John Maurice

Brief Biography:

President Maurice is a native of Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina, and an alumnus of Mid-Atlantic Christian University (B.S.) and Cincinnati Christian Seminary (M.Div.). He was ordained into the Christian Ministry at First Christian Church in Roanoke Rapids on December 4, 1977. He completed course work for a Doctor of Ministry at Covenant Theological Seminary (ABD) and has taken additional doctoral work at Regent University.

Commissioned as a Navy Chaplain in 1989, Maurice was assigned aboard USS Savannah (AOR4), homeported in Norfolk, Virginia. Commander Maurice had a variety of duty stations, including Combat Support Squadron Eight, at Little Creek, Virginia, Marine Corps Base, Quantico, Virginia, and Naval Security Group Activity Northwest, Chesapeake, Virginia. Commander Maurice completed the Navy’s Pastoral Care Residency Program at Naval Medical Center, Portsmouth, Virginia, where he received four units of accredited Clinical Pastoral Education and a subspecialty code in pastoral counseling.

Upon completion of the Pastoral Care Residency Program he reported as Command Chaplain aboard USS Saipan (LHA-2). While onboard USS Saipan (LHA-2) he supervised a comprehensive Command Religious Program for 2,900 Sailors and Marines deployed in combat operations during Operation Iraqi Freedom. He transferred to Marine Corps Base Camp Smedley D. Butler in September 2003 as Director of CREDO Okinawa. Following his overseas tour, he served as Product Line Leader for Operations at Naval Medical Center, Portsmouth, Virginia.

In November of 2005 he was assigned to the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) as Command Chaplain, deploying in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. He provided and supervised religious ministry support for more than 6,000 sailors as part of Carrier Strike Group Eight and Carrier Air Wing Seven. During this deployment he led more than twenty Project Handclasp and Community Relations Projects in Cyprus, Portugal, and the United Arab Emirates. Commander Maurice was subsequently assigned as Deputy Chaplain of the Marine Corps in Washington, DC.

His next assignment was to Naval Station, Norfolk, Virginia, where he supported the readiness of operating forces of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet, to include over 63 homeported ships, 15 aircraft squadrons, 386 tenant commands and more than 54,000 active duty personnel. His last Navy assignment was as Director of CREDO Mid-Atlantic Region. His military decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal (five awards), Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (four awards), Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Joint Meritorious Unit Award, Meritorious Unit Commendation (three awards), Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, National Defense Service Medal, South East Asia Service Medal, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon (four awards), and the Kuwait Liberation Medal.

In January 2014, Commander Maurice retired from the Navy and began a ministry as Vice President for Institutional Advancement at Mid-Atlantic Christian University. On July 1, 2017, the university trustees appointed him as interim president as they began a nationwide search for MACU’s fourth president. On February 1, 2018 the trustees announced that John W. Maurice was selected to serve the university as her fourth president. President Maurice was formally installed as the fourth president of the university in May, 2018.