SENIOR CHAPLAIN

The Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr. was born October 4, 1952, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – the first born of the Rev. Kenneth and Anna Beale, and elder brother of Keith Beale. As a youth, Ken earned his God & Country Award, achieved the rank of Eagle Scout, and was elected a Vigil Honor Member (Order of the Arrow) in the Boy Scouts of America. Ken graduated in 1970 from Upper Dublin High School in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania.

 In 1972, he took first place in a national public speaking contest co-sponsored by Reader’s Digest and the Boy Scouts of America. This earned him a $3,000 scholarship and resulted in an appointment by President Nixon to the American Revolution Bicentennial Commission.

Ken’s college degree is a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education from West Chester University, West Chester, Pennsylvania, in 1974 with a major in communications. WCU bestowed ‘Distinguished Alumnus’ on Ken in 1992. His graduate degree is a Master of Divinity (magna cum laude) from Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1977 with a concentration in Bible and theology. His post graduate degree is a Doctor of Ministry from Eastern Seminary in 1984 with a focus on pastoral care. Ken was ordained a United Methodist clergy of the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference in 1975.

While in college and seminary, Rev. Beale served six years as Director of Youth Ministry at Jarrettown United Methodist Church in Pennsylvania. After graduating from seminary, he pastored for ten years at Fredericksburg United Methodist Church in Pennsylvania. In 1988, Ken was appointed by the Bishop to the Indianhead Council, Boy Scouts of America in St. Paul, Minnesota, where he functioned for seven years as Director for Institutional Relationships. In March 1999, Ken was called to be the Associate Chaplain at the Fort Snelling Memorial Chapel; and became Senior Chaplain of the Chapel Foundation in July 2000. Ken is President and Senior Consultant of Kingdom Builders, Ltd,. a non-denominational church consulting firm.

After 25-years of honorable service, Chaplain (Colonel) Beale retired from US Army in October 2012. His last assignment was Command Chaplain, US Army Support Activities at Fort Dix, New Jersey. Previously, he was the Command Chaplain, US Army Reserve Command headquartered at Fort McPherson, Georgia; the Chief of the Chaplain Recruiting Branch, US Army Recruiting Command headquartered at Fort Knox, Kentucky; and the Assistant Staff Chaplain for Administration and Operations for the 88th Regional Readiness Command headquartered at Fort Snelling, Minnesota. Prior to these active duty assignments he served as a Reserve Component Chaplain with the Office of the Staff Chaplain, 88th Regional Support Command and with the 457th Transportation Battalion. His only previous active duty time was when he volunteered in support of Operation Desert Shield/Storm, where he was cross-leveled as Chaplain to the 3rd Brigade of the 84th Division stationed at Fort Sill, Oklahoma in 1991.

Chaplain Beale was commissioned a First Lieutenant in the US Army Reserve in October 1987 at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania. He completed the Chaplain Officer Basic Course in 1991 and the Chaplain Officer Advanced Course in 1994 at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, US Army Chaplain Center and School. In 2002, he completed the US Army Command and General Staff Officers College. He attended the Chaplain Division Course at Fort Jackson, South Carolina in 2004; and the Senior Unit Ministry Team Orientation (SUMTO) Course in 2007 at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin. He is a graduate of the US Army War College where he received a Masters of Strategic Studies graduate degree in 2010.

Chaplain Beale’s awards and decorations include: The Legion of Merit with 1 Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster, the Army Meritorious Service Medal with 3 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters, the Army Commendation Medal with 4 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters, the Army Achievement Medal with Silver Oak Leaf Cluster, the Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal with 2 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters, the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Military Volunteer Service Medal, the Armed Forces Reserve Medal with “M” device and Silver Hourglass, the Army Service Ribbon, and the Army Reserve Components Overseas Training Ribbon. Chaplain Beale has been awarded the United States Army Recruiter Gold Badge with 3 Sapphire Stars and the coveted Recruiter Ring.

Chaplain Beale is married to the former Kathleen Moran of Bloomington, Minnesota. They reside between Woodbury, Minnesota and Sun City West, Arizona. Ken and Kathy have five children and fifteen grandchildren.