Meet Our Chaplains

Chaplain Kenneth Botton

Branch of Service:

Dr. Kenneth V. Botton, originally hails from North Hollywood, California. After high school, he attended the University of New Mexico as an NROTC Scholarship recipient and received his Navy Commission upon graduation in December 1971. Dr. Botton’s military career spanned almost 23 years and he saw service as both a line officer and a Chaplain. His assignments included tours of duty in Australia and Japan, as well as shipboard duty on board USS Grand Canyon (AR-28) and USS Kansas City (AOR 3).

As a Navy chaplain, Dr. Botton also served with the United States Marine Corps (Third Marine Division) and the United States Coast Guard (Support Center, Governors Island, New York). Retiring from active duty in 1994 with the rank of Lieutenant Commander, Dr. Botton's personal decorations from the military include the Navy Commendation Medal with two gold stars and the Coast Guard Commendation Medal.

After concluding his time with the Navy, Dr. Botton relocated to the Chicagoland area where he became the “Endorser” for Plymouth Brethren military chaplains (a position he continues to hold), as well as the Administrator for INTEREST Ministries and editor of INTEREST Magazine. In 1996 Botton accepted the position of Director of Graduate Admissions at Trinity International University in Deerfield, Illinois, later serving as Director of Church Partnerships.

Since 2009 Dr. Botton served in various faculty roles as Coordinator of Chaplaincy Studies and Affiliate Professor of Pastoral Theology before his retirement from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in 2019.

Dr. Botton’s graduate education includes the completion of a Master of Divinity degree from Talbot Theological Seminary in La Mirada, California (1981), and a Master of Arts (Christian Education) from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (1990). In 2004 he completed his PhD (Educational Studies), also from Trinity.

Dr. Botton is a member of the National Conference on Ministry to the Armed Forces (NCMAF) and Chaplain Alliance for Religious Liberty (CALL). He has had articles published in INTEREST Magazine, Emmaus Journey Magazine, EFCA Today, Christian Education Journal, and the Baker Dictionary of Christian Education.

Ken and his wife, Starla, now live in Pendleton, IN. They have two daughters, Rachel (Joel) Ferguson and Ariel Burke, and two grand daughters, Naomi and Natalie Ferguson.