Thomas Lemmer has been invited to address police chaplains in Springfield, Illinois. The International Conference of Police Chaplains (ICPC) will be conducting its Region 4 annual training seminar on 9 through 11 March 2026. The ICPC is the leading association advancing law enforcement chaplaincy. It has members from all 50 American states and more than 20 countries. ICPC Region 4 provides support for police chaplains from Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. Lemmer is honored to both instruct and serve as the keynote speaker at the association’s annual banquet.
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
Lemmer’s Presentation on Adversity
Policing is a challenging profession, in Chicago and everywhere else. After more than 34 years of active service in the Chicago Police Department (CPD), Lemmer has identified adversity as a point requiring far more consideration. His own experiences interacting with CPD’s amazing chaplains provide clarity on a second point. Police chaplains provide crucial support to our police officers and their families. CPD’s chaplains take particular care in bringing enduring support to Chicago’s Gold Star Families. Learn more about, and how to contribute to, the Chicago Police Chaplains Ministry here.
During his Monday training session, Lemmer will begin from a central truth. In this life there is suffering and evil is real. In every life there will be trials and tribulations. Adversity tests our readiness and commitment, and reveals our character. Yes, we want our police officers to get through the trials that they will encounter. But, just getting through adversity should not be their goal or ours. Whenever adversity comes, we must remember and instruct that iron sharpens iron. Adversity provides the means from which endurance and strength can be built. Our communities are stronger and safer when our police officers endure adversity well and emerge stronger, with a renewed sense of faith and purpose. Police chaplains help our officers tap into their own faith, which is the most powerful tool in embracing adversity.
Faith in Policing
In his 2025 Christmas editorial, Lemmer wrote about the value of faithful police officers. He observed, “among the greatest gifts we receive is not one found wrapped under the tree. It is the far more enduring gift of faith in policing.”
He added: “Every officer has a duty to do what is right and true, even if no other person hears or sees their actions. When we know God, we know that no matter how much authority we may have in this world, there is a higher power. In this knowledge, we understand that our actions are always known. We know that no one who engages in evil escapes God’s judgment, and that the path to redemption is only possible through God. The faith of those police officers who believe in God impacts how they carry out their duties. Such beliefs are consistent with the needs of a free people, and such faith benefits the entire community.”
Keynote on the Importance of Police Chaplains
Providing in-service training for members of the police profession is always a valued opportunity. So to is the opportunity to provide encouragement to people of faith who are committed to providing chaplain services to our officers. Through our chaplains, officers receive much needed guidance and support in successfully addressing the realities and challenges they face.
In his editorial, Lemmer also wrote on the importance of faith for our officers themselves. “We should not ask our officers to meet their responsibilities without the strength that comes through faith.”
He continued: “Through their faith, the wellness of those doing the work in policing is strengthened. Clearly, the entire community benefits from healthy, emotionally-stable police officers. Our communities are stronger and safer when our police officers endure adversity well, embrace it, and emerge stronger, with a renewed sense of faith and purpose.”
Police chaplains help to highlight the reality that policing is itself a heaven-sent calling. In previewing his upcoming banquet keynote address, Lemmer has expressed that he is honored to be given the opportunity to speak. The 10 March 2026 address is described as heartfelt, emotional, and spiritual. As a career law enforcement officer, he will thank the chaplains for their efforts, and he will remind them of the importance of their work. He will also seek to ensure that they leave the conference energized to continue in their essential service to the policing profession.
Seminar Registration and ICPC Membership
The conference will be held 9-11 March 2026 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, 3000 South Dirksen Pkwy, Springfield, Illinois 62703. Police chaplains interested in attending the conference can learn more and register here. Chaplains can also email Jenny Lansen, ICPC Region 4 Assistant Director, for more information.
For police chaplains, who are not yet members of the ICPC, the organization offers the following guidance. “The ICPC is a global family of individuals dedicated to supporting those who serve on the front lines. Ours is a ministry of presence—proactively walking alongside officers through critical incidents, offering guidance to their families, and championing wellness practices that remove the stigma associated with seeking and receiving help. We serve those who think only of the service they can give. Often, we are the only ones from whom they will receive it.” Learn more about the organization and apply for membership here.
Police Agency Outreach
For police agencies, who do not currently have a chaplaincy program, the ICPC offers the following additional guidance. “Over the course of their career, the daily emotional and mental challenges faced by your officers have profound cumulative impact on their quality of life and the quality of life of those who depend on them. They have a job to do, and we’re here to make sure they have a life to get back to at the end of the day, and at the end of their service.” Learn more about the organization and how to begin a police chaplains program here.
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