Chaplaincy Program

Master of Chaplaincy Studies Lesson 6

Overview of the Role of a Chaplain in the United Methodist Church

A United Methodist chaplain is a clergyperson called by God and ordained by a bishop to minister outside the walls of the church, caring for those with deep needs. His or her ministry of witness and service extends God's love and service in various settings and requires specialized training to qualify for endorsement by The United Methodist Church.

To ensure high standards of competence and uniform standards, the United Methodist Endorsing Agency is responsible for enlisting, endorsing, and supporting ordained clergy serving in ministries of pastoral care in specialized settings. The primary difference between these appointments and those to local churches is the nature of the institution and the role of the minister in relationship to institutions with the primary purpose of education, international security, peacekeeping, incarceration, hospitalization, or profit.

What Do Chaplains Do?

A United Methodist chaplain's ecumenical ministry includes duties and responsibilities that include:

Prison—A prison chaplain serves inmates, staff and families, regardless of religious affiliation, providing for spiritual needs through preaching, teaching, baptizing, serving Holy Communion, counseling, and visiting. He or she serves as a link between the religious communities outside and inside prison by recruiting, training and supervising volunteers.

Volunteer chaplain finds 'open doors' in community

Andrew J. Schleicher, Jul 28, 2009

By Andrew J. Schleicher
United Methodist News Service

As a volunteer police chaplain, the Rev. Alex Vergara answers all kinds of calls, such as going to court to help a teenager who had landed in trouble.

"A high school boy got arrested and went to court with other teenagers for driving with an open bottle," Mr. Vergara says.

The family asked him to help the boy, who was on his way to college, so Mr. Vergara spoke with the judge and got leniency for the teen. The chaplain recently joined the family in honoring the young man as he graduated magna cum laude.

A local pastor, he does his chaplaincy with the Honolulu Police Department. Many police and fire departments cannot afford to hire a chaplain full time, so they rely on the contributions of volunteers.

Mr. Vergara has been in ministry for 33 years. Since retiring from active ministry during the June 17-20 session of the California-Pacific Annual Conference, he plans to devote even more time to his chaplaincy work.

"It opens a lot of doors in the community," he says.

The United Methodist General Board of Higher Education and Ministry approves chaplains for volunteer work in a process similar to the endorsement process for full-time chaplains. There are 205 United Methodists approved for volunteer chaplaincies, with 1,236 endorsed chaplains, according to Tom Carter, director of endorsement with the board's United Methodist Endorsing Agency.

Endorsed chaplains primarily work full time in the military and in medical institutions, or as pastoral counselors. Volunteer chaplains spend most of their time in local churches.

Mr. Vergara got involved as a volunteer chaplain when one of the Honolulu Police Department chaplains retired. He enjoyed the work so much that five years later he volunteered as a chaplain for the FBI and then became the first sheriff's chaplain.

He is one of seven chaplains—six Christian and one Buddhist—serving the Honolulu Police force. He provides counseling, house blessings and other types of blessings for members of the department, and also conducts wedding services. In addition, he teaches stress management, ethics and integrity, and other courses at the police academy.

Challenging duties

While he has had a police chaplain car for the last decade, Mr. Vergara also rides along with officers during operations and sometimes is among the first responders to a shooting or other police call.

"In my 33 years, I have seen a lot of homicides," he says.

In those instances, Mr. Vergara is immediately on the scene to comfort the mourning. The most difficult situations are suicides, he says. "My first suicide was a high school kid," he recalls. He also helps notify families of the deceased.

Mr. Vergara may be called to the scene of hostage situations, when he works alongside psychologists. He recently helped arrange for a church to make space available for a negotiating team when a man had barricaded himself in his car with his girlfriend.

Help is needed

More volunteers are always needed. "I encourage pastors to take a look at their local police departments to see if there is a need," Mr. Vergara says.

