CHARLESTON, W.Va. –
Chaplain (Maj.) Justin Elliott represented the West Virginia National Guard at the Africa Chaplains Summit, hosted by U.S. Africa Command in Brussels, Belgium, on Jan. 24-28, 2025. The summit aimed to strengthen relationships, exchange best practices and enhance engagement through the National Guard Bureau’s State Partnership Program by bringing together military chaplains from partner nations.
Elliott, who serves as the full-time support chaplain for the West Virginia Army National Guard, focused on deepening ties with Gabon, West Virginia’s SPP partner nation in Africa. Elliott engaged in discussions with Gabon’s Chief of Chaplains, Abraham Ikapi, outlining future training initiatives and collaborative efforts, aligning with SPP objectives of reinforcing military partnerships through trust-building and knowledge-sharing.
"By its nature, the Chaplaincy shares foundational values with the SPP that is useful in the accomplishment of its mission,” Elliott said. “Patience, communication and collaboration, of course, but most importantly trust.”
“At the heart of each successful partnership is a relationship built on trust that we desire to see our partner nation succeed and are making wholehearted efforts in providing quality knowledge exchanges," he said.
In addition to fostering relationships with Gabonese leadership, Elliott met with AFRICOM Command Chaplain (Col.) Karen Meeker and National Guard Assistant to AFRICOM Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Jonathan Bell. Their discussions centered on strengthening National Guard chaplaincy support for African partner nations and expanding the role of chaplains in international military cooperation.
A significant portion of the summit included a panel discussion led by the Department of State’s Office of International Religious Freedom, highlighting the role of religion in shaping security and stability on the African continent.
"Included in U.S. law is the ‘International Religious Freedoms Act’ which codifies our commitment as a nation for global religious freedom,” said Elliott. “Chaplains are instruments of peace, and through our involvement in SPP initiatives we can promote the free expression of religion globally."
Key takeaways from the event included the vital role of the Chaplain Corps in SPP engagements, AFRICOM’s support for developing Chaplain Centers of Excellence in Ghana, Zambia and Kenya, and the provision of chaplain training materials to the West Virginia National Guard for future knowledge exchanges with Gabon.
Elliott’s participation in the Africa Chaplains Summit is part of a critical step in strengthening U.S.-Africa military cooperation through faith-based engagement. These partnerships enhance interoperability and provide essential resources for chaplains across the African continent to better serve their forces and communities.