Chaplaincy

Wikipedia defines a chaplain as a priest, ordained deacon or other member of the clergy serving a group of people who are not organized as a mission or church, or who are unable to attend church for various reasons; such as because of health, confinement, or military or civil duties; lay chaplains are also found in other settings such as universities. For example a chaplain is often attached to a military unit (often known as padre), a private chapel, a ship, a prison, a hospital, a high school, college or especially boarding school, even a parliamentary assembly and so on. In recent years many non-ordained persons have received professional training in chaplaincy and are now appointed as chaplains in schools, hospitals, universities, prisons and elsewhere. Sometimes working alongside or instead of ordained chaplains.

The Healthcare Chaplain, an integral member of the healthcare team, makes daily rounds and is available 24-hours a day to provide pastoral care for patients, family and staff. The Chaplain is available to provide objective crisis intervention and spiritual support.

Other Health chaplain duties for the in house pastor for staff are often in a stressful and demanding healthcare environment, the Chaplain is an understanding friend and confidant. The Chaplain can provide a listening ear and a pastoral point of view for the staff as they face professional and personal problems. Staff members who have no minister of their own often seek the Chaplain's counsel, especially during times of personal family need or professional pressures.  The chaplain is also a liaison for the local clergy.  Usually the healthcare Chaplain sees a patient/resident before his or her minister is aware of the hospitalization. With the patient/resident's permission, the Chaplain can call the family pastor, priest, rabbi, or other religious leader.

The Chaplain provides pastoral care and support until the patient/resident's own minister arrives.  The chaplain also serves as a contact for the community.  Serving often as the healthcare facility's religious community public relations person, the Chaplain is able to coordinate services provided by the clergy.  The Chaplain is prepared to conduct seminars and workshops on topics such as patient/resident visitation, terminal illness, death and dying, and the grieving process. The Chaplain is available also to speak in churches when the regular minister is away.

Support for the patients' and residents' families is necessary.  The Chaplain is available to help with the distressed families of critically ill or dying patients/residents. If the patient/resident does not have his or her own minister, the Chaplain serves as trusted friend and pastoral figure.  This information was obtained from the Healthcare Chaplains Ministry Association.  

Church of God Chaplaincy Program:

In the ancient world, the Rock of Gibraltar and the Jebel Musa in Morocco were known as the “Pillars of Hercules,” or the “Gates of Hercules.” They represented the end of the Mediterranean Sea. Since there was nothing visible beyond, the motto for them was “Ne plus ultra” – there is nothing beyond. After the Spanish discovered the New World, they changed the motto from “Ne plus ultra” – there is no beyond – to “Plus ultra” – there is a beyond. What was the difference? The Spanish — led by Christopher Columbus’ expeditions — went "beyond the gates" to find a New World that people didn’t know existed. When He went to the Cross, Jesus also went "beyond the gates" to make the people — and that means us — "holy through his own blood." Now it is our turn to do the same, to go beyond the walls of our churches and to minister to a hurting world in a way that is worthy of our Savior. The Church of God Chaplains Commission serves as a screening, certifying and monitoring agency for chaplaincy and pastoral counseling personnel. Our task is thus to facilitate the entry and success of people who are called to minister in institutions such as prisons, hospitals, businesses, homeland security agencies and of course the military, both U.S. and others. The reach of our work is international. Our ministry and that of our chaplains is ongoing. Take a look at what we offer:

• The Past
  • The history of chaplaincy and of the Commission
  • Slide Shows and Videos. Our chaplains send in slides and photos of the field of their ministry. These give a compelling, eyewitness view of the harvest field they work in.
  • Archived News Items

• The Present
  • News and Features — what’s going on with Church of God Chaplains around the world. Our current news can be found at the menu to the right.
  • Fields of Chaplaincy — the opportunities we offer for you to serve as a chaplain
  • Directors and Staff — those people who direct and coordinate the work of the Commission
  • Video overviews of the overall work of the Commission and of the Community Service Chaplaincy Program, and those which focus on the various exciting ministries of chaplains
• The Future — that’s up to you! We are "looking only for the best" for ministry

“And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy. Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore. For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.”(Hebrews 13:12-14)

Especially since 11 September 2001, we all have been reminded that our life is very transitory, and the opportunities to minister to a world that is perishing in every sense of the word don’t usually come to our church door. Our prayer for you today is that you will find your place "beyond the gates" — click here to contact us about this — and that you can help others through this life and most importantly to "the city that is to come."