Biography

Senior Chaplain Les Palmer is a staff member at Calvary of Albuquerque. He serves as the Director of the Chaplaincy Ministry, Crisis Caregivers. He has been training individuals as Chaplains who are now serving in the local community in hospitals, rescue missions, as well as deploying with the Billy Graham Rapid Response Teams to man-made and natural disaster areas across the country. He has trained & equipped hundreds of individuals for ministry purposes. He has participated in Chaplaincy training with many churches through out the country dealing with emotional and spiritual care, and grief and trauma in times of crisis.

Chaplain Les received a Bachelors Degree in Pastoral Ministry, along with his accomplished background in DOD, DOE Research and Development Star Wars Project. Chaplain Les has worked with Young Life, a Christian outreach ministry, bringing the gospel message to teens. He has been a ministry leader in his church for over 18 years, taught in the MVCF Bible College, and a teacher at the Billy Graham Training Center in Asheville, North Carolina.

Ordained originally as a Chaplain in July 2000, he holds the position of Chaplain with the American Red Cross San Diego Chapter, and Chaplain of Horizon USA Disaster Relief Team, and Sr. Chaplain with the International Fellowship of Chaplains as well a certified instructor with the IFOC Chaplain Training course. He serves as a Board member and certified instructor with the National Center of Chaplain Development and Training in San Juan Capistrano, CA.

Chaplain Les has served with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association Rapid Response Team as a Chaplain Coordinator since September 2005, he has served in this position in the Gulf Coast states after hurricane Katrina for 2 years, the college campus shooting at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, IL, wild fires in San Diego CA, tornados in Picher OK, and Joplin MO, flooding in Columbus IN, hurricane Gustav in Donaldsonville LA, hurricane Ike in Galveston TX, the wildfires in Yorba Linda, CA, and the tornados hitting Lone Grove, OK.

Les and his wife, Debbie, moved to Albuquerque in September of 2007.

EXPERIENCE:

• Board Certified: Crisis Chaplain for National Center for Crisis Management
• Board Certified: Crisis Chaplain - American Academy of Experts Traumatic Stress
• Board Member/Instructor - National Center for Chaplain Development and Training
• ICISF/CISM Certified "Spiritual Care In crisis Intervention" and
• ICISF/CISM Certified in "Schools & Children Crisis Response"
• ICISF Approved Instructor in "Emotional & Spiritual Care in Disasters" and "Grief Following Trauma"
• Sr. Chaplain & Lead Trainer for the IFOC - Corps Commander for the Albuquerque Regional Community Chaplain Corps
• Certified Crisis Responder - Certified Chaplain Disaster Responder NIMS compliant ICS 100, 200, 300, 400, 700, and 800