As Samford University continues to honor the 250th anniversary of America’s founding, we continue a series highlighting alumni of Beeson Divinity School who serve their country in the field of military chaplaincy.
Capt. James Drake
U.S. Army Chaplain, 20th Special Forces Group (Airborne)
Lead Pastor, Christchurch Miami
Drake ’03, MDiv ’10, wears a lot of hats.
In addition to serving as a chaplain for the 20th Special Forces Group in the Army, Drake is the lead pastor of Christchurch Miami and serves as team chaplain to Major League Baseball’s Miami Marlins.
His time at Beeson prepared him for all of these roles.
“Theologically, Beeson gave me a deep confidence in Scripture and helped me develop a strong biblical framework for ministry,” Drake said. “Whether I’m teaching soldiers in the Middle East, counseling someone in crisis, speaking to athletes or preaching on Sunday mornings, I can still trace much of my ministry framework back to Beeson.”
While an undergraduate student at Samford, he sensed a growing call to ministry and had several mentors point him toward Beeson “because of its commitment to biblical fidelity, theological depth, spiritual formation and strong preaching.”
Over time, the Lord began opening doors into chaplaincy for Drake, who felt a “growing burden to bring the Gospel into places many pastors never have access to.”
“I realized chaplaincy allowed me to minister to people during some of the most important and difficult moments of their lives, whether in the military, athletics, hospitals or public settings,” Drake said.
Drake enjoys living alongside soldiers and earning their trust, pointing them to Christ “in both ordinary and extraordinary circumstances.”
Serving in chaplaincy means regularly encountering “suffering, ethical complexity, grief, trauma and people asking life’s biggest questions,” he said.
“Sometimes ministry looks like preaching a sermon or leading a Bible study. Other times it looks like sitting quietly with someone after loss, checking on soldiers late at night, helping families through crisis or encouraging someone who is struggling silently,” Drake said.
His work has deepened his own dependence on the Lord.
“When you regularly walk with people through suffering, loss, anxiety, trauma, marriage struggles, deployment stress or spiritual questions, you quickly realize how insufficient your own strength and wisdom are,” Drake said. “The work has made my faith more experiential and less theoretical. Seeing God meet people in desperate situations, sustain families through hardship and transform lives over time continually reminds me that the Gospel is real and powerful.”