Chaplain Joe Andersen

Updates

Posted on Aug 7, 2023

Chaplain Joe & Reverend Erica are ready for you to schedule your loved ones Committal service or wedding.

Posted on Jun 22, 2023

Celebration of Life events and Weddings are filling up on our calendar. Call today to get your event booked with Chaplain Joe or Reverend Erica.

Call now

Testimonials

a month ago

Reverend Erica performed a beautiful service for our dad. His 21 years in the Navy was very much appreciated with “full military honors”. We were touched that she chose to play Elvis singing “Amazing Grace”. And by coincidence only, the solo jet flyover was absolutely dad looking down on us! We could not have asked for a better service! Thank you Rev. Erica

- Christina B

3 months ago

My brother, my wife and I are indebted to Chaplain Joe Andersen and bagpiper Ben Johnston for their respectful and heartfelt send-off to my father on June 16, 2023 at the Miramar National Cemetery. We were really sweating the committal ceremony as we had everything done on our end but hadn’t been able to recruit a chaplain or minister to preside over the ceremony only 2-3 weeks away. My wife saw testimonials for Chaplain Joe on-line and hired him to preside over the service; his fee was very affordable, and extremely fair for the service he rendered. He immediately put our minds and hearts at ease, asking us only to forward him a eulogy and indicating that he had everything else covered. He assured us that he had lots of experience with committal ceremonies at both the Miramar and Riverside National Cemeteries. He showed up early for our ceremony and started setting up things as soon as the prior party departed from the committal shelter. He was very respectful throughout, pro...

- Al W

a week ago

The Military Memorial for Husband, Father, Grandfather, Brother, Uncle, and Brother-in-law Jim could not have been more perfect without the service, love and concern provided by Reverend Erica at the Riverside National Cemetary this past July. Erica helped put me in contact with the military components I wanted to provide a perfect tribute, and provided the family with the comfort and affirmation of Jim's Spiritual Journey. I am especially thankful for the pictures of the Service that recorded the moments, and for Erica's visits to 'Jim' (and others) at their final resting place(s). ❤️ Carol and Family

- Carol S

Former RNC Employee-Chaplain Services

Regarding funerals:

Dear friends & families,

May I extend to you my sincerest condolences for the loss of your loved one & I look forward to being of service to you & your family. I’d like to introduce myself, as a Chaplain, I've been officiating Military Memorial Services at Riverside National Cemetery, Miramar National Cemetery, Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery & many local Southern California Cemeteries for many years. Plus, I worked for the VA at the local National Cemetery for many years. And, on a side note, I have also been officiating weddings since 2006. I'm available to conduct Memorial Services for those who are in need of a Chaplain / Clergyman, providing a service that is personalized to reflect the personality & lifestyle of the deceased. I serve all military branches and all religious beliefs, plus civilians and their families. High profile services are also a specialty I am requested for. Officiating Memorial Services is my primary function, but the spiritual support of the bereaved is my utmost concern. I also offer house blessings & cleansings, & Celebration of Life services. I can be your Emcee at your event or a Keynote Speaker. I’ve had the pleasure to work with many Southern California Mortuaries, and I would be honored to serve the families in your care. I am available to assist families in the preparation of Memorials and with the protocol of the Riverside National Cemetery and the Honor Guard Detail. When I worked for the National, one of my jobs was to oversee the volunteers there so I know all of them. So, you are in good hands. Riverside National Cemetery is the largest & busiest National Cemetery in the United States & services are on a strict timeline. I have structured my services to include the basic elements of a Memorial Service within the time allotted & I do my best to honor your loved one. I extend you my sincerest condolences and pray the lord comforts you with his peace.

My wife and I are the only "Husband and Wife" Clergy team in Southern California. We are your So Cal Clergy Team. My wife, Rev. Erica is an amazing Clergy / Clergywoman (check out our testimonials/ratings). She is the only female Minister in Southern California serving Riverside National Cemetery & LA National Cemetery. She also covers Miramar National Cemetery & Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery when I am already booked there. You can hire me or my wife Reverend Erica (see letter below). We are both first come, first serve and non-denominational. God Bless.

