A January Message of Faith, Hope and Patriotism from U.S. Navy Chaplain Lt. Zack Parker

A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM WASHINGTON D.C. TO THE SPACE COAST

Zachary C. Parker is a native of Merritt Island and attended Tropical Elementary, Jefferson Middle School, and is a 2008 graduate of Merritt Island High School. He enlisted as a Master-at-Arms in the Navy Reserves in February 2013. Parker was commissioned as an Ensign, Chaplain Candidate Program Officer, and completed various Chaplain Corps training evolutions from 2015 to 2020. He served in civilian ministry roles, including as the operations manager at Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg, VA, and as the senior pastor of King Street Baptist Church in Cocoa.

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – Most of us find our greatest mentors in the most unexpected places, and they rarely look like what we imagined. For me, that mentor was found in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, at an oasis for men battling substance abuse. His name was Henry Leroy Allison, better known as Roy.

I had moved to Lynchburg, Virginia, to attend seminary at Liberty University, preparing for a call to serve active duty in the United States Navy Chaplain Corps. To earn free tuition, I worked in Liberty’s facilities department, and eventually, I was offered a job at Thomas Road Baptist Church. It was a unique assignment.

I lived on an 80-acre property, managed a 3-acre garden, and served on a team of 5 who supervised 14 men in an 8-week, faith-based recovery program. These men were searching for light in the darkness of addiction.

This remarkable ministry was established through the faithfulness of Dr. Jerry Falwell Sr. back in the 1950s. Fresh from the beaches of Florida’s Space Coast, I didn’t know the first thing about caring for 80 acres of land.

On my first tour of the property, the executive director told me he couldn’t wait to introduce me to Roy.

He was a man who had gone through the program more than 40 years earlier and never left. Roy had been hired full-time, lived on the land for decades, and though he had “retired,” he was now tasked with mentoring the young whippersnapper from Florida. I was 24, and he was 80.

Roy and I could not have been more different. Yet, we formed a bond anchored in our shared faith in Jesus. And, we also shared many belly laughs until tears rolled down our faces. From Roy, I learned about hard work, practical wisdom, and quiet faithfulness. He modeled an immense work ethic, creative problem-solving abilities, magnetic humor, and a bold, unashamed faith in the Lord.

One time, we were working out in the three-acre garden; it was a hot day. I had been sharing my faith with one of the men in our program. The gentleman was a father of five young children. He had tried multiple programs but had been unsuccessful in finding the right tools for sobriety.

The Lord began to stir his heart while we were picking off bugs from the dozens of potato plants. “I’m ready to give my life over to Jesus and be forgiven of my sins,” he said.

And my dialogue with him went something like this: “God created us for a relationship with Him, but sin separates us. Jesus, God’s Son, lived a perfect life, died to pay for our sins, and rose again. Through Him, we can receive forgiveness by repentance of our sins, meaning to turn away, and we will receive eternal life as a free gift. Would you be willing to pray to ask Jesus to be the Savior of your life and receive this gift?” “Yes,” he calmly responded.

We dropped to a knee, and I began to pray, “Dear Lord, we ask this to be a prayer of repentance and faith, acknowledging sin, asking for forgiveness, and inviting Jesus as Savior of their life.” As I was praying, I heard Roy’s tractor approaching closer…and closer.

My eyes were shut, and I was trying to focus on the eternal consequences that were unfolding right before me, but the tractor seemed like it was right on top of us. And then, the engine stopped. I said amen and opened my eyes. The father of five was smiling a mile wide. It looked like he had tasted ice cream for the first time.

After we hugged, we both glanced over our shoulder and saw Roy perched on top of his tractor as if it were his throne. He looked like a giant hovering over us with the sun shining down on him. My excitement was boiling over, and I couldn’t wait to share with Roy what had just happened. 40 years earlier, Roy had given his life to the Lord right here on this property and had been forgiven of his sins and hadn’t taken a sip of alcohol since.

“Roy! This man just gave his life to the Lord!,” I shouted. Without cracking even a little bit of a smile, Roy nodded his approval and said, “Praise the Lord. Now get back to work.” The man and I looked at each other and chuckled. Roy turned the engine back on and drove away.

2 Corinthians 5:17 states, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. The old has gone, the new is here.”

Standing there in the dirt, I expected a different response. But Roy had seen this miracle before. He understood that a new creation rarely arrives with applause. It begins the way gardens do, which is unseen at first, rooted beneath the soil, requiring patience and daily care.

For Roy, faith was never something to be put on display. It was lived quietly, faithfully, and proven over a lifetime of ordinary obedience.

Roy was sometimes hard-headed, stubborn, and occasionally a bit crass, but after I graduated and was about to move on, he grabbed me by the shoulder, looked me in the eyes, and told me how much he loved me. We worked together for nearly two years, and in that time, he helped shape me, not just into a man who works hard, but into a man who holds fast to his faith.

Roy went home to be with the Lord last month. His legacy lives on, and I hope to be a mentor of this magnitude not just professionally, but spiritually as well. Thank you, Roy. Love you too.

Let’s envision 2026 as a fertile field. Let’s prayerfully plant seeds of faith, hope, and love that may be unseen at first because they are rooted beneath the ground, but let us trust the Lord to provide patience so we can tend to them with daily care.

Now, let’s Praise the Lord and get back to work!

MONTHLY MESSAGE SPONSORED BY ERDMAN AUTOMOTIVE

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

In August 2020, Chaplain Parker reported for active duty as a staff chaplain at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, FL. While aboard NAS Jacksonville, he spearheaded an initiative selected as a 2022 Navy-wide best practice and was published by Pennsylvania State University’s Clearinghouse for Military Readiness.

In January 2024, Parker served as command chaplain aboard the USS RAMAGE (DDG 61), supporting the crew during a permanent homeport change from Norfolk, VA, to Mayport, FL. Parker earned the Surface Chaplain Officer qualification pin onboard and was awarded 2nd Place at the Surface Navy Association’s National Symposium for his team’s video production.

In August 2025, Parker reported as installation chaplain to the Washington Navy Yard in Washington, D.C. His scope includes supporting 33,000 Sailors, civilians, and contract personnel across seven National Capital Region fence lines.

He serves as an adjunct professor for Liberty University, instructing courses in ethical leadership, spiritual growth, and professional chaplaincy studies.

Parker began his formal education at Florida State University, where he graduated with a B.A. in Editing, Writing, and Media (2012). He holds a Master of Divinity degree from Liberty Theological Seminary (2016) and a Doctor of Ministry degree from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (2020). Chaplain Parker has been awarded the Navy Commendation Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (1 gold star), and the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal.

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