David Coulter (minister)

The Reverend Dr
David Coulter
CB QHC
Birth name David George Coulter
Born (1957-12-29) 29 December 1957
Belfast, Northern Ireland
Allegiance  United Kingdom
Service/branch  British Army
Years of service 1979 to present
Rank Major General
Unit Royal Irish Rangers
Royal Army Chaplains' Department
Commands held Armed Forces Chaplaincy Centre
Battles/wars The Troubles
Gulf War
Awards Honorary Chaplain to the Queen (2007)

David George Coulter, CB, QHC (born 29 December 1957) is a Church of Scotland minister and military chaplain serving with the British Army. Since September 2014, he has served as Chaplain General and head of the Royal Army Chaplains' Department. He previously served as Principal of the Armed Forces Chaplaincy Centre and Deputy Chaplain General.

Early life and education

Coulter was born on 29 December 1957 in Belfast, Northern Ireland.[1][2][3] He was educated at Regent House School, a state grammar school in Newtownards, County Down.[1] He was sponsored through university by the military,[4] and graduated from Queen's University Belfast in 1980 with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree.[1][3][5]

Military career

Early career

On 1 October 1979, he was commissioned into the Royal Irish Rangers, British Army, as a second lieutenant (on probation) as part of his university cadetship.[4] His commission was confirmed on 13 July 1980 and he was granted seniority in the rank of second lieutenant from 1 August 1976. On 13 July 1980, he was promoted to lieutenant and granted seniority in that rank from 1 August 1978.[5] On 1 February 1983, he was promoted to captain.[6] He resigned his commission on 20 September 1985, thereby ending his first period of full-time military service.[7]

Reserve service

On 1 November 1985, he joined the 4th Battalion Royal Irish Rangers (North Irish Militia), part of the Territorial Army, in the rank of captain with seniority from 14 March 1983.[8] He left the Territorial Army when he resigned his commission on 2 April 1989.[9]

Ordained ministry

Coulter undertook training for ministry and studied theology at the University of St Andrews, graduating a Bachelor of Divinity (BD) degree.[1] He was ordained into the Church of Scotland in 1989.[1] On 3 April 1989, he joined the Royal Army Chaplains' Department as a Chaplain to the Forces 4th Class (equivalent in rank to captain but lacking executive authority).[10] He relinquished his commission on 2 April 1992 and spent the next two years working outside of the military.[11]

On 21 February 1994, he rejoined the military as a Chaplain to the Forces 4th Class.[12] He was promoted to Chaplain to the Forces 3rd Class (equivalent in rank to major) on 22 March 1996.[13] On 22 March 1997, he transferred from a short service to a permanent commission.[14] He was promoted to Chaplain to the Forces 2nd Class (equivalent in rank to lieutenant colonel) on 22 March 2002.[15]

He was promoted to Chaplain to the Forces 1st Class (equivalent in rank to colonel) on 23 June 2005.[16] On 1 June 2008, he was appointed the Church of Scotland Denominational Representative Chaplain.[17] From 2008 to June 2011, he served as Principal of the Armed Forces Chaplaincy Centre.[18][19] On 3 June 2011, he was appointed Deputy Chaplain General (equivalent in rank to brigadier).[20]

In September 2013, it was announced that he would succeed Jonathan Woodhouse as Chaplain-General to Her Majesty's Land Forces when the latter retires in September 2014.[21] On 17 September 2014, he was appointed Chaplain General and promoted to the equivalent rank major general.[22]

Honours and decorations

Coulter was awarded the Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service 'in recognition of distinguished services in Northern Ireland during the period 1 October 1995 to 31 March 1996'.[23] On 18 October 2007, he was appointed Honorary Chaplain to the Queen (QHC).[24] He was appointed Serving Brother of the Order of St John (SBStJ) in August 2011,[25] and is a recipient of the Service Medal of the Order of St John.[2] In the 2016 Queen's Birthday Honours, he was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB).[26]

He is a recipient of the General Service Medal with Northern Ireland clasp, the United Nations Service Medal for UNFICYP, Gulf Medal with clasp, the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal, the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, and the Accumulated Campaign Service Medal.[2]



Ribbon Description Notes
Order of the Bath (CB)
  • 2016
  • Companion
  • Military Division
Order of St. John
  • 2011
  • Serving Brother
General Service Medal
UNFICYP Medal
  • 90 Days Service on UN Peacekeeping Mission in Cyprus
Gulf Medal
  • With Clasp "16 Jan to 28 Feb 1991"
Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal
  • 2002
Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal
  • 2012
Accumulated Campaign Service Medal
  • 36 Months Accumulated Campaign Service
Service Medal of the Order of St John

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "COULTER, Rev. Dr David George". Who's Who 2016. Oxford University Press. November 2015. Retrieved 26 September 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 "Military Chaplains: Service to God, Service to country". News and events. Church of Scotland. 9 November 2014. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
  3. 1 2 "New Chaplain General". Irish news. Church News Ireland. Retrieved 27 June 2014.
  4. 1 2 "No. 48015". The London Gazette (Supplement). 26 November 1979. p. 14931.
  5. 1 2 "No. 48554". The London Gazette (Supplement). 16 March 1981. p. 3783.
  6. ↑ "No. 49251". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 January 1983. p. 1505.
  7. ↑ "No. 50279". The London Gazette (Supplement). 7 October 1985. p. 13874.
  8. ↑ "No. 50446". The London Gazette (Supplement). 3 March 1986. p. 3088.
  9. ↑ "No. 51833". The London Gazette (Supplement). 7 August 1989. p. 9164.
  10. ↑ "No. 51718". The London Gazette (Supplement). 28 April 1989. p. 5219.
  11. ↑ "No. 52885". The London Gazette (Supplement). 6 April 1992. p. 6176.
  12. ↑ "No. 53614". The London Gazette (Supplement). 15 March 1994. p. 3995.
  13. ↑ "No. 54354". The London Gazette. 25 March 1996. p. 4427.
  14. ↑ "No. 54714". The London Gazette (Supplement). 24 March 1997. p. 3613.
  15. ↑ "No. 56519". The London Gazette (Supplement). 26 March 2002. p. 3735.
  16. ↑ "No. 57686". The London Gazette (Supplement). 28 June 2005. p. 8374.
  17. ↑ "No. 58961". The London Gazette (Supplement). 27 January 2009. p. 1336.
  18. ↑ Cockcroft, Lucy (9 September 2008). "The Prince of Wales attends a service to honour military and civilian heroes". Retrieved 28 June 2014.
  19. ↑ "Report: May 2011" (pdf). Committee on Chaplains to Her Majesty's Forces. Church of Scotland. Retrieved 27 June 2014.
  20. ↑ "No. 59803". The London Gazette (Supplement). 7 June 2011. p. 10701.
  21. ↑ "Service appointments: Army". The Times. 17 September 2013. Retrieved 27 June 2014.
  22. ↑ "No. 60996". The London Gazette (Supplement). 23 September 2014. p. 18446.
  23. ↑ "No. 54574". The London Gazette. 7 November 1996. p. 14850.
  24. ↑ "No. 58531". The London Gazette (Supplement). 4 December 2007. p. 17576.
  25. ↑ "No. 59888". The London Gazette. 23 August 2011. pp. 16139–16140.
  26. ↑ "No. 61608". The London Gazette (Supplement). 11 June 2016. p. B3.
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