Featured Speaker

Pastor Conrad N. Walker was born in Herrick, Illinois. He attended elementary school in Illinois, and graduated from Grant Community High School in Fox Lake, Illinois where he excelled in student leadership and athletics. He graduated from the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington. After four years of study, he graduated from Luther Theological Seminary, St. Paul, Minnesota and was ordained a pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church. After seminary, he was called as pastor of Shiloh Lutheran Church in Elmore, Minnesota. In September 1962, he was called by his church to Active Duty as a U.S. Army Chaplain. While in seminary, and as a parish pastor, he served in the U.S. Army Reserves and the Minnesota National Guard.

Chaplain/Pastor Walker served at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, 101st Airborne Division; Vietnam, 173rd Airborne Brigade; Fort Benning, Georgia, Student Brigade (Airborne, Ranger, Pathfinder School}; Fort Hamilton, New York, Advanced Chaplain School; Thailand, USARSUPTHAI and Special Forces; Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, Command and General Staff College; Fort Hood, Texas, 1st Cavalry Division Chaplain; Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania, Post Chaplain and Faculty Resource; US Forces Korea, Eighth U.S. Army, Command Chaplain United Nations Command/Combined Forces Command; Fort Sill, Oklahoma, Post Chaplain; Kaiserslautern, Germany, 21st Support Command, Command Chaplain; Fort Sam Houston, Texas, Fifth Army Chaplain. He retired from active duty on 1 November 1990 to accept a call as Senior Pastor at MacArthur Park Lutheran Church, San Antonio, Texas. After serving as parish pastor for five years, he began his new mission of Worldwide Retreat Ministry.

Chaplain/Pastor Walker was awarded the Silver Star, Bronze Star with Valor, Legion of Merit and Purple Heart for his pastoral mission under hostile conditions in Vietnam. He is a Master Parachutist, having made many hundreds of jumps with the troops, to include one combat jump with the 173rd Airborne Brigade.

He spent many years as an outstanding athlete. He played guard for the University of Washington Huskies, and had opportunities to play professional football and box professionally upon graduation, but followed the call to enter seminary to further prepare to be a pastor. He was a heavyweight boxer for nine years, holding titles in the Midwest and on the West Coast. He coached boxing throughout his Army calling.

Chaplain/Pastor Walker and his wife, Ann, are the parents of five adult children. They have ten granddaughters, ten grandsons (four currently on Active Duty), one great grandson and six great granddaughters. His family has accrued a combined total of over 120 years of meritorious and distinctive service with the U.S. Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marines.

He is a member of the Military Chaplains Association of the United States of America. He is co-author of the dynamic book about his life story and bold witness, "The Leapin' Deacon" - The Soldier's Chaplain. The forward is written by General John Vessey, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Chaplain/Pastor Walker and Ann continue in Retreat and Spirituality Ministries, Pastoring and Mentoring seminars, Prayer breakfasts, Banquet speaking, and Non-Commissioned Officer and Officer Professional Training and Leadership. He is presently serving as National Chaplain Emeritus for the Military Order of the Purple Heart and International/National Chaplain Emeritus for the 173rd Airborne Association.