The Diocese of Texas was among 148 semifinalists — from an entry pool of 3,064 — for the Freedom Award presented by Secretary of Defense Employer Support. Fifteen employers received the award at the Pentagon. The diocese received the award in a local ceremony.
“The men and women who serve our country, including those that work for the Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Texas, often do so in addition to their regular ministry,” said the Rev. Canon John Newton, who attended the local presentation with the Rev. David Peters. “Any support we can provide them in during their time of service is a commitment we have been happy to make.”
Peters, an Army Reserve chaplain who teaches part-time at the Army Chaplain School at Ft. Jackson, South Carolina, is the full-time associate rector at St. Mark’s, Austin, and guides ministries to veterans with PTSD and moral injury from war.
“I’m thankful for how my parish and Diocese has sent me out to do missional ministry as a chaplain to the U.S. Army,” Peters said. “I have the opportunity to provide spiritual guidance and pastoral care to young and diverse military families as well mentor the next generation of Army chaplains at the Chaplain School.”
Adapted from the Diocese of Texas
Matthew Townsend is a Halifax-based freelance journalist and volunteer advocate for survivors of sexual misconduct in Anglican settings. He served as editor of the Anglican Journal from 2019 to 2021 and communications missioner for the Anglican Diocese of Quebec from 2019 to 2022. He and his wife recently entered catechism class in the Orthodox Church in America.
