How to Become a Chaplain

Preparing for a Career as a Chaplain

Understand what the job entails. A chaplain is ordained or hired by an organization or faith group to minister to people's needs in a variety of different settings. Chaplains commonly work at hospitals, nursing homes, military bases and in prisons. As a chaplain, your role is to connect with people in need of guidance and provide counsel and solace to those who are ill, confined to the home, or deployed away from their hometown. Depending on where you are employed, your duties could include: 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.

Be open minded and empathetic. A chaplain must be capable of deep empathy and open to forming relationships with a variety of different people from all backgrounds. As a chaplain, you will be in a position to help people who are at their most vulnerable, whether they're terminally ill or stationed in a place far away from their home and family. Having the ability to connect with people from any type of background is the most important prerequisite for being a chaplain. 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.

Be able to meet the spiritual needs of strangers. No matter where you work as a chaplain, you will encounter new individuals on a regular basis. There is a chance that you may only meet someone once or twice, and so you must be able to help, inspire, and motivate people with whom you've only just become acquainted. The goal is always to forge deep, meaningful bonds that will sustain people through the very toughest circumstances. It takes a special person to be able to form this type of relationship quickly.

Be trustworthy and able to maintain confidentiality. One of your main duties as a chaplain will be counseling those under spiritual distress. When people come to you for help, they will share sensitive details with you with the expectation that you keep that information between the two of you. Just as a counselor or psychiatrist is expected to remain confidential, you will be expected to do the same. A chaplain who cannot be trusted will soon lose his potency and effectiveness.

Be available to help at all times. People experience spiritual crises all throughout the day, even in the middle of the night. Depending on where you work, like a doctor on call, you may need to drop what you're doing or wake up at odd hours to help someone who is troubled. Being selfless in this way does not come easy to most people; it can be exhausting and take a personal toll. It's this particular generosity of spirit that makes chaplains special. 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.

Be spiritually strong. When you have to offer guidance to people all day long, you may start to feel your energy drain away. As a chaplain, you must be able to help yourself and keep yourself from deteriorating spiritually. Being firm in your own spirituality and being able to handle the stress of helping others is integral to becoming a chaplain who can make a difference.

Meeting the Educational Requirements

Obtain your bachelor's degree. Many institutions and organizations will not view you as a suitable potential chaplain until you have earned at least a bachelor's degree. When seeking to become a chaplain, the most helpful and relevant educational focuses will be theology and counseling. 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.

Consider getting a master's degree. Many institutions require that chaplains have at least a master's level education (and some prefer candidates with PhDs). This is especially necessary if you seek to become a hospital or military chaplain. Pursue your master's in divinity or a related field, and consider advancing to a doctoral program if the job you desire requires it. 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.

Determine if you need to receive Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE). Hospital chaplains are often required to receive this training, which provides experience in the field as a supplement to educational coursework. You will have the opportunity to work with people in need in a healthcare facility or prison. CPE brings together chaplains of all different faiths and provides them with real-world, invaluable experience that will be applied on the job later on. It's a requirement for many certification programs. 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.

Get ordained by your religious organization. Because the chaplain occupation is rooted in religion, training in religious education and practice is a necessity. In some cases you may be required to be ordained and endorsed by your religious organization before you're hired as a chaplain. For example, the US Army requires that you be a clergy person in your denomination or faith group in order to apply. Many religious groups and organizations have their own standards and qualifications that you must meet before you can be officially endorsed as an eligible chaplain. Determine what steps you need to take to become a clergy person in your congregation. 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.

Finding a Job as a Chaplain

Get chaplaincy certification. Depending on where you want to work, you may be required to obtain certification from an organization recognized by the Association of Professional Chaplains. There are many national chaplain organizations that each have slightly different standards for certifying chaplains. Choose the one that best matches your beliefs and work ambitions. In general, you'll need to pass a written test meet the following requirements to receive certification: 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

Determine whether you need to complete a residency. Some hospitals and other facilities require that chaplains complete a residency before permanently coming on board as a chaplain. Residencies are completed under the supervision of a senior chaplain and may last one to two years. Once the residency has been completed to the organization's satisfaction, the candidate can become a chaplain. Resident chaplains work with families and hospital staff and attend lectures and seminars as part of their training.

Become a member of a professional chaplain organization. In the United States, the largest group for professional chaplains is the Association for Professional Chaplains, which accepts members from many different religious backgrounds. There exist a number of other chaplaincy organizations, and they all have their own requirements for membership. Becoming a member of one of these organizations is a great way to network with other chaplains and gain access to job opportunities as they arise.