What is a Chaplain?
The term Chaplain refers to a clergyperson or layperson who has been commissioned by a faith group or an organization to provide pastoral services in an institution, organization or government entity. Chaplaincy refers to the general activity performed by a chaplain, which may include crisis ministry, counseling, sacraments, worship, education, help in ethical decision-making, staff support, clergy contact and community or church coordination. Chaplaincy may be provided by an institution such as a general or mental hospital, prison, school, or college, by a business organization, or the armed forces. Although many faith groups and institutions use “pastoral care” synonymously with “chaplaincy services,” some prefer to use “pastoral care to refer to any services performed by either ordained or non-ordained persons, but reserve “chaplaincy services” for activities performed by ordained ministers, priests or rabbis. In the US Armed Forces only the terms “chaplaincy” and “chaplaincy” servi
A chaplain is a member of the clergy who works in a lay, or non-religious, institution, such as an army, a prison, a hospital, or a university. Other members of the clergy typically work in a church or mission setting. Lay chaplains, who minister but are not ordained, are becoming increasingly common. The term lay minister or lay clergy may also be used for chaplains who are ordained to indicate that they work outside of a religious institution; however, this use of the term is no longer common. Though usually associated with Roman Catholicism or other Christian denominations, the idea of a chaplain is not limited to Christianity. There are Muslim, Jewish, and Buddhist equivalents, for example, in the Armed Forces of both Great Britain and the United States. The practice of priests serving outside of religious institutions has existed since ancient times, centuries before the time of Christ. In Roman Catholicism, a chaplain was originally a relatively low-ranked member of the clergy wh
Chaplains are highly trained individuals, lay, religious or ordained men and women. They are usually endorsed for their ministry by their bishops, or other clerics or officials of their respective faith/ institution. To become board certified a chaplain must complete a clinical pastoral education program as well as earn an advanced degree in theology. Chaplains’ studies can include traditional theology, pastoral theology and psychology, ethics, spiritual guidance and other areas of specialization.
