In the eleven plus years that I have served within the
Ordaining community, I frequently receive calls asking that very
question. Such calls often included questions about the
necessity of education and professional experience, the
locations of the chaplaincy fields, the role of chaplains, and
a myriad of oth
er highly specialized questions.
So, just what is
chaplaincy? Chaplaincy is a very specialized ministry where
the minister serves not in a church nor "para-church"
ministry, but in an institutional setting. The chaplain
ministers not to a congregation, but to the public at-large.
The people who make up this community may wear military
uniforms, hospital gowns, hard hats, badges, and inmate
orange-glow jumpsuits. Like the Apostle Paul, chaplains are
generally "tent-makers": they usually have institutional
administrative and staff jobs in addition to their ministries.
But that is acceptable to chaplains, for serving in such
"non-ministry" roles puts them in places where people --
people with needs who
ordinarily would never darken the doors of a
church (much less talk to a minister) -- come to talk
and interact with the chaplain. The chaplain is there to listen, care, and
respond appropriately to the agenda of the client.
Such is the ministry of chaplaincy.
There are a number of different types of
chaplaincy. The following is a brief description of some of
the more common chaplaincies and their
requirements.
Military: Young people preparing for
and going to war need pastoral care! There are Active Duty,
Reserves, National Guard chaplains in the Army, Air Force,
Navy, Marines, and Coast Guard. Requirements are a Bachelor's
degree and a Master of Divinity degree, usually earned before
the fortieth birthday. The Air Force and Navy also sponsor
volunteer chaplaincy in the Civil Air Patrol and Sea Cadet
programs, respectively.
Health care: Veterans' Affairs
and civilian hospitals, as well as hospices, hire professional
chaplains. Who better to reach the hopeless, hurting, and
dying of society than caring well-trained chaplains? To be a
health care chaplain generally requires a Bachelor's degree, a
Master of Divinity degree, and one year of clinical pastoral
training in a health care context.
Correctional: God
has seen to it that the felon has a chance to contemplate
his/her crimes against society. Who better to reach out to the
lost, hopeless, desperate, and forgotten of society with a
message of deliverance, and hope than a dedicated chaplain?
There are professional and volunteer opportunities in our
nation's Federal, state, and local facilities. It is said that
corrections is presently the fastest growing industry in
America. Could the Lord be calling you to minister true
freedom to those who have known nothing but bondage? Or, to
support chaplains who do? Requirements vary according to the
correctional facility; most require at least a Bachelor's
degree. Volunteer positions are plentiful and do not require
degrees.
Workplace: Business and industrial chaplaincy
is a new and growing field. Employees not distracted by
marriage and family crises, alcohol, drugs, and other
addictions, as well as a myriad of personal and spiritual
problems are safer, more productive employees. Studies
indicate that for every dollar spent on workplace chaplaincy
results in a $5 to $10 saving for business due to absenteeism,
accidents, medical and counseling intervention and treatment,
etc. Specializations in the field of workplace chaplaincy
include union, truck stop, airport, seaport, fire department,
police department, race track, and college chaplaincies.
Requirements for these chaplaincies vary
considerably.
Educational: Public School Chaplaincy for
America™ is the only organization that equips clergy for
ministry to students, faculty, and administrators in public
schools in the US. A quick glance of the top tragedies of the
last several years makes the mandate for this new genre of
pastoral care painfully clear! Requirements are appropriate
specialized training, criminal background check, and
ecclesiastical
endorsement.
Professional
Counseling: While professional pastoral counseling is not
chaplaincy, it is an endorsable ministry that desperately
needs Spirit-filled representation. Professional counselors
hold state licensure(s) and/or secular certification(s) as
marriage and family therapists, alcohol and drug
rehabilitation counselors, psychologists, etc. Requirements
for professional counselors are generally a Bachelor's degree,
a graduate degree in psychology or counseling, and a number of
hours in a supervised counseling practicum. While these
requisites may seem "stiff," think of the impact that pastoral
counselors would have on the lives of those who has lost their
way, as well as the people of faith who may need a little
extra help in life!
For more
information on Ordination and Joining
and becoming one of our fastest growing network of
"International Association of Industrial Chaplains", please click on the "Contact" button, fill out the form
and we will start you on your way in an exciting Mnistry of
Your own.