Mr. Carter says elders and deacons interested in volunteer chaplaincy should check with other organizations and agencies as well. "The important thing is their ability to provide ministry to people in crisis and stress," he says. 

Volunteer chaplains are needed with local police and fire departments, Civil Air Patrol groups and in many other locations. The United Methodist General Board of Higher Education and Ministry approves chaplains for volunteer work in a process similar to the endorsement process for full-time chaplains. There are 205 United Methodists approved for volunteer chaplaincies, with 1,236 endorsed chaplains, according to Tom Carter, director of endorsement with GBHEM's United Methodist Endorsing Agency.Endorsed chaplains primarily work full time in military, medical institutions, or as pastoral counselors. Volunteer chaplains spend most of their time in local churches. While it is not always required, GBHEM provides approval for volunteer chaplains "to give them recognition for their volunteer service," Carter says. Some chaplain associations require this approval for membership.The approval process for volunteer chaplains takes a couple weeks. There is paperwork that must be submitted and the board will also check with the applicant's district superintendent.

Role of the CAP Chaplain

I am proud of the skills the United States Air Force and Civil Air Patrol Chaplain Service have given me in pastoral ministry: field ministry procedures, first aid, critical incident stress ministry, survival skills, map reading, communication, and more. We train for the worst case scenario and hope that in the process we learn to save lives. I consider it an honor to serve with the men and women who make up CAP's senior membership of more than 34,000, along with 24,000 cadets who are involved across the country. As first responders in emergency situations, they are willing to put themselves at risk to help others. The Civil Air Patrol provides opportunities to serve, help, and teach others. Cadets and adults grow in character and personal faith. With more than 700 chaplains recognized by the Department of Defense Armed Forces Chaplains Board, CAP chaplains represent the largest group of volunteer chaplains in the world. We are ordained men and women from all religious traditions who meet standards common to all military chaplains. A denomination or faith group officially approves each CAP chaplain. They have all earned an accredited undergraduate degree, and most have accredited seminary degrees. Wearing my Air Force style uniform, I have officiated at military funerals for veterans, prayed at highlevel banquets, mediated personal conflicts, filed numerous administrative reports, and been involved in many forms of ministry not known to clergy who only serve in a church setting.

Cadet Program

I also enjoy the one-on-one counseling with cadets. Cadet programs develop the potential of youth sixth grade to age 21, giving them character development training and often helping them become leaders in tomorrow's military services. It is a great ministry to see the evolution of young people into responsible, sensitive young leaders!

Aerospace Education

Building rockets, teaching aviation principles, flying your own plane, and helping to save lives is both fun and rewarding. The CAP aerospace education programs for its own members, as well as for entire school systems, is an excellent opportunity to encourage others to learn about air and space. The United Methodist Church prepared me for a local church ministry and the opportunity to serve God and this nation as a chaplain. I am a CAP chaplain because it gives me opportunities for exciting ministry while maintaining my interest in aviation and our country

May God Bless you.....

   Rod

Luke 14:23

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The Universal Life Church is a comprehensive online seminary where we have various classes in Christianity, one on Wicca, along with several Pagan courses, more than a few courses about Metaphysics with more being added regularly.

Ordination with the Universal Life Church, is free, legal and lasts for life, so please take advantage of our Free Online Ordination.

The  ULC, run by Rev. Long, has created a chaplaincy program to help train our ministers. We also have a huge catalog of minister supplies.  I've been ordained with the Universal Life Church for many years and am proud to have started the Seminary.

Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar

 

Chaplaincy Program

My learning expereiance from Chaplain Training ULC has been great. It has given me pointers on how to run a Chaplain Ministry. It gave me tips and a better understanding about people and how to deal with them. It showed me skills on how to be more compassionate and understanding. It also explains to me that as a chaplain we must be good listeners. To listen before we speak. Listening plays a major role in our position. It also explained how a chaplain should carry themselves and to try and keep relationships separate. As a chaplain we must keep our relationships separate and not get involved as well as make sure to put clients in place if they trying to gain a relationship. If we see something like that we need to recommend them to another chaplain that could help them better.  The training really helps the chaplain put in the proper place. The whole course has helped me in many angles and I can tell you it has made me a better chaplain and person. I think what really helped me was the fact that I come from a Military background I had to learn to be more compassionate and this course helped me to become compassionate. One needs to be this way or they cannot have any type of ministry.  I took a CISM class to become more compassionate, but to be honest the readings that I received from this class showed me reasons and better understand why it is important to be more compassionate. It also gave me an understanding that I was as a chaplain what I needed to do to make myself a better chaplain and better listener. In many cases chaplains start to do all the talking and never give the person who s facing a crisis a chance to talk about what's is going on with them. That's why we should be quite and listen before we open up and start speaking. Listening is the key to Chaplaincy is what I have learned. I also learned how to run my daily ministry by the way I organize my ministry to make it more effective and that it will run smoothly so that I may support my clients. I also learned that your ministry needs a break as we all do. This was happening to me a lot where I had no time for my family spent all my free time with the ministry. I had to learn to say NO and give time my family and life, time to have some free time. At first it was hard, but as time went by and I began to see how happy my family was I kept my routine to given my family and time. Which in return has made me a better Chaplain for my clients and my family.

            As improvements to the course I think the course is strong and it has a lot of helpful and good points that make the course strong. However, if it were I would change technical aspect of things. I would change blog system, because of the emails sent bounce back. I would either use another blog system or even email. Another aspect I might change I would integrate short videos and audio. Maybe even use a LMS that is not expensive like black board. Something like, edu20which is a free online source that can be used to teach classes. Also could enable the students to move forward a complete program faster. Just a thought I think the way it is being done now is good, but maybe something in future it might be something to use. There are so many things with technology that a courses can be taught, but I think what works bet for the school the school should stick with.  I was very happy with the way the class was taught and the blog system. The only problem was making sure the mail being sent to the blog was being reviewed. I had a few of my emails that I sent to the blog returned because of technical issues. However, from staff was very helpful and the issues was resolved quickly.

            As for taking the course I hope that it will be a better compassionate chaplain where I can serve my community well and effectively I hope that I can grow my ministry bigger that I can touch the hearts of many. I also hope that it can help me with current ministry and that It will help me with my pet ministry that my wife and I currently run. Things can be tough but this training has given me the strength not quit and move forward not matter what.  I also hope that I can explain my ministry and maybe get another chaplain to help in building the ministry. I am not doing the is for the money, I have a job. I do this to better server my fellow mankind and help them in need. Also help them get their own lives straight that they too can develop a relation ship with his maker and do better for himself and in some cases for his family as well.

            The bottom line ULC has a great program and gets one ready to hit the street and to help those in need. You can never get too much education and I feel that ULC provides the education you need to be a functional chaplain that will have give back to his or her community and will be sought out by those in need. I know in my heart by taking this class I did the right things and open knew doors that will help me in doing a better job as a chaplain and as a person. I highly recommend others to do the same thing and take a class. I know in the long run it will pay you with the knowledge that you need to better do your job and ready to help when called upon.

Martin A

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The Universal Life Church is a comprehensive online seminary where we have various classes in Christianity, one on Wicca, along with several Pagan courses, more than a few courses about Metaphysics with more being added regularly.

Ordination with the Universal Life Church, is free, legal and lasts for life, so please take advantage of our Free Online Ordination.

The  ULC, run by Rev. Long, has created a chaplaincy program to help train our ministers. We also have a huge catalog of minister supplies.  I've been ordained with the Universal Life Church for many years and am proud to have started the Seminary.

Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar

 

Online Chaplaincy Program

Hello,

    My name is Pamela Bagot-Beasley. I am new to the Chaplaincy Course.

I had a Spiritual teacher some years back who had a Divine Mark, actually I have been fortunate to have had a number of Teachers who have a Divine Mark.