Chaplain Joe Andersen, USN Ret

951-757-5875 (phone/text)

JosephAndersen@verizon.net (email)

newest website: www.SoCalClergy.com

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Dear Families & Friends,

Let me introduce myself. I am Chaplain Joe's wife of 29 years & counting. At several of my husband's commands, I was also the Navy Ombudsman (liaison between the commands & the families). I also served at Activities Coordinator who planned events for the spouses & children at those commands. Having been a military spouse myself all those years, I thrive at being the best choice for your Clergy / Clergywoman needs. I am a Minister, but I prefer to identify as a Reverend. I am here to serve your family at your Veteran or Spouse committal memorial service at Riverside National Cemetery or Los Angeles National. I also know all the staff at Riverside National Cemetery as my husband worked there for many years after retiring from the Navy in 2010. I know their procedures as well. I also can cover Miramar National or Fort Rosecrans National when my husband can't. I can also do your loved one's service at a private Cemetery. I will give your Military loved one a proper "God & Country" service that I know they deserve and/or create the perfect spouse service. And I am the only female clergy in the area. If you are seeking an Officiant for a wedding, you won't be disappointed hiring myself or my husband Chaplain Joe. Please check our amazing reviews/testimonials to see why we are your best fit for your Clergy needs and you can see our newest website with so much info on it at www.SoCalClergy.com -I look forward in hearing from you.

Reverend Erica Andersen

951-757-5232 (phone/text)

EricaAndersen@frontier.com (email)

newest website: www.SoCalClergy.com

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**THE IMPORTANCE OF A EULOGY**

A Eulogy is an expression of praise given in memory of someone who has died, which is usually delivered at a funeral or memorial service. It's an opportunity to record, celebrate & bring that person to life for just one more time, and it is a tremendous gift to the grieving family. The most effective Eulogies share memories of the deceased giving you insight & information about somebody’s life, that maybe you weren’t aware of.

*Please submit to me your loved ones Eulogy in an email or attach a Word document DOCX or Adobe PDF (not a copied jpg as I'll need to be able to copy & paste it). I will need a short Eulogy (2-3 healthy paragraphs) about your loved one and email it to me at: JosephAndersen@verizon.net at least 24 hours before the day of the service. Please write this in 3rd person because this IS something I SHARE during the service and your loved one isn’t my family. Please don’t use “I”, say Mom name or Dad name was or use he/she. Please include where they were born, parents, siblings, children, grandchildren, etc. Tell me where they went to school, when they joined the military (if they served), where and when they met their spouse, what jobs they held after the military or after marriage. Where they moved to and when the children were born. Maybe a favorite movie, food, hobby, sports teams, funny thing that always happened or something that they always said. Everyone would love to hear something that makes them laugh not cry. And, sadly when your loved one went to heaven to be with other family who have passed.

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Check out a chapel urn ⚱️ service here... https://vimeo.com/547194512/b752b1bb69

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Regarding Weddings:

Hello & congratulations on your upcoming wedding! *My name is Chaplain Joe Andersen. I have been officiating weddings throughout Southern California since 2006. If you are searching for the perfect officiant for your wedding, I would be honored to meet with you & help you put together the perfect ceremony for your special day!

About Chaplain Joe *As a non-denominational Christian minister, I have had the honor of marrying loving couples throughout the Southern California. Although Christian in faith, I understand that everyone comes from different backgrounds and different faiths. Because of this, I officiate weddings in all styles, religious or non-religious. Whatever your faith we can work together to find you the perfect ceremony. I served 20 years in the United States Navy, then continue to serve Southern California doing weddings and funerals after I retired.

My wife and I settled in Lake Elsinore in 2003 and we absolutely love it here! In our free time we like to try new restaurants in the IE and take rides on our Harley Davidson motorcycle with our fur children “Sir Benjamin Waffles & Madame Presley Pancakes” in the sidecar. You can often find the 4 of us riding around the local area exploring. My wife is also a Minister and can provide services as well.

