Title: 1) Chaplain (Retired); 2) Co-Founder and Director (Retired)
Company: 1) U.S. Air Force, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and Bristol Hospice; 2) Occupational Chaplains of America
Location: Cocoa, Florida, United States
Colonel Raymond H. Hawkins, MDiv, CPE, OCA, retired chaplain with the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and Bristol Hospice, and retired co-founder and director of Occupational Chaplains of America, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Military for dedication, achievements, and leadership in the military and ministry.
With a professional life spanning 50 years, Col. Hawkins has demonstrated a powerful sense of duty to his country, his fellow man and his spiritual beliefs. He felt called to pursue ministry at 17 years old but wasn’t sure where to start. Instead, Col. Hawkins put that plan off and chose to join the U.S. Marine Corps in 1971. He left the Marine Corps as a staff sergeant in 1979 but remained active in the military as an aircraft electrician focused on helicopters for Naval Air Systems Command and a central supply processing technician for the U.S. Army.
It was during this time frame that Col. Hawkins reconnected with his faith. While working in New Orleans, he would regularly drive by a church and one day felt a strong pull to visit the church when a revival was going on. Col. Hawkins describes that day as life-changing, as he repented, embraced his relationship with God and began reading as many as 20 chapters of the Bible each night. Inspired and motivated, he founded the Calvary United Pentecostal Church in 1982 and stayed as its pastor until 1987.
Col. Hawkins began the second chapter of his military career in 1989, joining the U.S. Air Force Chaplain Corps as a chaplain. Across more than 15 years with the Air Force, he rose from second lieutenant to major. Before retiring from the Air Force in 2005, Col. Hawkins co-founded Occupational Chaplains of America, where he served as director until 2021. Through this organization, he offered training, education, credentials and licensing for chaplains across the country.
After retiring from the Air Force in 2005, Col. Hawkins dedicated 10 years as a senior pastor at Pentecostal Lighthouse Church and a significant stretch of time as a spiritual care hospice chaplain at Suncoast Hospice. He was additionally contracted as a hospice chaplain by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for a year. Col. Hawkins’ final full-time role came in 2019, as a spiritual care hospice chaplain for Bristol Hospice. Throughout his professional life, he demonstrated expertise in conducting funerals, overseeing youth groups, establishing worship services and organizing Bible studies.
Col. Hawkins’ extensive vocational journey has been backed up by a strong commitment to education and self-improvement, beginning with coursework at the Apostolic Bible Institute in 1980 and an associate’s degree in business administration and management from Johnston Community College in 1984. He obtained a bachelor’s degree in humanities and theology from Campbell University in 1987. Col. Hawkins completed teacher education certification in higher education and administration through the U.S. Air Force Academic Instructors School in 1990. He earned a Master of Divinity in pastoral care and evangelism from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in 1991.
Describing the arc of his life as “just miracle after miracle,” Col. Hawkins set out to share his story after retiring through a book. In 2025, he published “Abounding in Glory!: Get a Glimpse of God’s Glory.” This book charts Col. Hawkins’ life, from a challenging childhood dealing with alcoholism in his family and the struggles of life in an orphanage, to his military accomplishments, to the renewal of his faith. Through it, he demonstrates how spiritual growth and prayer can deeply improve the reader’s life.
Beyond his military and ministerial work, Col. Hawkins is a devoted husband and a loving father to two and grandfather to five. His hobbies include playing 12-string acoustic guitar, singing, volunteering to provide entertainment in nursing homes, reading, praying and writing. In addition to continuing to advocate for his book, Col. Hawkins is hoping to establish a nonprofit organization in the near future. He intends to name it CARE, which stands for Community Assistance and Resources for Enhancement.
For more information, please visit:
“Abounding in Glory!: Get a Glimpse of God’s Glory” – Amazon
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