CHAPLAIN LESLIE HAINES, STS (MAJ) RET.
Chaplain Leslie Haines received and A.A. in Music, a B.A. in Criminal Justice, and an M.A. in Theology. She also completed “Clinical Pastoral Education” through a hospital chaplaincy training program, and she completed a residency training program for Post-Traumatic Stress (PTS) at the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences.
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In 1983, Chaplain Haines enlisted in the U.S. Army and served as a Huey helicopter crew chief until 1988, when she graduated Officer Candidate School (OCS). Since 2001, Chaplain Haines served in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba in Detainee Operations, as well as Kirkuk, Iraq, until she was injured and medevac’d to the U.S. for surgeries and treatment. In 2015, she retired as a major, serving in military police.
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Chaplain Haines developed and planted Lutheran Military Veterans and Families Ministries, Inc. (LMVFM) during her second year of seminary in 2007. She served her year-long deaconess internship by establishing the ministry in Fort Wayne. Upon graduation in 2009 from Concordia Theological Seminary (Fort Wayne), she accepted the call to serve as LMVFM’s executive director. In addition to her duties as the ministry’s chaplain and executive director, Leslie serves as the lead counselor for LMVFM, programs director and lead trainer for LMVFM’s training programs.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
OUR HERITAGE
Lutheran Military Veterans and Families Ministries seeks to bring the grace and mercy of the Gospel to military veterans and their families. We believe in Word and Sacrament ministry with deep Lutheran theology, offering mental and spiritual care to those who have served our nation.
Our country continues to be the beacon of freedom and liberty in the world. We are indebted to all of our Military Veterans, Military Contractors, Active Duty Troops, National Guard and Reserves for their service and sacrifices to earn and preserve these cherished qualities of our nation. We must not forget their families - parents, spouses, children, and friends.
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Because of our Lutheran faith in Christ, we offer immediate, compassionate pastoral care to service members and their families dealing with trauma, grief, and moral injury. Reminding them that through Christ they are never alone, and the Holy Spirit is on the front lines carrying the burdens of troops when most in need.
BOARD MEMBERS
Max Myers, President
Dr. Steve Harry, DVM, Vice President
Michael Luarde, Treasurer
Judy Ford
Brandon Seifert
Cheryl Stromki
Susan Till
Chris Voors
TO OUR CHERISHED VOLUNTEERS
There is a quiet power in the generous gift of time. It does not shout from rooftops or seek the spotlight, but its impact is felt in every corner and every heart touched by its presence. In a world often propelled by numbers and profits, the work of volunteers is measured not in currency but in the care that you have provided, in the hope you have seeded, and in your contributions may not always be heralded in headlines, but they echo in the lives you change.
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Volunteering is waking up early to lend a hand, staying late to ensure every detail is perfect, and showing up time and again even when the work is heard, or mundane! You are students, professionals, retirees, parents, neighbors, and even veterans yourselves; united not by what you do, but by why you do it.
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The influence of your kindness expands outward, inspiring others to join, to act, and to believe in the power of Jesus Christ. We witness the effects on the smiles of veterans and their families who have found peace, in the once wounded eyes of the military contractor that has found compassion through those that care, and the connection of congregations that have a new way forward in care of those that have served our country. Every person you have helped carries a piece of your generosity forward, passing it on in ways both profound and unseen, creating a ripple effect that may continue forever.
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On behalf of our entire ministry, and on behalf of every person whose life has been affected by your hard work, I extend our deepest thanks. You are the reason we can provide a safe place for healing, and that hope endures. You remind us that service is a light that can illuminate the darkest places, and that generosity is the seed from which all good things grow.
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Though you may not always see the fruits of your labor, there are many who flourish because of you. If ever you doubt the value of your time or wonder at the significance of your effort, let this letter be a reminder; you matter. Your hands, your voice, your presence, these are the building blocks of a brighter and more loving world. You are the salt of the earth.
