CHESTERTOWN, MD—The top chaplain of the Maryland National Guard, Col. William Sean Lee, will share his insights about religious liberty in the military when he speaks at Washington College on Thursday, September 25.

His talk, “Religious Liberty and the Military Chaplain: Current Challenges to Religious Liberty in the U.S. Armed Services,” will take place at 6 p.m. in Hynson Lounge, Hodson Hall, on the College campus, 300 Washington Avenue. Sponsored by the College’s Institute for Religion, Politics and Culture, the event is free and open to the public. This event was rescheduled from originally scheduled for last may

Col. William Sean Lee is a senior officer in the Joint Forces Headquarters in Baltimore, as well as an ordained Baptist minister. He regularly consults militaries around the world on best practices for ensuring the free exercise of religion for military personnel.

In 2005, Lee helped launch Partners in Care, an initiative of the Maryland National Guard Joint Force Headquarters Chaplain’s office. The program connects local faith communities with members of the Maryland National Guard to provide support and aid without religious obligation.

Lee also co-authored Military Chaplains as Peace Builders: Embracing Indigenous Religions in Stability Operations (BiblioBazaar 2012), which advocates for the formal involvement of indigenous religious leaders in stability operations. He holds a doctor of ministry degree from Erskine Theological Seminary and is a graduate of the U.S. Army War College through the National Security Fellows Program at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. 

The Institute for Religion, Politics and Culture at Washington College explores the contributions of religion to political and cultural life in the United States and around the world.