In Memoriam: Lt. Col. Floyd Chester “Chet” Chapman (RET) (1940-2021)
The American Council of Christian Churches mourns the death of a longtime member of its Executive Committee, Lt. Col. Chet Chapman, at the age of 80. After completing his extensive theological education, Mr. Chapman entered pastoral ministry, serving two congregations. In the early 1970s, he entered the U.S. Army’s Chaplains’ Corps and began a distinguished career as an active-duty chaplain, rising eventually to the rank of Lt. Col. He served in South Korea, Italy, and Germany along with various duty stations in the eastern United States.
Upon his retirement from the Army in 1996, Lt. Col. Chapman, among several other areas of endeavor in Christian college and seminary education, agreed to serve the American Council of Christian Churches as its Chaplain’s Endorser. He continued in that position until his retirement in 2017. Lt. Col. Chapman followed the examples of his predecessors in the Endorser’s position and maintained close contacts with the military chaplains whom the Council endorsed as well as chaplains serving in several civilian capacities like prisons or fire departments or Veterans’ Affairs health care facilities.
His breadth of military experience as a chaplain combined with his solid theological training and his warm personal demeanor made Lt. Col. Chapman a valuable adviser, both to various chaplains and to the Executive Committee and officers of the ACCC. In addition, he maintained his staunch separatist convictions throughout his tenure as the Endorser, advising some candidates to seek endorsement elsewhere if they could not agree to abide by the Council’s policies and Statement of Faith.
When Lt. Col. Chapman heard the Lord’s call to Heaven on January 30, he received the long-awaited promotion that brought him face to face with the Lord Jesus Christ whom he served faithfully through his long career. The Council’s officers and Executive Committee honor Chet Chapman’s distinguished service to the Armed Forces of the United States during his exemplary career and his even more distinguished service to the cause of Gospel ministry and the advancement of Christ’s kingdom through the labors of the American Council of Christian Churches. We join in commending Mrs. Gail Chapman and the rest of the family to the Lord in prayer, desiring that they will draw their comfort from faith in the Savior whom our dear brother loved and served.
Rev. David G. Mook, President
Funeral details are available here: https://www.thomasmcafee.com/obituary/FloydChesterChet-Chapman
ACCC 2018 Resolution of Appreciation for Floyd “Chet” Chapman
