Meet Alumnus Lieutenant Colonel Tom Yates, '87, '88

US Army Chaplain and Lieutenant Colonel Tom Yates graduated from CST with an M.Div. in 1987 and a D.Min. in 1988 after enlisting in the military just after high school.

After his early military service, Tom was part of The Covenant Players Theater ministry, a repertory theatre group, but soon felt the call to continue service in a different capacity. Hoping to combine his love for the arts and a call to serve, Tom chose CST for a chance to study religion and arts program with the late, renowned professor emeritus, Dr. William “Jack” Coogan.

While Tom envisioned teaching religion and the arts, he realized his call was direct ministry. He served as a parish pastor, a hospital chaplain, and as a military chaplain with the Army Reserve — a vocation that offered Tom opportunities he had never imagined. He served as a chaplain to trainees in both Fort Knox, KY, and Fort Sill, OK, and he served overseas in Korea, Afghanistan, and Iraq.

For Tom, the best thing about military chaplaincy was serving right alongside the troops and going places that a local pastor would never have the opportunity to go. The hardest part for Tom was being deployed overseas and away from his family, but that part also helped him to bond with the soldiers who were also dealing with the same hardship.