In November 2025, Lt. Stacey Powell completed the U.S. Navy’s Naval Chaplain School Basic Leadership Course at Newport Naval Base in Newport, Rhode Island.
This makes the 49-year-old wife, mother and grandmother the first active-duty Navy chaplain to be endorsed by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, according to the Rev. Tamara Harris, chaplain services manager for the church.
“Stacey Powell is the first female chaplain from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to serve in the U.S. Navy. She is a faithful pioneer of Latter-day Saint women chaplains and is willing to serve where there is less of a calling,” Harris said. “Throughout her assignments, she may serve in support of the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard around the world.”
Mr. Powell is currently stationed at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island near Oak Harbor, Washington, where he serves as chaplain for the CREDO detachment. This unique role focuses on enhancing the mental well-being of active-duty military members and building personal, family, and marital resilience and includes hosting retreats and workshops.
Powell said the profession is challenging and the road to getting to this point has been tough. Despite having 32 years of experience in marriage, family, and the military, she has sometimes questioned her qualifications and wondered if she was too old.
“So many times I thought, ‘What am I doing?’ But every time I doubted and cast my doubts on the Lord, I felt a sense of calm and security to keep going in faith,” she said. “God blesses those who follow his promptings.”
early turning point
Stacey Powell and her husband, Josh Powell, of American Fork, Utah, grew up in a less active Latter-day Saint family. They married when she was 17 and he was 19 when Stacey found out she was pregnant. Stacy enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and was stationed in Yuma, Arizona.
This was a major turning point in their lives.
“My husband decided he wanted to do better for his family than ever before,” she said. “One day we were walking by the grocery store and there were missionaries there. My husband walked up to them and said, ‘We want to start attending church. What district are we in?’
They found themselves in Yuma Third Ward and attended Sunday services. They were sitting in the back row when the late Bishop Stephen H. Spencer noticed them and rushed from the stands to grab them before they could leave after sacrament meeting.
Stacey Powell said she met with Bishop Spencer. Bishop Spencer said she helped her husband quit smoking so he could be ordained to the priesthood and give their newborn daughter a baby blessing.
One year and one day after their marriage, their young family was sealed in the San Diego California Temple.
blessed with military action
From that point on, the Powells devoted themselves to church service, even as their military duties moved them frequently over the years.
Their sequence of moves was as follows. From Yuma, Josh Powell was sent to Okinawa, Japan, while Stacey and the baby remained with family in Utah. They then returned to Yuma, Arizona. Twentynine Palms, California. Return to Utah. Then back to Yuma, Arizona. Miramar, California. Stafford, Virginia (Josh at the Pentagon). And finally, they returned to Yuma, Arizona, which they considered “home base” for their fourth return. Additionally, Josh Powell was deployed to Iraq in 2006.
Despite frequent transfers, the Powells found it a blessing to be in the military as Latter-day Saints. They were warmly welcomed into the family of their new ward and were grateful for every opportunity to serve in their various callings.
From these experiences, Powell learned that Heavenly Father patiently guides and works with His children wherever they are, especially if they have a willing heart.
“What we realized is that being a part of the military is so great,” she said. “We moved to different places and found people who were like family to us. It healed a lot of the problems that my husband and I had growing up in a somewhat unstable household. We learned how truly effective the gospel is.”
we need more pastors
After his final tour of duty in Yuma, Master Gunnery Sergeant Josh Powell retired from the United States Marine Corps after feeling a spiritual impression from the Lord that the time had come.
When their daughter returned from a mission in Mexico, the couple felt a strong urge to move to Alaska.
After some initial hesitation, they moved to Fairbanks, Alaska, near Fort Wainwright, and soon Josh Powell was called as bishop. Although his time in Alaska was difficult, it was a meaningful learning opportunity, said Stacey Powell, who enjoyed serving as a seminary teacher at the time.
After Josh was released as a bishop, the couple served as military missionaries at Fort Wainwright for six months. However, the experience was frustrating as they spent most of their time obtaining approval to conduct activities within the base.
Afterward, the stake presidency asked Mr. and Mrs. Powell what they had learned.
“The words that came out of my mouth were, ‘We need more Latter-day Saint pastors,'” Stacey Powell said. “Instead of trying to work from the outside in, we need to be on the inside.”
Stacey Powell considered becoming a pastor for the first time, but she couldn’t shake the idea out of her head. With her youngest son preparing to serve a mission, she was already considering a return to higher education.
At 47 years old, Powell was worried he was too old, but he discovered the Navy accepts chaplains in their 50s. After further research and several phone calls, she met with Todd Linton, a retired Air Force colonel and the church’s director of military affairs and pastoral services.
“From head to toe, we knew without a doubt that this is what God wanted us to do,” Stacey Powell said during the interview, adding that she was accepted into BYU’s chaplaincy program.
In her late 20s, while living on a Marine Corps base and raising her young children, Powell aspired to become a Marine, but realized that family responsibilities made it impractical. Twenty years later, when she became a pastor, she felt like the Lord was giving her an opportunity to fulfill that lifelong dream.
“Gung Ho is on duty”
During basic pastoral training, candidates had to complete an arduous seven-mile hike while carrying a 50-pound backpack. Not only did Powell complete the exercise, he was “at the front of the pack the entire time.”
“When it was over, I thought, ‘Wow. It’s amazing to me that God knows his children and knows what we want and what we need.’ It’s so amazing to have a desire that I never thought would come true and then be able to accomplish it,” she said.
Another meaningful and “beautiful” moment was when Mr. Powell, no longer just a supportive spouse, wore his uniform, stood out in the bright sun, and saluted the American flag as the national anthem played.
Supported by her husband and daughters Pearl Wise and Paige Cole, Powell graduated from the Naval Chaplain School Basic Leadership Class at an event held Nov. 19-20, 2025, at Naval Base Newport, Rhode Island.
The example of military service influenced the lives of children. Their eldest daughter is married to a Border Patrol agent. My second daughter is married to a man who just graduated from Marine Corps Candidate School. Both her third daughter and her husband are aiming to become doctors in the U.S. Navy. Finally, their son is currently an active duty Marine stationed in Florida.
“We are all very passionate about this service,” Stacey Powell said with a smile.
May the Lord multiply your talents
Reflecting on her journey, Powell expressed gratitude to her husband, family, BYU’s chaplaincy program and everyone who supported her. She espouses the four core competencies of the Navy Chaplain Corps: Provide, Facilitate, Care, and Advise.
“Learning how to love people in the midst of a crisis, in the most difficult of moments, can be difficult, but it can also be very rewarding,” she said.
Ms. Powell is honored to be the first active-duty Navy chaplain recognized by the Church and to serve alongside those who welcomed her into the Church. Regardless of gender, she strives to be a good pastor.
“Being the first woman to do so is a burden for me because I want to set a good example for those who come after me,” Powell said. “It’s a new aircraft, so sometimes I feel like I’m building an airplane as I fly it. I just pray that my efforts align with what the Lord wants me to do and that all goes well. I look forward to welcoming other sisters to this special group of Latter-day Saint naval chaplains.”
Powell hopes that those who read her story, especially those who are older or who feel their talents are lesser, will choose to dedicate their skills and talents to the Lord.
“How many times has God said to us, ‘If you will do it with me, I will make enough. I will multiply it. We are going to feed 5,000 people. Just have faith.’ That’s how I feel,” she says of the New Testament’s Matthew. Citing the story of Jesus feeding the 5,000 in chapter 14, he said, “People my age can sit back and be at ease, or they can realize that now that they know their talents, it’s time to go out and develop those talents and use them to help people.”
