last modified: Tuesday, July 20, 2004

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MAXWELL AFB, Ala. — Civil Air Patrol Chaplain, Col. John B. Murdoch of Kokomo, Ind. has been named president of the Military Chaplains Association.  His appointment marks the first time in the history of MCA that a CAP member has served as president.

MCA is a nonprofit, professional organization located in Washington, D.C. that draws its members from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Department of Veterans Affairs, and CAP. MCA works to preserve the spirit of friendship and cooperation among all services and faiths. 

As the former chief of CAP Chaplain Service, Murdoch is familiar with interfaith environments.  A member of CAP for more than 30 years, Murdoch said, “My leadership style, developed in a pluralistic setting, has helped me accept people of all faiths without having to diminish my own faith. My interaction with the men and women of Civil Air Patrol, along with the other influences God has used in my life, has uniquely prepared me for the position I hold now.”

As president of MCA, Murdoch says he wants the organization to be “a cutting edge influence as the ‘voice of the chaplaincy,’ recognizing that we are chaplains for life.”  Murdoch leads the MCA in its chaplain advocacy work and professional workshops. He also writes the president’s column in MCA’s bimonthly magazine, The Military Chaplain.

Murdoch served as chief of CAP Chaplain Service from 1996 to 1998. He helped establish policy for CAP’s Moral Leadership Program, which trains senior CAP members to counsel and guide cadets. Murdoch also helped cultivate and maintain the close ties between CAP and U.S. Air Force Chaplain Service which still benefit both organizations today.

Murdoch holds a doctorate in divinity from Great Plains Baptist Divinity School and became a chaplain in  1974 when he joined CAP.

According to Murdoch, chaplains in CAP serve in many ways, ranging from advising commanding officers to providing moral leadership to cadets. In times of crisis, CAP chaplains may also be called upon to stand in for military chaplains.

Civil Air Patrol, the official Air Force auxiliary, is a nonprofit organization with almost 62,000 members nationwide. It performs 95% of continental U.S. inland search and rescue missions as tasked by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center. Volunteers also perform homeland security, disaster relief and counterdrug missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies. The members take a leading role in aerospace education and serve as mentors to the almost 27,000 young people currently participating in CAP cadet programs. CAP has been performing missions for America for more than 60 years. On the Web: www.cap.gov.

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