Published on August 28, 2026 by Neal Embry  
DericThomasFamily

Today, we finish a series highlighting alumni of Beeson Divinity School who serve their country in the field of military chaplaincy. 

Capt. Deric Thomas

U.S. Army National Guard of Alabama, Battalion Chaplain

Director of Operations and Lay Academy, Beeson Divinity School

Thomas, DMin ’15, realized early in his Christian life that he had a heart to serve as a pastor while also seeing other gifts that aligned with chaplaincy. He spent time serving in prison ministry, homeless ministry and in hospital and sports chaplaincy.

Serving as a military chaplain means becoming “all things to all people” like the apostle Paul, Thomas said. There are many opportunities to share the Gospel and to “bring the ministry of the church to people who can’t go to church or are not part of the church.”

Coming to Beeson as a student taught Thomas about the importance of pastoral theology and incarnational ministry, something that serves him well now as he often lives life with soldiers in the context of military service here and around the world.

“I’m with service members in the field digging trenches, doing fitness tests and running. We eat, drink and sleep together in austere and difficult circumstances,” he said.

Serving as a military chaplain helped Thomas learn more about spiritual warfare—the same way he has learned about military warfare—and how it affects those who have served on the front lines of combat. This has helped him not only as a chaplain, but as he pastors Hope Mountain Church in Calera, Alabama, and works as a Beeson staff member and lecturer. Thomas has also learned the importance of prayer.

“In the military, communication is key. For the Christian, prayer is a wartime walkie-talkie,” Thomas said.

For students considering chaplaincy, Thomas reminds them of the example set in the incarnation of Christ, and that He came to the “trenches of spiritual warfare” to seek out and save those who were “like sheep without a shepherd,” feeling compassion for those who were lost.

“Chaplaincy is a wonderful way to live out the incarnational ministry of Christ, to be in the trenches with people and to minister to the world,” he said.

MORE: Learn how Beeson can prepare you for chaplaincy ministry.

 
Located in the Homewood suburb of Birmingham, Alabama, Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford enrolls 6,324 students from 44 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Ranked among U.S. News & World Report’s 35 Most Beautiful College Campuses, Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and boasts one of the highest scores in the nation for its 97% Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.