Visiting people affiliated with your church or synagogue or organization at home or in the hospital, or holding office hours during which people can come to you. Listening to and praying with people in need of spiritual support. Leading religious services or prayer sessions. Providing grief counseling. Conducting funeral services.
Chaplains working in hospitals and prisons and at military bases interact with people who have a variety of different religious backgrounds. Some people seeking spiritual guidance may not be religious at all. To be an effective chaplain, it’s important to be open to and accepting of all types of religious beliefs, even those different from your own. Even if you’re affiliated with a particular religious congregation, you’ll need to be able to work with people who come from many different walks of life. You may be called to counsel someone who has made choices that go against the tenets of your religion, for example. An ability to put your personal opinions aside for the sake of being as helpful and empathetic as possible is important no matter who you’re working with.
However, it will be important to erect some boundaries to protect your own personal life. You may or may not choose to give out your personal contact information, for example. Depending on where you are employed, there may be other restrictions in place.
Some colleges, universities and seminaries may offer specialized chaplain training with the goal of producing chaplains. However, getting an undergraduate degree in religion or a related field is also sufficient. If you aspire to become a chaplain in a particular institution, like a hospital or prison, supplement your undergraduate education with volunteer experience. This will be looked upon favorably when it comes to applying for jobs.
Such degrees are available at seminaries and accredited universities. A focus on biblical counseling or pastoral care will give you the right tools to become a chaplain.
Look into CPE centers at the type of facility where you want to work, so you’ll gain experience working with that particular population. The CPE program is divided into units. One unit typically takes about 3 months to complete. Some certification programs require that you complete up to 4 units.
In many cases, a graduate-level degree from a seminary will be required in order to become a clergy person. In addition to ordination, your faith group must give you an endorsement, stating that you have the ecclesiastical qualifications to adequately represent your faith group and be a competent chaplain.
In many cases, a graduate-level degree from a seminary will be required in order to become a clergy person. In addition to ordination, your faith group must give you an endorsement, stating that you have the ecclesiastical qualifications to adequately represent your faith group and be a competent chaplain.
Ordination as a minister (or the equivalent in your faith group) Endorsement from your faith group A graduate degree in theology (or a related subject) Four units of CPE completed
Resident chaplains work with families and hospital staff and attend lectures and seminars as part of their training.
