ELCA Navy Chaplain Honored with Professional Naval Chaplaincy Excellence Award

Lieutenant Commander William Bevin, an ELCA Navy chaplain, recently received the Professional Naval Chaplaincy Excellence Award. The ceremony took place on August 21, where he was honored by fellow ELCA Navy chaplain Captain Bill Hlavin and Rear Admiral Carey Cash, the Navy chief of chaplains. Senior director of the chaplain corps and specialized ministries for the ELCA, Christopher Otten, also attended the event. Bevin, along with his wife, Wendi, and son, William, was present for the occasion.

Bevin, who has served as an ELCA Navy chaplain for nearly six years, was recently honored with two prestigious chaplaincy awards. In August, he received the Professional Naval Chaplaincy Excellence Award, and in September, he was awarded the Father Vincent Capodanno Chaplain of the Year Award. The latter is named after Father Vincent Capodanno, a chaplain who refused medical aid for severe wounds so he could administer last rites to soldiers and who died while rushing to aid a wounded corpsman in the Vietnam War. The award recognizes military chaplains who exemplify selflessness, spiritual leadership, and devotion to service.

“Father Capodanno, who was known as the ‘Grunt Padre,’ is a personal hero of mine, and it’s such an honor to be associated with his legacy,” Bevin said. “He was known for refusing to leave his people—he was the shepherd who stayed with his flock, no matter the cost. And I think the award belongs to so many people along with me.”

Serving at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, Virginia, Bevin has taken an active role in creating a new model of clinical pastoral education (CPE) within the U.S. Navy Chaplain Corps. Drawing from the ELCA’s model, Bevin has helped the Navy develop its own version of the program for its chaplains. “I was already certified as a supervisor educator through clinical pastoral education, and the Navy saw that as probably the best option to build their own program,” he said. “So they tapped me, allowing me to stay at the same hospital to build and lead the first cohort.”

Bevin educates chaplains in a clinical context, preparing them to provide spiritual care within the military healthcare system. His work reflects the ELCA’s commitment to integrating faith and service in practical, compassionate ways. Through his leadership, Bevin continues to model the values of service, sacrifice, and spiritual guidance that are central to both the military and Lutheran ministry.

Like many in the chaplaincy, Bevin finds that ministry and the military share a common calling—one that emphasizes service to others, a willingness to make sacrifices, and a deep sense of purpose. “Chaplains are officers in the military, and the vast majority of chaplains I’ve been honored to serve alongside understand that rank and elevation and leadership are never really about us—it’s about what we’re entrusted to do with the gifts that God has given us,” he said. This perspective aligns with the Lutheran emphasis on using one’s gifts for the good of the community and the glory of God.

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