Rev. Dave C. Kettle, who is on the rolls at the Presbytery of Ottawa, was named Chaplain General of the Canadian Armed Forces in August, making him the first Presbyterian to hold the title. In July Col. Kettle had also been named Brigadier General.
A graduate of Knox College, Toronto, Kettle joined the Canadian Forces in 1981 after having served a three-point charge for the church in Mount Forest, Ont. As a chaplain he has served across Canada and on United Nations and NATO posts in Bosnia, Croatia and Rwanda.
"I have seen some of the terrible things that people can do to each other due to ethnic and religious strife," he says.
"I am a man of God in uniform," he says. "I do not have a job; I have a calling. I have been called by God to serve soldiers, sailors and air personnel and their families anywhere, anytime."
Since being promoted this past February by the Honourable Peter Mackay, Kettle has become responsible for the recruiting, training, career development and well being of all chaplains. He is also required to give counsel to the Chief of Military Personnel and the Chief Defence Staff on all matters of a spiritual, religious or ethical nature. He is the chief spokesperson for the Chaplain branch for all media enquiries; a chaplain to all senior leadership within the Canadian Forces, and a strategic leader.
"The question that preoccupies me is not where does the Branch need to be this year and next, but where does the Branch need to be 10 to 15 years from now," says Kettle. "I intend to help our Interfaith Committee move the yardstick on Interfaith issues. During my term as Chaplain General all new chaplains will receive a formation in their second language in their first two years of training that will enable them to become functionally bilingual. And, chaplain health and well-being will be on the front burner throughout my term as Chaplain General.
"We live in a global community. Insurrection, famine, or natural disaster in any country ultimate touches every country. Today, no country can live in splendid isolation. Where ever peace is in jeopardy Canadians must do their share to maintain the peace in the world."
Kettle is is committed to providing "the absolute best spiritual and religious support possible."
