How to Become a Federal Chaplain

Federal chaplains are clergy who offer their services to government institutions such as prisons, military installations and VA hospitals.They perform religious rituals, hold services and give spiritual direction and support to people unable to attend conventional religious ceremonies. Federal chaplains are comprised of various faiths, including Judaism, Christianity, Buddhism and Muslim. Generally, they are expected to offer nondenominational services, so that they can help people regardless of their religious affiliation.

Things You'll Need

• Masters of Divinity degree
• Licensure and ordination
• Endorsement from recognized group
• Application to federal entity of your choice

Instructions

1. Make sure that you have a "call" to be a federal chaplain. Unlike a traditional ministry for a particular religious denomination, where everyone is of like faith, ministering as a chaplain will require you to provide unbiased spiritual guidance to people outside your own faith. If you feel uncomfortable with this, serving as a federal chaplain might not be suitable for you.

2. Get a Master of Divinity degree.The school or seminary you attend has to be accredited and approved by The Association of Theological Schools, and you must have successfully completed at least 72 semester credit hours.

3. Get licensed and ordained. You first have to complete at least 1,600 credit hours of Clinical Pastoral Education by a recognized chaplain association, such as The Association for Clinical Pastoral Education or The American College of Pastoral Education. You should be ordained by a recognized faith group. For example, if you are an Episcopalian, you should get ordained by the Episcopal Church. You can also become a member of an organization such as Chaplain Fellowship Ministries, which also offers resources for ordination.

4. Get a minimum of one year of practical experience. You need to understand how to minister to people in a nontraditional setting. For example, if you want to become a chaplain in a federal prison, you should first get used to the types of duties that will be required of you. You also need to understand the types of people you will be helping.

5. Get endorsed by a leader of a recognized religious group or denomination. This person should be able to provide information about your personal character and attest to your abilities to do the job well.

6. Apply directly to the federal entity you want to be a chaplain of. Find out what documentation, transcripts and references they require and submit them in a timely manner.

Tips & Warnings

• Improve your communication skills. Learn how to deal with others without being "pushy" about your own religious faith.

References

• The Association of Theological Schools
• The Association for Clinical Pastoral Education
• Chaplain Fellowship Ministries

Resources

• Military Chaplains: Tour of Higher Duty