When Dondi Costin takes his place at the podium, it’s not your average prayer.
Or at least so says The Honolulu Star-Advertiser of the Air Force chaplain who was double promoted to two-star general and took over as chief of chaplains at the Air Force headquarters at the Pentagon on Aug. 28.
“I can probably summarize it by the invocation that he gave at the Air Force Ball last year,” said Col. Joseph Anderson, Pacific Air Force’s command surgeon, according to the Star-Advertiser. “It is the first time I have ever seen anybody, chaplain or otherwise, give an invocation and get a standing ovation.”
Costin — along with his wife, Vicki — was formerly a member of Eastmont Baptist Church, Montgomery. He most recently served as chaplain of the Pacific Air Force in Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii.
‘Proud of him’
One of Costin’s Alabama relatives, Ben Chandler, director of missions for St. Clair Baptist Association, expressed praise for Costin, his ministry and his character.
“We are proud of him and need to pray for him as he works with our military chaplains,” Chandler said.
Costin, an ordained Southern Baptist minister, puts great effort into his daily ministry and his well-known invocations.
“That’s what I’ve tried to do through the years: realize the great opportunity and responsibility that invocation holds, not just for the chaplain, but principally, for those in the audience,” Costin said, according to the Star-Advertiser.
“We pray together, so hopefully, I’m trying to embody their prayers,” he said. “I’ve tried to make them as personal as possible and as relevant as possible to the situation.”
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