Eric Wester Email & Phone Number

Jacksonville, Fl, Us

Jacksonville Va

Jacksonville, Florida

Transitioning with continued graduate teaching, chaplaincy and pastoral leadership work.

Washington Dc

Oversees and supports the ministries of Lutheran pastors who serve as chaplains in the US military, the Department of Veterans Administration, and the federal Bureau of Prisons.

Columbia, South Carolina

Plan and conduct a three-week graduate seminar focused on decision-making by clergy and seminary students who may enter military ministry. Foster creative program and outreach activities (e.g. film screenings, faculty panel presentations) connecting the seminary and the local community. The course is offered for credit to students matriculating at affiliated seminaries.

(Springfield) Jacksonville, Florida

Preside and preach at Sunday worship services of the congregation. Provide other rites and pastoral services, as needed, during a pastoral vacancy created through retirement of the settled pastors. Cooperate with the Dean/Vice Pastor in administrative support to the congregation. Work in support of the transition discernment and transition efforts of the Florida-Bahamas Synod as the congregation envisions and moves into its future ministry.

Jacksonville, Florida

Working as a sub-contractor, serves as Lead for Community Education and Training of the Community Clergy Training Program (CCTP), Department of Veterans Affairs, National Chaplains Center. Responsible to design, develop, implement and assess the national outreach, training and support of community clergy who partner with VA chaplains to assist Veterans. Central to these endeavors is forging connections with clergy who completed the National Chaplains Center "train-the-facilitator" initiative from 2016 through the present.

Navy Post-Graduate School - Monterey, Ca

Present ethics education and facilitate leader discussions about moral decision-making and character development.

Alexandria, Va

Lead worship and pastoral care services at a dynamic, inter-generational congregation near the vibrant Del Ray neighborhood in Alexandria.

Initiated and taught two new graduate seminars for masters degree students addressing ethics, strategy, religion, and security at National Defense University. Resident fellow among senior US military, foreign militaries, US Departments of State, Homeland Security and Commerce. Published original professional articles on ethics. Advised senior Army and DoD leaders on ethics and professionalism.• Graduate faculty instructor with 20 students for two semesters.• Senior professional advisor to 18 full-time ethics instructors across the Army.• Presented and led panel presentations at professional conferences on ethics, religion and conflict.• Principal liaison to numerous universities and non-governmental organizations addressing religion, peace, and conflict resolution.• Conducted original research on spirituality and ethics among US soldiers in combat.

Fort Jackson, South Carolina

Led multi-layered transition team to co-locate three military chaplain schools into a central campus. Managed strategic and operational planning process coordinating education and training missions and overseeing new construction plan for $10.3 million campus facilities. • Started joint transition team for 3-year implementation process mandated by Congress and the Base Realignment and Closure Commission.• Persuaded four DoD financial controllers to increase investment from $1 million to $12 million for successful implementation of campus relocation and construction plan.• Established and managed planning process from inception to groundbreaking of new facilities completing the project 13 months ahead of 5 year timeline.• Managed three-tiered (operational, executive, and strategic) leadership and planning teams involving 17 chaplain college commandants, general officers and admirals from the Army, Navy and Air Force

Served as senior executive chaplain and pastor for the US Army Reserve Command overseeing 461 Army Reserve chaplains and 639 chaplain assistants nationwide with a full-time staff of 8. Established measures to track training and deployability of over 1,100 individuals. • Designed and implemented a primary recruiting and training program to increase number of chaplains nationwide in the Army Reserve from 420 to 461.• Coordinated $2 million in funding and program management for Strong Bonds retreat program involving 240 events during two years.• Principal religious advisor to three-star commanding general and staff.• Provided strategic communication in the wake of Abu Gharib scandal to 35 general officers, overseeing an organizational self-assessment and launching a leadership ethics initiative.

Guided development of a multi-year marketing strategy for the Army chaplaincy to increase recruiting and public awareness. Expanded communication plan with advertising, public relations, direct mail, web-based communication, national and international convention presentations, and recruiting promotional items. Oversaw development of a field mentoring program across the Army chaplaincy.• Led collaborative team from Secretary of the Army, Army Recruiting Command and three contracted civilians in design and implementation of $655K communication plan.• Developed new multi-media recruiting resource kits and distributed 10,000 Speakers Kits nationwide for chaplaincy outreach which led to exceeding recruiting goal of 160 new officers.• Escorted research team in Kuwait, Baghdad, and Qatar and briefed the Deputy Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander on condition of troops following combat operations.• Presented National 2003 DeRose-Hinkenhouse Religion in Media Award of Excellence and 2002 Annual International Mobius Award (including best in show) for print advertising campaign.

Directed programs as senior military chaplain at two Army garrisons, Fort Pickett, VA and Fort Dix, NJ. Oversaw seven full-time and eleven part-time staff in areas ranging from worship, religious education, music, and employment services. Completed building renovations and transfer of property.• Principle advisor to commanders on matters of morals, morale and religion at two bases serving over 60,000 personnel combined.• Supervised, rated, conducted hiring and disciplinary actions for three staffs at seven facilities.• Oversaw religious support and advice to US military and State Department officials during refugee relocation operations in the US related to NATO operations in Kosovo.

Served as staff pastor and solo pastor at three congregations in Ohio, New Jersey and Illinois. Completed masters degree and clinical fellowship in pastoral counseling. Part-time status in Army Reserve.Full-time pastoral counseling practice seeing 27 clients weekly as individuals or couples; Served as youth and family ministry while completing pastoral counseling fellowship; Served on multiple-staff congregation of 3,900 and became only pastor during staff transition.

Masters, Strategic Studies

Master, Theology - Pastoral Counseling

Masters, Divinity

Bachelors, Psychology

Associates, Psychology