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by Elvernice Davis (Author)
As an army chaplain for 30 years, I had opportunity to work with and serve as pastor of the world community of God's greatest creation. I never felt called to be a neighborhood pastor though I loved it.
Reflections of an Army chaplain are just that. The book is a composite of written and resurfaced experiences and not always in chronological order. I apologize to the many friends who at varied stages of my development encouraged me to publish my thoughts. I further apologize for criticizing the many graduate and post-graduate level professors whose uniquely inspired presentations were not put in print. In spirit, for whatever justification, I was not ready until today. So, you get the whole load. Whoever you are, I love you in Christ. Thanks for sharing your time while permitting me to unload on you. My goal is consistent: Respect our flag and Constitution for whom Americans have fought and died protecting; The Christian faith, at its core, not necessarily in its practice, is not the only world religion but the one, I believe has the best hope for establishing world peace; It is not intended as a scholarly masterpiece though it reveals respect for academia. Yet some scholarly works of academia may be the primary cause of contemporary tragic consequences. This book is inclusive of 79 years of living.Author Biography
Biography of Dr. Elvernice "Sonny" Davis, Chaplain (COL), USA Retired. Elvernice "Sonny" Davis, served 3 years as Executive Director for the United Methodist Neighborhood Centers of Memphis, Inc. He joined Methodist Healthcare in 1998 where he served as Senior Vice-President of Health and Welfare Ministries, retiring fully vested after serving seven and one-half years. He has served eight years as a United Methodist Pastor, 30 years as an Active Duty Chaplain in the United States Army, retiring with the rank of Colonel. "Sonny's" military decorations include two Legions of Merits, The Bronze Star and The Air Medal. In Vietnam, he served as Staff and 2/1 Squadron Chaplain of the 4th Infantry Division. In Wurzburg, Germany, he was excited to serve as Division Chaplain of the 3rd Infantry Division, the division of his western movie hero, Audie Murphy. Chaplain Davis was assigned to the Staff and Faculty of the United States Army Chaplain Center and School where he taught both Chaplain Officer Basic and Advanced Courses. In his second tour of South Korea, he was Command Chaplain of the Army's only Combined Field Army, headquartered in Uijongbu. He served as Command and Post Chaplain at Fort Monmouth, NJ and Fort Gordon, GA. He retired as Command Chaplain for the United States Army Southeast Regional Medical Command and Eisenhower Regional Medical Center with Headquarters at Fort Gordon, GA, where he established a CPE training Center. He received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Social Science from Rust College, Holly Springs, MS and a Master of Divinity Degree from Gammon Theological Seminary of the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta, GA. Additionally, he received a Master of Arts Degree in Sociology from Long Island University, Brooklyn, NY and is a Postgraduate Fellow of Psychotherapy from Southeast Institute, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Chaplain Davis and his wife Cynthia received their Doctor of Ministry Degrees from United Theological Seminary, Dayton, OH in 2005 with a special focus in the Black Church and Public Health. His dissertation is entitled, "Participation of Pastors in Addressing Health Disparities of African Americans." Chaplain Davis holds Clinical Certification in the National Association of Forensic Counselors. He is a member of the Military Chaplains Association of the USA. Chaplain Davis is a 2001 graduate of Leadership Memphis. In 2003, he was certified as a Clinical Member of the National Institute of Business and Industrial Chaplains, Inc. In 2004, Chaplain Davis was appointed to the Board of Health Benefits for the Mississippi Conference of the United Methodist Church. He has served as a member of the St. Jude Sickle Cell Advisory Committee and the Life-Blood Board of Directors. April 2004, he was appointed as a member of the Advisory Board for Sustaining Pastoral Excellence, Memphis Theological Seminary. In 2004, he was appointed to the Spiritual and Emotional Care Task Force for the Mississippi Conference to assist victims of Hurricane Katrina and Rita. In January 2008, he and his wife were selected to join forty clergy participants for the three year Sustaining Pastoral Excellence study group. Chaplain Davis is most pleased that while at Methodist Healthcare he was able to coordinate between Methodist Healthcare, St. Jude Research Hospital and Africa University, located in Zimbabwe, the establishment of clinical trials for an FDA approved anti-AIDS vaccine project. While an Army Chaplain, he conducted numerous workshops on "An Understanding of Racism," and as a trainer for "Faith at Work, Inc." which combined the insights of psychotherapy with biblical applications in small group settings. He believes his academic, pastoral and military experiences, during the heat of the Civil Rights Movement and beyond, provide powerful reflections as an overlay with recommended resolutions for contemporary social issues. His conviction about race is that beliefs in racial...
