Your Call to Chaplaincy

Federal Chaplains

Pastors and seminarians frequently write or call to ask, "How do I become a chaplain?" For those who feel a call to serve God as a minister in the military or the Veterans Affairs system or federal prisons, the first step is to contact the chaplain's office at DHM to request an application packet.

Administrative assistant Anne Marie Moyars will ask you to contact Steve Doan, the endorser first for a preliminary interview. If you are eligible and still have the interest, you then should contact the VA chaplaincy office or the appropriate military recruiter or the federal bureau of prisons. They will send you the requisite forms to apply through their system as well.

To pursue military chaplaincy, contact your state national guard chaplain's office or a reserve or active duty military recruiter. They will connect you with the service you are interested in serving. A seminarian can become a chaplain candidate, in training, until completion of seminary and until such time as you achieve ordination and standing in a region. You may then enter the reserves or Guard, but in order to be a full-time active duty chaplain you must have two years of full-time ministry after seminary and be in good standing.

A pastor under the age of 47 and with two years of ministry may apply at anytime. Bear in mind that it is also a good idea to have a completed dossier on file with the office of Search and Call of DHM. This will ensure that you have had the proper training, experience, and background checks needed for either chaplaincy or parish ministry.

Once you have filled out all the forms and obtained four references for your file, you will be contacted for an interview with the Chaplaincy Endorsement Committee. Once that is completed successfully, your endorsement will go forward to the appropriate office, and you simply wait to be notified of your acceptance and when you start.

Obviously this is a simplistic version of what really happens, but remember the first step: contact DHM's office. The first conversation is to dialog about what chaplaincy is and if you are seriously interested. DHM staff receive calls every week from people sincerely trying to discern if God is calling them into specialized ministries. These three ministries have their own challenges and joys, and Disciples are blessed with a wonderful group of dedicated chaplains serving. If you do feel a nudge to dig deeper into federal chaplaincy, contact us. You can find information on the DHM Web site, www.discipleshomemissions.org.The church always needs great ministers who want to serve in specialized ministries. Wearing a uniform or serving those in uniform or prison garb is a demanding and total ministry lifestyle. Perhaps you are experiencing God's call. If so, contact DHM now. The staff would love to tell you how to change your life and find the challenge you're looking for!

Institutional Chaplains and Counselors

Institutional Chaplains serve in hospitals, with hospices, in nursing homes and retirement settings. They can be found in state and local prisons and businesses. Pastoral Counselors and Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) Supervisors, those who teach pastoral care skills, are also included under the Institutional Chaplains umbrella. The men and women who serve in these capacities are called to these ministries. They have undertaken years of additional education and training in order to fill these roles.

The journey into chaplaincy may begin before, during or after seminary.  After seminary, and usually a year of two in a ministry setting, all those under the chaplaincy umbrella begin CPE. The minimum requirement for certification as a chaplain is four units, or one year of Clinical Pastoral Education. CPE supervisors and pastoral counselors will spend a minimum of three more years of study, work and supervision to become certified in their fields. It takes a definite sense of direction and determination to fulfill the calling into chaplaincy, supervision or counseling.

Once those who are wishing to serve in these specialized settings have completed four units of CPE, they may begin the endorsement process. The first steps are requesting or downloading an endorsement application and filling out the search and call and background check papers. Endorsement requirements in addition to four units of CPE are an M.Div, ordination, standing in the region of employment, four letters of reference, one from the regional minister confirming standing, original transcripts from college and seminary and an autobiography describing family, spiritual development and call to specialized ministry. These materials are evaluated by an endorsement council made up of other endorsed chaplains, counselors and supervisors. Endorsements are issued for specific employment positions and for certification with specific associations.

Chaplains, pastoral counselors and CPE supervisors represent Disciples in the public arena every day. They serve those in crisis; those struggling with crumbling or broken relationships; those who are saying goodbye to a loved one who is dying; those whose whole life has been changed by illness, death, incarceration, loss of job, promotions, marriage, the birth of children and any other life altering event. They are companions on the life journey, many times when the journey is the darkest. They minister to the person, whether they are Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, or atheist, binding up emotional wounds and showing the love of Christ to those in need. I am honored to serve as their endorser.

The Rev. Steve Doan, LTC, Army, Retired, is the Chaplain Endorsement Officer for Disciples Home Missions.