistic care and resilience.

How did you come to your work as a chaplain? 

CMD: During my freshman year in college, I felt and accepted the call of the Lord upon my life for pastoral ministry.  Coming from a denomination that does not normally ordain women, I had no idea how I would ever fulfill this call but decided to let God confirm His will for my life.  I completed a BA in pastoral studies and then with the support of my pastor and Bishop, I continued to seminary in an MDiv program.  During my final year of the MDiv, an Army Chaplain came and spoke in my Advanced Pastoral Care Class.  He shared the opportunity for ministry to our nation’s sons and daughters serving all over the world.  After the Chaplain’s presentation, I said to a classmate, “If I didn’t have to go home and help with my parent’s church, that is what I would want to do!”

9 months after seminary graduation, I was serving as an associate pastor in inner city Philadelphia and leading several community outreach projects.  My

Pastor Parents and I had discussions about the future of our family church.  My Dad shared his desire for me to become Senior Pastor of the church when he retired one day and encouraged me to use the present years to explore other forms of ministry.  I immediately remembered the Army Chaplain and what I said after his presentation.  The next day, I went to talk to the recruiters.  6 months later, I was commissioned as a Chaplain, 1st Lieutenant in the United States Air Force.

How did you come to your sector where you work now?  

CMD: When I went to see the military recruiters about becoming a Military Chaplain, I went to the Air Force recruiter first because my biological father was an Air Force Senior Non-Commissioned Officer.  However, the Air Force recruiter was out of the office, so I spoke with both the Navy Chaplain recruiter and the Army Chaplain recruiter.  Back then, the Navy was still not very inclusive of women and the recruiter told me that there would be limitations to where I could serve.  The Army shared many benefits but also the hardships of field conditions and deployments.  When I got to speak to the Air Force Chaplain recruiter, she was a clergy woman from a sister denomination.  She really sold me on the community of clergy sisterhood, the overall team ministry approach in Air Force Chaplaincy, the desire for ethnic diversity, and the pastoral focus of the Air Force Chaplain to the entire military community.  It felt exactly like what God had called me to.  It has been a perfect fit for twenty- three years… and counting!

How does your identity inform your work? 

CMD: I’m the oldest daughter, of the oldest daughter, of the oldest daughter so I’ve always viewed my pastoral identity through the lens of the maternal role.  I approach chaplaincy, leadership teams, ministry, life…as a mother providing nurturing and intuitive care for those assigned to me.  I also lean into my maternal identity to discern how and when to refer or advocate for those that may be better served by a different spiritual care provider.

What was the proudest moment of your career, to date? 

CMD: I’ve been blessed to have many proud moments in my twenty-three years as an Air Force Chaplain.  Being a partner with the divine to help military families has been filled with “Great Air Force Days.” Early in my career, I was chosen to be the first female pastor of a historic Gospel Service at one of our Air Force Bases.  While leading that congregation, I built a team of associate ministers who were airmen, military spouses, teens and retirees.  Each of those leaders have continued forward with ministry training, seminary education and ordination.  Two are the senior pastors of congregations that minister to military communities, others are associate pastors in large Protestant denominations.  In 2019 I had the opportunity to participate in the installation service for one of the female associates, she was an Air Force veteran, military spouse, and now serves as a District Superintendent in the United Methodist Church with responsibility for 67 churches and 71 pastors.  It was indeed, “A Great Air Force Day!”

How would, or do, you advise people of color considering entering spiritual care or chaplaincy?  

CMD: In many of the institutional chaplaincy spaces, people of color find ourselves as the only one of our kind at the table.  This often brings extra responsibilities, grief for as well as insight into minority populations and staff.  This “dual hatted-ness” can become wearying and isolating.  I encourage people of color going into chaplaincy and spiritual care as a vocation to “draw the circle wide.”  Make sure to stay connected to those in your faith tradition as well as other people of color in the institution that may not be in spiritual care. Be open to divine connections that are life giving and be intentional about maintaining them.  Often it is the one you would least expect who turns out to be the friend sent by God to bring encouragement, advocacy, or those moments of laughter that do good…like medicine.  Make friends, be a part of a community of faith that feeds your soul, have a pastor or a chaplain for yourself!  Be as committed to the spiritual care of yourself as you are to the spiritual care of others.