MILLINGTON, Tenn. - Lt. Gregory Boylan, a native of Danville, Illinois, is training at Naval Chaplaincy School to serve as a chaplain for America’s seafaring warfighters.
Boylan graduated from Dunlap High School in 1998. Additionally, Boylan earned a bachelor’s degree from Bradley University in 2002. Boylan also has a master’s in divinity from Iliff School of Theology in Denver, Colorado.
The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Danville.
“I grew up in a small town in Illinois, where people showed up for each other, whether it was in church, at school or during community events,” Boylan said. “That sense of presence and commitment stuck with me. It taught me to be faithful in the little things and to lead with humility, two values I try to live out every day as a chaplain. It was also my time as a pastor at Danville St. James United Methodist Church that I received a call to the Navy as a chaplain.”
Boylan joined the Navy earlier this year. Prior to joining the Navy, Boylan served as a pastor for almost 10 years.
“I joined the Navy to serve both God and country,” Boylan said. “As a Navy chaplain, I have the unique opportunity to walk alongside sailors and Marines during some of the most pivotal moments in their lives. My father and grandfather modeled lives of integrity and service, and I saw military chaplaincy as a way to carry forward that legacy while following my own call to ministry.”
More than 800 Navy chaplains from more than 100 faith groups, including Christian, Jewish, Muslim and Buddhist, serve in the Navy Chaplain Corps. After seven weeks of training at Naval Chaplaincy School and Center at Naval Station Newport, Rhode Island, the chaplains set on their mission to provide support and guidance to sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen at sea and on the shore.
“Navy chaplains encourage their shipmates to connect to the ultimate good and to a community that shares their convictions about what or who that good is,” said Capt. Charles Varsogea, chaplain and commanding officer of the Naval Chaplaincy School. “Navy chaplains help people find the value, the meaning, and the purpose of their lives. Navy chaplains support people in their willingness to serve and sacrifice for the greater good.”
In the Basic Leadership Course, Navy chaplains learn to tailor religious ministry to life in the sea services, said Varsogea. They also learn how to facilitate the free exercise of religion for people of faiths other than their own. They learn service-specific ways to care for all people, and they learn how and when to render their best military advice.
“The graduates of our Basic Leadership Course are trained, developed and inspired to give our seagoing warfighters the strength of spirit necessary to complete their missions with honor,” Varsogea said.
Chaplains and religious program specialists (RP) play a critical role in helping the Department of the Navy achieve and maintain a ready force through the delivery of professional religious ministry and compassionate pastoral care. Chaplains and RPs are embedded within commands operating at sea and ashore to ensure 24/7 availability. They provide a source of comfort and refuge that enables service members and their families to practice and grow in their faith and to face personal and professional challenges.
“The best part of being a chaplain is building real relationships, listening to people’s stories, encouraging them and providing hope when they need it most,” Boylan said. “Whether it’s leading worship on the ship, visiting squadrons on the flight line or just being present during difficult times, I find deep meaning in supporting our sailors spiritually, emotionally and morally.”
The U.S. Navy is celebrating its 250th birthday this year.
According to Navy officials, “America is a maritime nation and for 250 years, America’s Warfighting Navy has sailed the globe in defense of freedom.”
With 90% of global commerce traveling by sea and access to the internet relying on the security of undersea fiber optic cables, Navy officials continue to emphasize that the prosperity of the United States is directly linked to recruiting and retaining talented people from across the rich fabric of America.
Boylan has many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during military service.
“My proudest accomplishment so far has been completing Officer Development School and beginning my ministry aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln,” Boylan said. “It’s humbling to be entrusted with the spiritual well-being of an entire carrier air wing. Each conversation, service, and prayer is a reminder of why I’m here—to serve others with courage and compassion.”
Boylan serves a Navy that operates far forward, around the world and around the clock, promoting the nation’s prosperity and security.
“Serving in the Navy means answering a higher call,” Boylan said. “It’s about being part of something bigger than myself, protecting freedom, caring for people in uniform and embodying hope and faith wherever I go. It’s a privilege I don’t take for granted.”