The Coastal Crisis Chaplaincy was envisioned by the Rev. Edward Robinson Dewey in November 1990. Prior to his attending seminary and being ordained as an Episcopal priest, he was a certified police officer in the state of North Carolina. Later, while serving as Assistant Rector for St. John's Church on John's Island, S.C., Rev. Dewey served as a volunteer police chaplain for the Charleston County Sheriff's Office. This unique combination of experiences helped him realized that, due to the very nature of their jobs, law enforcement officers frequently require the support and counsel of qualified professionals in the management of stress related symptoms. He also saw that there was a very real need to have a Chaplain on the scene of a police response who could act in a pro-active mode and offer support and comfort to both the officers and the public/victims, and that these needs were largely being unmet in the community. With a vision of providing these services, and with the assistance of the Charleston County Sheriff's Office, the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina, and numerous individuals who offered their prayers, financial and moral support, the Law Enforcement Chaplaincy of Charleston County was formed in September of 1991. It originally was an adjunct ministry of the Episcopal Diocese, responsible for raising its own funds, with an advisory board consisting of community volunteers who administered the program. In 1993, the name was changed to the Coastal Police Chaplaincy in order to include the seventeen agencies it now serves.

The ministry grew, and in 1994 the Coastal Police Chaplaincy was incorporated as a nonprofit organization with officers serving one-year terms and a rotating board of directors who each serve three-year terms. The community advisory board was retained to ensure adequate representation throughout the incorporated and unincorporated areas of Charleston County. That same year a very successful survival follow-up program was established, all staffed by volunteers. These people are trained to administer follow-up support to victims that is so often needed, but that Chaplains do not have adequate time to provide. Today, the Chaplaincy includes one full-time Senior Chaplain Rev. Rob Dewey, staff Chaplain Spally Taylor, and thirteen volunteer clergy.

In an attempt to ensure that the name was representative of all the agencies that they served, the board of directors voted in 1997 to change the name to Coastal Crisis Chaplaincy.

The Coastal Crisis Chaplains are on call twenty-four hours a day and can be reached by county and city emergency dispatchers as well as officers and citizens. Since chaplains are nonthreatening, they can offer a unique type of assistance, especially in a sensitive situation. The law enforcement community appreciates this fact and has come to depend on them more and more as the organization has matured.

Ministerial services are provided to anyone in the coastal area who feels the need for a Chaplain, regardless of race, religion, sex, age, national or ethnic origin or disability.

The Coastal Crisis Chaplaincy is a member of the South Carolina Law Enforcement Chaplains Association and The International Conference of Police Chaplains. Rev. Dewey is one of 120 trained FBI Chaplains in the United States and a SLED Chaplain. He also served as President of the South Carolina Law Enforcement Chaplains Association from 1992 until 1996. All Chaplains are ordained ministers and must meet rigid qualifications for selection and training in the program.

Today, the Coastal Crisis Chaplaincy is recognized as one of the best programs of its kind in the country. It is frequently called upon to provide training to establish similar programs in other areas and to respond to natural disasters. This ministry is blessed by many supporters and continues to grow as a responsive and integral part of the community.