What makes me different from all of the other officiants? *I have learned over the years that the ceremony really does set the tone for the rest of the day. My goal is to create a ceremony that is a total reflection of you both - your personalities, values, and beliefs. I always conduct a personal interview with the couples I work with to make sure I have the background I need to create a very unique and memorable ceremony. While this seems like something every officiant would do, you would be surprised to find that it's not always the case. Some officiants will simply offer you a selection of pre-written templates and ask you to choose the one you like best. Then they simply swap in your names. I am a Veteran and also want to offer the best Military ceremonies one can offer. I like to offer my couples many different opportunities like the share of wine, sharing of sand which is especially nice if you are combining families with children who all participate together, gender reveals, and many other extras that no other officiant offers. Plus if you are a fan of "Elvis", I can do your wedding dressed like him.

Do you officiate same sex ceremonies? *Yes, I do! My personal belief is that love is just as strong and meaningful whether between opposite-sex couples or same-sex couples, and everyone should be afforded the same rights and privileges of marriage. And I am happy that the State of California agrees!

Can we choose a non-religious ceremony? *Yes! Your wedding ceremony should be centered around your love for each other & your own personal set of beliefs. We can tailor a ceremony for you that is beautiful and meaningful, whether religious or non.

We come from different religious backgrounds. Do you have experience with interfaith wedding ceremonies? *I have been asked this very question many times in the past, and the answer is yes! I will work with you both to create a ceremony that encompasses both of your beliefs and blends the entire ceremony together as one beautiful reflection of you both.

Can we read the ceremony first? *Of course! Some couples prefer to go into the ceremony not having seen the entire ceremony, while others like to read through it entirely to be sure it is exactly the way they pictured it. The choice is yours!

Should we bring you the marriage license before the wedding date? *While it is best to complete the marriage license before the ceremony, you may want to get with your photographer to decide if you want formal pictures of me signing your marriage license on the day of the wedding. If so, it has been my experience that it is better to take care of this before the ceremony, as you are going to be very busy after I pronounce you husband and wife!

Officiant Service/What you’ll get:

–A formal details meeting with you both to learn more about you and discuss your ideas for the ceremony. This meeting is typically about 1 hour & can be done face-to-face or via Video Messenger/FaceTime/Zoom for out-of-town couples.

–Close cooperation with your vendors (photographers, DJ, wedding coordinator, etc.) I will coordinate at least 30 minutes prior to the start of the ceremony so that they all know exactly what is going to happen during the ceremony, and when.

–Professionally officiate your wedding– What about the rehearsal? It is my belief that being at your rehearsal is just as beneficial to me as it is to you, and so I always try to be at every rehearsal. (*for an additional fee)

Discounts I do offer discounts for the following: *Active-Duty Military & Active Reserve AND Weddings taking place Monday through Thursday (holidays excluded)

Officiant fees range from $400-$800* depending on the circumstances. Additional travel fees will apply for weddings taking place more than 25 miles from zip code 92530. * Holiday rates apply for certain major holidays.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve your families during this very special time in your lives. As you can see in my ratings, I have helped many couples come together in holy matrimony. I serve in Riverside, San Diego, Orange & San Bernardino Counties. (LA by special request).

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HELPFUL LINKS AND INFORMATION

Riverside National Cemetery, 22495 Van Buren Blvd. Riverside, CA 92518

(951) 653-8417

https://www.cem.va.gov/cems/nchp/riverside.asp

Miramar National Cemetery, 5795 Nobel Drive, San Diego, CA 92122

(858) 658-7360

https://www.cem.va.gov/cems/nchp/miramar.asp

Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, 1700 Cabrillo Memorial Dr., San Diego, CA 92106

(858) 658-7360

https://www.cem.va.gov/cems/nchp/ftrosecrans.asp

BEST Recommended BAGPIPER-Darrell Calvillo DarrellCalvillo@gmail.com