This particular teacher, Charlie Lutes, was a man given to service very early in life. When he walked into a room silence pervade that room and everyone hushed.

    It was this same man who years after I had met he and his wife(whom also was deeply Spiritual) , Charlie told his right hand man that I was deeply Spiritual and highly attuned to higher worldly communication.

    My calling has always been to be in service to all my people, meaning all forms of life. I have been a teacher of Transcendental Meditation for 34+ years. I am a Reiki master Teacher. i have spent the last 25 years spiritually mentoring/guiding my clients. I am presently also a Wilderness Guide centered around sacred Native American ceremonies. I co-owned and operated an advance life support ambulance service years ago and found myself ministering daily to the patients. I am feeling called to work in Hospice to assist people in a graceful transition.

    I have always been a compassionate listener and guide. It is my nature.

            I look forward to further enlarging my capacity to be of assistance to others.

                       Pamela

Lesson #3

    Strengths and Weaknesses

 I have been an excellent listener for all my life. i love to listen to others even beyond their words.  People have always told me that they feel safe with me because I do not judge them and am able to guide them to look at their choices and maybe choose another way with less suffering.

 I am an observer by nature. Noticing and aware of body language and communication in ways other than words.

 In group gatherings I am often called upon to offer a prayer and I feel Creator/God's presence as the words coming from my mouth.  I am very familiar to prayer as a form of deep communication.

  In terms of areas I might improve upon would be my familiarity with the Bible. i have not had much personal engagement with it. I have purchased a bible and am beginning to read it with a desire to be open to any wisdom that it might offer me to assist others.

I am non-denominational, no particular religion. i was raised on Air Force bases which by the way was my first exposure to Chaplains. Chaplains were or main and sometimes only Spiritual Guide. So our church services were fairly non denominational also. i am comfortable in most settings Baptist, Catholic, Jewish, Native American.  I love ceremony that is to invoke the Divine nature of God/Creator.

  I do not see myself involved with a church but rather offering assistance on the reservations, in hospitals etc.

          Thank you for your time,

               blessings, Pamela

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The Universal Life Church is a comprehensive online seminary where we have various classes in Christianity, one on Wicca, along with several Pagan courses, more than a few courses about Metaphysics with more being added regularly.

Ordination with the Universal Life Church, is free, legal and lasts for life, so please take advantage of our Free Online Ordination.

The  ULC, run by Rev. Long, has created a chaplaincy program to help train our ministers. We also have a huge catalog of minister supplies.  I've been ordained with the Universal Life Church for many years and am proud to have started the Seminary.

Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar

 

Chaplaincy Program

I am a digital person so my toolbox that I use when I go out has many gadgets. I carry an IPad, which holds my contact info as well as my bible. I also carry a small recorder and standard Bible. That's when I go out for a visit, but I also carry in my truck holy water and oil and I made a ready bag that has everything I need to conduct mass from small groups or even a person. I have my stole and even carry incense. You always need to be ready, because something can happen out of nowhere even while just driving down the highway.

Martin A

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The Universal Life Church is a comprehensive online seminary where we have various classes in Christianity, one on Wicca, along with several Pagan courses, more than a few courses about Metaphysics with more being added regularly.

Ordination with the Universal Life Church, is free, legal and lasts for life, so please take advantage of our Free Online Ordination.

The  ULC, run by Rev. Long, has created a chaplaincy program to help train our ministers. We also have a huge catalog of minister supplies.  I've been ordained with the Universal Life Church for many years and am proud to have started the Seminary.

Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar

 

Chaplaincy Program

I have a busy week and I have found myself with dealing with many issues concerning my ministry. When I first started I didn't know how to say no and take rest, but I started to get burned out and I learned that you must have time out for yourself or you could go bust. I have seen some in ministry just quit, because they don't say no.  It almost happened to me before. I know set time out for my family and myself and yes when I set time for myself I use it as a way to gather my thoughts and time to spend with God. I write my week out two weeks in advance and leave room for the just in case.

