Senior Chaplain Andrew Wade
Senior chaplain (retired) · Orlando Police Department
Senior Chaplain Andrew T. Wade retired from the Orlando Police Department (OPD) as its longest-serving Senior Chaplain. A graduate of the Nazarene and United Bible College three-year ministerial course of study, Wade dedicated years of voluntary and professional service to supporting law enforcement officers, emergency personnel, and the local community through critical incident stress management, crisis response, and pastoral care.
Alongside his public safety ministry, Wade is an Apostolic Overseer and leader with the Perfecting Covenant Prevailing Connection (PCPC). He lives in Orlando, Florida, with his wife, Bishop Julia Wade, and is a father of six and a grandfather.
Response to the Pulse Nightclub Mass Shooting
On June 12, 2016, the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, hosted a "Latin Night" with approximately 320 people in attendance. Around 2:00 AM, during last call for drinks, an armed gunman bypassed a uniformed off-duty police officer working extra duty at the club. Entering the venue, the shooter opened fire on patrons, killing 49 people and wounding 53 others. After negotiations failed and the gunman began executing hostages inside, SWAT officers made entry and killed the perpetrator.
As OPD's Senior Chaplain, Andrew Wade deployed directly into the aftermath of what was then the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history. Leading the department's chaplaincy team, Wade provided immediate emotional and spiritual support to responding officers, SWAT personnel, investigators, dispatchers, and victims' families. His leadership helped guide law enforcement officers through acute psychological trauma, moral injury, and critical incident debriefings during the weeks and months following the tragedy.
Additional Media Resources
To learn more about his work with the department, you can watch Andrew Wade - Senior Chaplain of Orlando Police Department, an interview covering his encouragement for the community and insights into public safety chaplaincy.