National Meetings
The Military Chaplains Association conducts an annual convocation at various locations around the Nation.
These meetings are normally in late April or early May. Currently, they are known as the “MCA National Institute.” Their agendas typically include presentations and discussion pertinent to chaplaincy as a ministry profession, annual awards ceremonies, and the Annual Membership Meeting. Attendees represent our five constituent chaplaincies. They include active duty, Guard, Reserve, prior service, and retired chaplains. Leaders from religious faith groups, the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs, and subject matter experts from other disciplines join with us.
In addition to legal requirement of an annual meeting for MCA members, these annual gathering are important for sustaining an environment of Joint Service and inter-agency collaboration among chaplains. In 2007 and 2009, MCA co-located the National Institute with the bi-annual convocation of Veterans Affairs Department chaplains. These cooperative ventures were particulary fruitful for community networking and mutual understanding as we seek to improve care for Wounded Warriors. A summary of sites for our annual national gatherings is provided at the link below.
The 2010 National Institute is projected for the first week of May in Columbia, SC. A major feature of that meeting will be attendance at the 6 May 2010 Dedication Ceremony for the Armed Forces Chaplaincy Center. This Center is the result of co-locating the Air Force and Navy chaplain schools on the same site as the Army Chaplain Center and School. More information on the Institute agenda, lodging, and registration will be posted in late December 2009 and January 2010.