Martin A

*******************************

The Universal Life Church is a comprehensive online seminary where we have various classes in Christianity, one on Wicca, along with several Pagan courses, more than a few courses about Metaphysics with more being added regularly.

Ordination with the Universal Life Church, is free, legal and lasts for life, so please take advantage of our Free Online Ordination.

The  ULC, run by Rev. Long, has created a chaplaincy program to help train our ministers. We also have a huge catalog of minister supplies.  I've been ordained with the Universal Life Church for many years and am proud to have started the Seminary.

Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar

 

Chaplaincy

The Chaplaincy Course Final Essay

Rev. Anna Pohl

We were asked to answer four questions for this essay. And what questions!

What did I learn from this course?

What helped me the most?

What could be improved in this course?

And What do we hope to accomplish after taking this course?  

I'll tell you, I was hard pressed to know where to begin.  It's been obvious through my posts along the way, that the discourses were thought provoking and that throughout I learned a myriad of lessons.  I'll try not to repeat my posts to much here, while I attempt to express the value of what I've learned.

Each lesson gave me something new to explore and consider. They also reinforced so many of the things that I do use or believe. The subjects covered were to the point and I never found wasted space nor did I feel I'd ever wasted any time in anyway.  I found the usage of the Gospel text made a huge difference to me in our study. This was not just as an example but as a meditative tool. A tool I used to digest the subject matter and one that made it that much more of a pleasure to study.

As I read through and took in each discourse, I appreciated how our instructor presented the points not so much as just a list of "should or should not do's"  but with real care of getting his subject across to benefit the practice of the chaplaincy. This helped me as an individual and certainly assists us as a chaplaincy community. 

One big thing that was given to me through this course was a new sense of Confidence. I was not only able to read about the subject of chaplaincy but was able to put into use the information from each discourse immediately. Each week I built a new more solid foundation for my practice. Be it the introduction of the history of chaplaincy or the real experiences shared by our instructor, each week built on the last. I now feel that when I chaplain for the community, I have a more coherent appreciation for what I want to accomplish and what I am capable of accomplishing.

A poignant observation that has transformed my ministry and budding chaplaincy was the discovery of Subtlety.  This struck me early in the course, the subtlety of the attention, healing and prayer that was addressed, often only being implied.  I consciously began to apply more subtlety or should I say the consciousness of subtlety in my practice.  It isn't that I was so abrupt before, it's that making the conscious effort to use subtlety, has opened a subconscious door for the people I come in contact with.  

For example, I have been more able to introduce prayer with them without the sometimes uncomfortable moment that occurs in the asking (for them and myself).  I have been able to be available for people in such a way that they open up the quiet parts of themselves and they have a comfortably with me that they may not have had before. There is most definitely a moment that after the introductions and breaking of the ice that in most cases, we have no communication obstacles.  This is quite something.

Hidden possibilities for chaplaincies are just waiting in our communities to be discovered. This is another point that became a realization for me during this course. You can find a person who needs you almost anywhere. This is connected to the subtlety I mentioned previously. The two make a very important point together. Chaplaincy, the Divine Mark or Spiritual Intention, all this, is not something we turn off and on. It is always there ready to be of use. It becomes a matter of how high we turn up the volume.  Meaning that there really is a time and place for everything under the sun.  And this fact, this gift and the discernment to use it is one of the most important things that God blesses us with in our being and experience as chaplains.

I would be completely remiss in this essay if I didn't mention the one thing that helped me most. It was the personal attention of our instructor. I found this was so necessary to my learning.  I not only read the comments for my posts but those of others. 

(Of course this means the forum was very useful as well.)

This added perspective and guidance is the most influential and valuable effort after the text. The hands on approach was priceless and there is nothing that can replace the knowledge that your instructor truly is a mentor also and cares about your success.  

