October 23, 2024
OXFORD, Fla. — As Chaplain Major General Randy Kitchens thinks back over more than 30 years of chaplaincy ministry in the U.S. Air Force, it’s the opportunities he had to share Jesus that stand out.
From combat zones to counseling sessions, Kitchens often found himself in moments where faith became an anchor for the Airmen he served. One such moment came early in his career when a young woman walked into his office looking for answers.
Kitchens shared the love of Jesus with her, offering the timeless gospel message he had heard his father proclaim over and over again as a bi-vocational Southern Baptist pastor. She turned her life over to Jesus on the spot. In a spontaneous act of celebration, Kitchens arranged to baptize her at the base fitness center later that day.
“My dad was a bi-vocational pastor, and I grew up thinking that was how every pastor served,” Kitchens said. “I thought they were following the Pauline model, having a vocation along with ministry. I watched my father, and he essentially taught me. He would take me on visitations, and I learned a lot about ministry from him. He modeled what lifestyle evangelism is really about — no matter where he was or what role he was in, he always found opportunities to share Christ or what Christ was doing in his life with others.”
That gospel message was the cornerstone of Kitchens’s 30-year ministry. He retired in August as the U.S. Air Force Chief of Chaplains, overseeing all spiritual and ethical matters in the branch.
Kitchens was pastoring Big Coppitt First Baptist Church in Key West, Fla., when God began to open his eyes to the possibilities of military chaplaincy. The church’s location near a large Navy base brought several Navy couples into the congregation, allowing him to see firsthand the distinct spiritual needs of those serving in the military.
Kitchens’ mother-in-law worked as a civilian at an Air Force base and suggested he consider becoming a chaplain. In the early 1990s, right after the first Gulf War, that transition seemed unlikely. The U.S. Defense Department was closing a number of military bases. In October 1990, he began serving as a reserve chaplain with the U.S. Air Force, but he was still praying for an opportunity to serve full-time in the Air Force.
During this time, Kitchens and his wife, Sherri, prayed, “Lord, open the door and we will follow.”
God answered that prayer in February 1993 when he became a chaplain at Loring Air Force Base in northeastern Maine. For the next three decades, Kitchens served in military bases and war zones worldwide before retiring as the Air Force’s highest-ranking chaplain.
One of his most memorable moments during this period came when he was deployed to Afghanistan. He vividly remembers a night when a young Airman, terrified by ongoing attacks, reached out to him. Kitchens spent the next hour talking and praying with him.
“He was just petrified,” Kitchens said. “We talked about fear, we talked about faith, and we talked about God’s leading. Many times, as chaplains, we don’t always recognize the significant impact we have just by being there, listening and walking with people on their journey.”
In 2020, when Kitchens became the U.S. Air Force Chief of Chaplains, he also became the Chief of Chaplains for the newly created U.S. Space Force. While the position was new, Kitchens understood some of the uniqueness of the role. His experience at Patrick Air Force Base in Florida, where he witnessed satellite launches, and later at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado, helped prepare him for the unique challenges of ministering to Space Force Guardians.
“I believe God prepared me for this time,” Kitchens said. “My second assignment was serving at a space wing, where they launched satellites into space. Understanding that mission helped me be ready for the role of Space Force chaplain.”
As the Chief of Chaplains, Kitchens not only oversaw more than 2,000 Air Force chaplains and religious affairs Airmen, but he also provided administrative oversight and served as a religious and ethical adviser to Air Force leadership.
“Throughout his military career as a Southern Baptist chaplain, Randy never lost his passion to preach the Gospel, sharing unapologetically that faith in Jesus Christ was the key factor to maintaining the spiritual readiness and morale of our troops and their families,” said Doug Carver, the executive director of SBC Chaplaincy at the North American Mission Board.
Kitchens and his wife, Sherri, have two children and five grandchildren. He retired near his family in Oxford, Florida, where he awaits his next ministry assignment.
“I’m just thankful that the Lord called me to chaplaincy and allowed me to serve,” Kitchens said. “I’m just praying that the Lord will now show me what’s next for the next chapter in my life.”
