How Faith Has Guided Doug Collins From Pastor to Air Force Chaplain to VA Secretary

Contact Your Elected Officials

The 58-year-old father of three first served the church but could not ignore a calling to public service.

Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins didnโ€™t always want to be a politician, but he has long had a desire to serve others.

The 58-year-old native of Gainesville, Georgia, chose pastoral ministry as his first career. Thirty years later, he finds himself leading the sprawling government agency that serves more than 17 million veterans of the U.S. armed forces.

On Feb. 5, Collins became the 12th secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs, a Cabinet-level position that makes him one of 15 key advisers to President Donald Trump.

The road between those two positions included more than 25 years as a military chaplain, a tour in Iraq, graduation from law school, and multiple terms as a state and federal lawmaker.

The thread connecting those diverse experiences is faith, Collins says.

โ€œI believe Godโ€™s put us at a special time and a special purpose,โ€ Collins told Steve Lance of NTD, a sister outlet of The Epoch Times, in a June 9 interview. โ€œSo for me, faith is all.โ€

The Road to Washington

Collins married Lisa Jordan in 1988, the same year he graduated from North Georgia College and State University.

In an early indication of his interest in politics, Collins interned for then-Rep. Ed Jenkins (D-Ga.) while still a student.

The call to ministry was stronger, however, and Collins went on to attend New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, graduating in 1996. His wife became a career educator in Georgia public schools.

Collins pastored at Gainesvilleโ€™s Chicopee Baptist Church from 1994 to 2005, leading the growing congregation to build a larger facility in the late 1990s.

Along the way, he joined the U.S. Air Force Reserve as a chaplain, eventually rising to colonel, a rank he continues to hold. From 2008 to 2009, Collins served a combat deployment at Balad Air Base, near Baghdad.

After more than a decade in pastoral ministry, Collins credits his father, retired state trooper Lenard Collins, with inspiring his shift to public service.

โ€œHe taught me the value of public service from an early age and shaped my life in so many other positive ways,โ€ Doug Collinsย wrote on social media platform X, on June 15.

Collins successfully ran for the Georgia House of Representatives in 2006 and graduated from the John Marshall Law School in Atlanta the following year.

โ€œIโ€™ve always felt God was going to lead me into public service at some point,โ€ Collins told The Gainesville Times shortly after his election.

After three terms in the statehouse, Collins was elected to Congress in 2012 and served until 2021.

In January 2020, Collins announced his candidacy for the U.S. Senate, running in a special election to fill the remainder of Sen. Johnny Isaksonโ€™s term after Isakson retired for health reasons.

He was supported by President Donald Trump and faced incumbent Kelly Loeffler, who had been appointed to the seat temporarily, as well as Democrat Raphael Warnock. Collins finished third in the nonpartisan primary. After his defeat, Collins endorsed Loeffler in the runoff against Warnock.

Byย Lawrence Wilson,ย Steve Lance

The Epoch Times
The Epoch Timeshttps://www.theepochtimes.com/
Tired of biased news? The Epoch Times is truthful, factual news that other media outlets don't report. No spin. No agenda. Just honest journalism like it used to be.

Why Illinois Needs Trump NOW!

Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson told President Trump โ€œDonโ€™t come to Chicago!โ€ to reduce crime or to help clean up the trash in the city.

Donald Trumpโ€™s Appointments Are Being Obstructed

Donald Trump is the only President in history that has had recess appointments blocked by his own party!

Trump Flag-Burning Ban: Unconstitutional, Un-American, and Trifling

Trump signed an EO to criminalize the burning of the American flag โ€” the right to do which having already been adjudicated by the highest court in the land.

Using True Facts of History to Determine What is Right and What is Wrong

The amount of time separating a human act from a truthful description of it is not as important as the veracity of historians bringing it to light.

The Very British Stalemate: British Politics Explained for Americans

The assumption in the minds of American commentators, politicians, and analysts is that the UK has "gone to the dogs" with "woke" political ideology.

FDA Revokes Emergency Authorization for COVID-19 Vaccines

The vaccines are still cleared for a number of...

Tehran Told European Powers Sanctions Would Have Consequences: Iranian Official

Iranian spokesman said delegation from Tehran told negotiators from UK, France, and Germany that triggering sanctions would have consequences.

Judge Accused of Helping Illegal Immigrant Evade Arrest Loses Bid to Drop Charges

Judge in Wisconsin turned down Milwaukee County Judge Duganโ€™s bid to dismiss her case, clearing way for a trial on charges she obstructed immigration officers.

19 Shot at Catholic Church in Minnesota: Officials

Two children were killed and 17 other people were injured at a Catholic church and school in Minneapolis on Aug. 27, officials said.

Trumpโ€™s 50 Percent Tariff on India Takes Effect

President Trumpโ€™s additional 25% tariff on India became effective at midnight on Aug. 27, bringing the total rate to 50% on many imports entering the US.

RFK Jr. Says HHS Will Disclose Causes of Autism in September

During a cabinet meeting Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. vowed to announce the causes of autism by September.

OMB Head: Trump Admin Eliminating 30 Old Regulations for Each New One

The Trump administration has repealed 30 regulations for each new regulation, Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought announced.

FDA Ramps Up Inspections of Shrimp Amid Radioactive Contamination Reports, RFK Jr. Confirms

Health Sec RFK, Jr. said federal health authorities are looking at imported shrimp after FDA issued warnings after potentially radioactive shrimp.
spot_img

Related Articles