The added help that our instructor gave me with each post and question asked, and even when I requested an opinion of another class essay, was above and beyond what other instructors would have done.  I can not offer enough of an appreciative thank you.

As for improvement of the course, the formatting didn't always come across but that is a minor thing over all. And there was a type-o now and then and editing here and there that were a bit distracting. Still the content is so solid that I would feel in error to say that anything needed to be corrected. I found myself wishing there had been more. Not because there was anything missing in the course. Look even at the Tool Box discourse.  It was so thorough and left nothing to chance. Yet it also gave room for personalizing to your situation.  There was allot of that in this course.  

Another thing I particularly appreciated was that the discourses were not over written. Some classes I've taken before (at other Colleges) have been one repeat point after another and the course spends it's time with long lofty sentences that say very little. This was quite the antithesis of that.  It was friendly but to the point and got right to the meat of our subject.  This left very little for us to be confused by and left a great deal of room for creative thought, practical use and finding resources. Even the verbiage used, made internet searching much more effective.

Now, when I look at what I can accomplish with all this that is pretty amazing too. This course works so well with whatever other education and experiences we have acquired.  As a truly non-denominational Minister I not only need to be, but want to be, as open minded and open-hearted as I possibly can. This gives me the opportunity to help more people, but it first bolsters what I have to give the people that are sent my way.  This course has "expanded my territory" in the best sense of the words. Whether I am working at the VA or I am at the Hospice Center if I am talking to a Bride and Groom or the new Widow I am more, so I can be more for them. 

I thought when I started out, that I most wanted to create a center where people can come when they need help, a place to be counseled, to pray and be themselves with God. I have discovered that this won't be such a difficult thing to accomplish. What is wonderful about being a Chaplain is that you get to create that place for people where ever you are.  We are able to make that "chapel" out of a restaurant booth, a bench in the park or an emergency site.  We are the chapel. We are the sanctuary. We are God's temple, a living breathing example of what God can create. Whew! It's pretty intense for me.

This course helped me gain the perspective, experience and confidence to Know, not just think, that being a Chaplain is what I am strongest at. I know that a credential/title will help some others be more comfortable with me as a professional. However this course given by the seminary and our instructor combined with my efforts will allow me to live up to it.

What an extraordinary effort put forth by our instructor and the seminary. This is a truly useful education.  To quote my Mother  "If a course teaches you that's fine but if it makes you want to learn more, now that's good teaching."

Teacher, this is good teaching!  I sure hope you have or will create more!  

God Bless you.  Anna

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Ordination with the Universal Life Church, is free,  and lasts for life, so use the Free Online Ordination, button.

As a long time member of ULC, Rev. Long created the seminary site to help train our ministers. We also have a huge catalog of Universal Life Church materials.  I've been ordained with the Universal Life Church for many years and it's Seminary since the beginning and have loved watching the continual growth of the seminary.

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Chaplaincy Program

Master of Chaplaincy Studies Lesson 18‏

Each Monday I spend for hours visiting and four hours counseling. Tuesday I spend most of my taking appointments and catching up with paperwork. Wednesday is bible study and Thursday-Saturday I spend time taking on more appointments and of course Sunday I give a sermon. I also have a regular job, so it can be hard on my family and I do need to make time to spend more with my family and even take a vacation. Now that I have a little girl I really would like to spend more time with her.

Martin A

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The Universal Life Church is a comprehensive online seminary where we have various classes in Christianity, one on Wicca, along with several Pagan courses, more than a few courses about Metaphysics with more being added regularly.

Ordination with the Universal Life Church, is free, legal and lasts for life, so please take advantage of our Free Online Ordination.

The  ULC, run by Rev. Long, has created a chaplaincy program to help train our ministers. We also have a huge catalog of minister supplies.  I've been ordained with the Universal Life Church for many years and am proud to have started the Seminary.

Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar

 

Chaplain

I was first attracted to the chaplaincy when I was serving as a missionary in Korea.  Although most of my time was spent among Koreans I would occasionally see an American, usually a member of the military.  At times these young men looked out of place, confused, and lonely and I would help them by translating or giving them directions.  At other times they would be loud, obnoxious and frequently drunk.  I imagined them as farm boys from some small southern town, like myself.  This was probably their first experience outside America and for many it was their first experience with alcohol or sex.  I thought of how I could help them and decided to become a military chaplain.

                Fifteen years later after my own military experience in the Marines, a graduate degree in counseling, a marriage and four children, I achieved that goal when I was appointed a chaplain in the United States Army.  It was a grand time and a far more varied and interesting ministry than one might expect in a local parish.  This experience and the training of the Chaplains Corps taught me a great deal about ministry in a pluralistic society, advocating for minority religions, defending freedom of religion and right of choice, offering a variety of services, and ministry to the unchurched.  It confirmed for me the importance of an active ministry of presence.

                But to fully understand the meaning of the chaplaincy we must review its mythical origin with St. Martin of Tours.  The story goes that St. Martin was a Roman soldier in Gaul (now France) who was preparing to receive baptism as a Christian.  On one occasion he was entering the gate of a city where he saw a shivering beggar.  Without hesitation, he got down from his horse, took out his sword and split his military cloak in half.  He gave half of the cloak to the beggar.  That night Martin had a vision of Christ who appeared to him wearing the one-half of the cloak that had been given to the beggar.

                St. Martin went on to receive baptism and began a legendary ministry that eventually led to a bishopric.  His ministry was characterized by many miracles including healings and casting out of demons.  He is said to have even preached to the devil himself.  But soon after receiving baptism he resigned from the Roman Army explaining that he had been a soldier of Rome but now that he was a Christian he could not serve as a soldier.  But he would serve as a soldier of.

                At some point the cloak of St. Martin began to be treated as a sacred relic.  Those who were charged with care of the sacred cloak became known as cappelani (a word which is cognate with the English word “cape”).  Special sanctuaries were built known as chapels.  Eventually the term chaplain came to be applied to those ministers who functioned as special counselors to nobility and royalty and eventually it was applied to those priests who traveled with and ministered to soldiers.

                The meaning of the myth is not in the cloak, the relic, itself.  That is merely a metaphor for the real character of the chaplaincy which is to minister to those who are encountered by the chaplain.  It is a ministry of opportunity – the beggar at the gate, soldiers preparing to fight in a strange land, those who are suffering, questioning, homeless, in prison, or dying.  The ministry of a chaplain is not confined to a certain place or belief system.

                A chaplain has many tools for helping others (or as one of my battalion commanders said, “The chaplain has a big cage and if you let him he will take away all the monkeys that are bothering you”).  These tools include liturgical tools which can be applied within a given tradition or creatively to meet nondenominational needs or through the design of celebrations and rituals that might not fit in a traditional setting.  The chaplain can even assist in gaining access to services which he or she cannot provide.  For example, I once assisted a young soldier in basic training prepare for a Summer Solstice ritual.  On another occasion I arranged for transportation to take Muslims and Jews to appropriate services.  Of course, the chaplain can perform other functions associated with ministry including preaching, teaching, scriptural interpretation, exhortations, and the performance of specific types of rituals and services.  These are not limited to time or place.  I have held services in bivouac sites, stockades, National Guard Armories, and even in the Korean National Prison.  I have organized and taught classes on the scriptures, different cultures, and such issues as suicide prevention and stress management.  In addition to these functions the chaplain is a counselor.  As is well known ministers do much more first-line counseling than do professional counselors but perhaps less known is that chaplains do even more so.  This takes many forms – crisis counseling, pre-marriage counseling, marriage counseling, counseling with children, career counseling, financial counseling, and of course counseling on spiritual and religious issues.  This counseling sometimes has an institutional flavor since the chaplain associated with an institution whether military or other is usually a member of the commanding officer’s or chief executive officer’s special staff.  The chaplain must often say the difficult things that others are unwilling to say.  He or she may also provide insights that the commander would otherwise have no other means of gaining.  The chaplain is the conscience of the institution.

