Founder, President and CEO of The Police Chaplain Program
Rev. Gary W. Holden is the Founder, President and CEO of The Police Chaplain Program. Chaplain Holden completed the Law Enforcement Adjunct Instructor Training Program implemented by the U.S. Department Homeland Security Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers Office of Training Management. He is a trainer with the Department of Homeland Security Incidence to Terrorist Bombing (IRTB) classes.
Chaplain Holden is a member and is trained in Pastoral, Group, Assisting Individuals in Crisis, Advanced Group Crisis Intervention, Advanced Assisting Individuals in Crisis, CISM Application with Children and Managing School Crisis: From Theory to Application with the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation and is an approved instructor. Chaplain Holden was awarded the prestigious Susan E. Hamilton, PHD Award by the ICISF at their World Congress in 2015, for his development of and work with police chaplaincy. Chaplain Holden is a member of the American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress and the National Center for Crisis Management. He is a counselor and chaplain with the New Jersey Disaster Response Crisis Counseling (DRCC) Team. Chaplain Holden is a member of the New Jersey Department of Homeland Security Interfaith Advisory Council.
He served as a chaplain after 911 at Ground Zero in NYC working with the New York City Police and Fire Departments and the Port Authority Police Department. He is also a board member, Senior Chaplain and the Emergency Chaplain Corp. Chairman for The Four Chaplains Memorial Foundation in Philadelphia from which he received The Legion of Honor Bronze Medallion award for sacrificial service. Chaplain Holden was also involved in chaplain work with The Battleship New Jersey Museum in Camden, NJ. is a regular speaker at patriotic events and services.
He is the Sr. Chaplain of the Cumberland County Sheriff's Department and a Chaplain with the New Jersey State Police. He is also chaplain for the Cumberland County NJ Prosecutors Office. He founded the Public Schools Police Chaplain Resource Program.