Ep.28 Rev. Gary Holden: Ministry of Presence

Founder and CEO of The Police Chaplain Program and law enforcement trainer at the US Department of Homeland Security, Gary Holden, talks about his experience working as a Chaplain after 9/11 at Ground Zero in NYC and as an instructor and director of various chaplain programs. He explains what a Chaplain does and how chaplaincy and resiliency are interconnected. Gary’s concept of ‘Ministry of Presence.’ Gary explains his belief that helping the community in need is helping law enforcement and vice versa.

GARY HOLDEN Rev. Gary Holden, Founder, President, and CEO of The Police Chaplain Program. Chaplain Holden completed the Law Enforcement Adjunct Instructor Training Program implemented by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers Office of Training Management.

Chaplain Holden is a member trained in Pastoral, Group, Assisting Individuals in Crisis, Advanced Group Crisis Intervention, Advanced Assisting Individuals in Crisis, CISM Application with Children, and Managing School Crisis: From Theory to Application with the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation and is an approved instructor. Chaplain Holden was awarded the prestigious Susan E. Hamilton, Ph.D. Award by the ICISF at their World Congress in 2015 for his development of and work with police chaplaincy.
Chaplain Holden is a member of the American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress and the National Center for Crisis Management. He is a counselor and chaplain with the New Jersey Disaster Response Crisis Counseling (DRCC) Team. Chaplain Holden is a New Jersey Department of Homeland Security Interfaith Advisory Council member.

He served as a chaplain after 911 at Ground Zero in NYC, working with the New York City Police and Fire Departments and the Port Authority Police Department. He is also a board member, Senior Chaplain, and the Emergency Chaplain Corp. Chairman for The Four Chaplains Memorial Foundation in Philadelphia, from which he received The Legion of Honor Bronze Medallion award for sacrificial service. Chaplain Holden has also been involved in chaplain work with The Battleship New Jersey Museum in Camden, NJ, and is a regular speaker at patriotic events and services. He is a Chaplain with the New Jersey State Police and the Cumberland County, NJ Prosecutor's Office. He founded the Public Schools Police Chaplain Resource Program. Chaplain Holden is a Master Resilience Trainer and coordinates resilience training for chaplains. He is also on the executive team of Resilient Minds on the Front Lines, curriculum developer, chaplain program director and an instructor.

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