                These various functions can be performed anywhere.  They may be visits to the hospital or to the work place.  They can be done in a chapel or under a tree.  And they need not be scheduled since the chaplain will hopefully be able to be present at the right time with the right message.  I have many fond memories as a military chaplain doing my ministry on mountain sides, motor pools, and road marches as well as in chapel and classroom.  Outside the military I was privileged to be a voluntary chaplain with the VA with homeless veterans and on other occasions to be the leader of a support group for children whose parents were deployed.  More recently I have taught Sunday School classes for the children of homeless people and ministered to the homeless at various places in the community.  At other times I have been blessed to serve residents of a nursing home.

                The salient characteristics of the chaplaincy are in the great diversity of roles the chaplain can play in so many settings – preacher, teacher, liturgist, celebrant, visitor, retreat leader, counselor, advisor, and healer.  And equally as important is the chaplain’s role in ensuring that everyone has religion freedom and freedom of conscience.  Many years ago the legitimacy of the Army Chaplaincy was challenged on the basis that it violated separation of Church and State.  The case eventually went to the Supreme Court where the chaplaincy won because it was asserted that its main function was to maintain the religious freedom of all soldiers.  That remains a primary function of non-military chaplains who must work to meet the spiritual and religious needs of everyone – not just those who belong to a given denomination or who attend a certain church service.  In this sense, the chaplain is a wandering ministry who goes where the need is greatest and provides whatever ministry is needed or acceptable.

Rev. Robert Nelson

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Chaplaincy Program

Master of Chaplaincy Studies - Lesson 4

The United Methodist Church has some 150 active-duty military chaplains stationed around the world. In addition, there are over 200 National Guard and Reserve chaplains, more and more of them being called into active duty. (A recent report noted there is a shortage of military chaplains.) They must leave behind their local ministries, families, and the security of home and conference to provide pastoral care to our military personnel and their families. 

"Some of the reasons United Methodist clergy fit well into the military chaplain setting are their training and ordination standards are rigorous, they come from a connectional system that requires accountability, they are ecumenically oriented, the itineration appointment system has many similarities to the military, and they can minister to a wide range of people with the practice of open communion and the ability to baptize by pouring or sprinkling, or immersion," said Ted Hepner, director of endorsement and pastoral care in the Section of Chaplains and Related Ministries at the Board of Higher Education and Ministry.

The overall percentage of United Methodists serving on active duty and in Reserve and National Guard units has decreased because selections are now based on the best qualified and the needs of the service for more than 200 faith groups that now endorse chaplains.

For example, the Army had 169 United Methodist chaplains on active duty in 1980, compared with 88 today. In other branches of the services, the Navy has 62 and the Air Force has 56 United Methodist chaplains.

The Section of Chaplains and Related Ministries endorses people as military chaplains, but each service makes its selections, Hepner said. The military particularly needs more women and ethnic minorities, as well as ecclesiastical diversity.

In order to be endorsed by the United Methodist Church, candidates must be ordained and in full membership in an annual conference; a graduate from an accredited college and seminary; and meet additional requirements specified by the military chaplaincy.

Applications for endorsement are available through the Section of Chaplains and Related Ministries. The process from application to endorsement normally takes four to six months.

The endorsing committee has the authority to grant or deny ecclesiastical endorsement. It is composed of members of the Division of Ordained Ministry.

Submitted by:  Rod Fry

May God Bless you.....

   Rod

Luke 14:23

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The Universal Life Church is a comprehensive online seminary where we have various classes in Christianity, one on Wicca, along with several Pagan courses, more than a few courses about Metaphysics with more being added regularly.

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