Introduction
When I was in seminary chaplaincy never entered my thoughts as a possible career. While it was never what I ended to do, I have found it to be a rewarding calling. This article will be a brief overview attempting to answer the question “what is chaplaincy?”
Chaplaincy is the work of chaplains, who are ministers that work in institutions separate from the faith communities they represent. Instead of working in a church, synagogue, or mosque, a chaplain is a faith representative in a secular place.
Where does chaplaincy ministry take place?
Chaplains work in the military, hospitals, corporations, hospices, fire and police departments, and universities. Airports, sports teams, and recreational leagues are other examples of institutions where chaplains can minister. These are just a few of the options where chaplaincy ministry takes place.
Chaplaincy can also be used to describe the work ministers do at certain events, like responding to natural disasters or difficult circumstances. Chaplains provide a calm, listening presence for those in the midst of a crisis. The Red Cross and some religious disaster response teams use chaplains to respond to difficult circumstances.
Who can be a chaplain?
Chaplaincy as a career usually requires religious education at the graduate level, sometimes ordination or faith group support, and training. Chaplains come from all religions and denominations. Often, a chaplain is expected to provide spiritual care to people of all or no religion, not just those who are of the same religion or beliefs as the chaplain. For more on the requirements of various chaplaincy careers see our post The Ultimate Guide to Becoming a Chaplain.
Other opportunities might be voluntary, such as police, fire, and disaster relief. Local clergy or lay people often donate their time and effort in these roles.
What does chaplaincy look like?
You might be asking yourself, “what do chaplains actually do?”
In general, chaplains respond to the spiritual and emotional needs of people in their settings. They provide a calm, listening presence to those who need care or are in their place of work. They also pray with people, read scripture or sacred readings, and help connect people to the resources of their faith community.
Chaplains can also be responsible for worship services for those within their care. This is a major responsibility for military chaplains and sometimes within hospitals or corporations. Along similar lines, chaplains often pray at events, offer devotionals, and lead memorial services.
Caring for others often comes after difficult and stressful events. Chaplains can offer debrief sessions to help those who have been impacted by trauma or responded to trauma a chance to reflect and process what they have experienced. They can also help provide support as other co-workers have to deliver difficult news, such as when a doctor gives a patient a difficult diagnosis or a police officer has to give a death notification.
Where can I find more information?
Transforming Chaplaincy
Transforming Chaplaincy Website
Transforming Chaplaincy seeks to promote research literacy among spiritual care providers and offer evidence-based research for spiritual care. It began with a grant from the John Templeton Foundation and continues on as a partnership between the Rush University Medical Center, Brandeis University, and the Joint Research Council. The website offers networks to share information with chaplain colleagues, grant information, and research starters for chaplains, clinicians, and administrators. Two items of note are the chaplain leadership certificate and the summer research institute, both of which are ongoing programs of Transforming Chaplaincy.
Chaplaincy Innovation Lab
Chaplaincy Innovation Lab website
“The Chaplaincy Innovation Lab (CIL) launched in October 2018 to bring chaplains, theological educators, clinical educators and social scientists into conversation about the work of chaplaincy and spiritual care. As religious and spiritual life continues to change, the CIL sparks practical innovations that enable chaplains to nurture the spirits of those they serve and reduce human suffering.”
The Chaplaincy Innovation Lab website offers information about all different types of spiritual care. They have ebooks and videos about the different career paths for chaplains. They also offer information about various educational opportunities for chaplains. The Lab was founded by Dr. Wendy Cadge with other researchers. Dr. Cadge was a principal investigator on the Transforming Chaplaincy grant mentioned above.
Conclusion
Chaplaincy is the work of ministers outside the scope of organized religion. Chaplains insert themselves into an organization and provide spiritual care to those within that organization. Please browse our website for more information on chaplaincy and spiritual care.
Caleb is an ordained Baptist minister. He has been a healthcare chaplain for 13 years and has visited over 20,000 patients in the hospital over the last 7 years. He is in the process of board certification through the Association of Professional Chaplains. He is currently the senior chaplain responsible for the pastoral care department at two community hospitals in a larger health system.
