Seventh Day Adventist Chaplains are Committed to Jesus Christ

Seventh Day Adventist chaplains serve as ministers in locations where they are often the only Adventist pastoral presence.  Chaplains are extensions of the ministry of Jesus Christ and the church, touching the lives of people in correctional institutions, healthcare facilities, military installations, schools and so on.  

Few areas of service offer greater challenges than chaplaincy.  Every day these ministers engage in crisis care, counseling, Bible instruction, preaching and worship, leadership, education, community outreach, family support and other important duties.

Adventist Chaplaincy ministries (ACM) is compromised of trained chaplains from diverse backgrounds who firmly believe in being part of the Global mission of the church.  Chaplains desire to spread the Gospel and help people get ready for the return of Christ. 

Adventist Chaplaincy Ministries recognizes and responds to the needs of ministry to people in the unique institutional settings of  hospitals, campuses, prisons and the military.  The possibilities for Seventh Day Adventist ministries to serve as chaplains are not limited to these four major groups.  In the future, we anticipate that our chaplains will also minister in business, industry and other work settings.  Since millions of people spend nearly a third of their lives in the work environment, chaplaincy in the work place will be an exciting and challenging field to endeavor in years to come.

ACM also recognizes ministries for service in volunteer chaplaincies in areas such as police, fire, public-safety and emergency, Civil Air Patrol and others.  These men and women are making a valuable contribution to the well-being of their communities and creating a positive regard for the church in the minds of the public.

Established in 1985, ACM was founded to nurture, coordinate and expand the chaplaincy and related ministries of the church.  It provides services to, and works with, the chaplaincy coordinators of each division of the world church.  Either through the headquarters at the General conference, or through the auspices of the division chaplaincy coordinators, ACM seeks to provide the following:

• Affiliation and communication through publications and annual conferences
• Education through programs and career guidance
• Professional development
• Recruitment and screening of qualified persons for chaplaincy
• Expansion of opportunities in specialized ministry settings
• Consultations with division administration
• Field support for chaplains at their posts of duty
• Advocacy for chaplains and their needs
• Advancement of the mission

The basic requirements for chaplaincy are the same worldwide, but specifics may vary from one division of the church to another.  General requirements include the following:

• A personal commitment to Jesus Christ and the mission of the Seventh-Day Adventist church
• Evidence of having received from the Holy Spirit the spiritual gifts necessary for pastoral care in the chaplaincy setting chosen.  
• Theological education which usually includes an appropriate graduate degree in ministry
• In some areas Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) is necessary 
• CPE compliments the academic education of the degree program
• A sufficient amount of pastoral experience in the field to produce a mature sense of pastoral identity and refined pastoral skills
• Good and regular standing as a minister of the Seventh Day Adventist Church, recognized by appropriate ministerial credentials.

Campus Chaplaincy
Adventist chaplains serve on church and public campuses at the secondary, college and graduate levels.  These chaplains seek to inspire Adventist and non-Adventist youth with the challenge to integrate academic and a commitment to Jesus Christ.

It has been estimated that 65-75 percent of Adventist youth attend secular colleges and universities.  May Adventist chaplains are ministering in those campuses.

Correctional Chaplaincy
Represents the fastest growing group of professional chaplains.
In prisons and other correctional facilities Adventist Chaplains can be found living the words of Christ "I was in prison, and you came unto me."  These men and women are key members of the correctional care team as they bring the grace of God to inmates who need Christ and rehabilitation so they can return to a productive role in society.  Chaplains go where most others cannot, including death row, to do the tasks as a ministers of the Gospel.

Health Care Chaplains
Are the largest group of professional chaplains.  They visit patients in a variety of settings including hospitals, clinics, long-term care facilities, hospices and private homes.

Healthcare chaplains work with patients and their families and staff in communities.  Their challenge is to help people grow toward health and wholeness, seeking to be a continuation of the healing ministry of Christ.  Chaplains also work with administrators and church leaders facilitating the mission of the their institutions.

Military Chaplaincy
There are nearly as many Adventists in active duty military service today as during the draft (and a growing number in reserves).  A support system of retreat centers, civilian chaplains and religious literature is available to all active duty Seventh-day Adventists who serve in the US Military. 

For centuries various nations  have recognized the need for spiritual  ministry for persons in uniform.  In North America, Adventist chaplains minister in the United States armed forces, serving both God and country, in the times of war and peace.  Chaplains retain their identity as Seventh-day Adventist and non-Adventist ministers and make significant contributions to the mission of the the church.  The care for the Adventist and non-Adventist military personnel alike.  ACM seeks to expand this aspect of chaplaincy into other countries as well.