Chaplaincy Ministry
All chaplains are pastors, though not all pastors are called to be chaplains. Just as medical doctors require graduate school and licensing before practicing medicine, chaplains require professional training and credentialing. To become a specialist in any medical field requires advanced professional training, residency, and certification. Pastors must have advanced training, pastoral experience verified by current credentials, and ecclesiastical endorsement to become a chaplain.
Spiritual leaders in numerous faith bodies serve in the specialized ministries called chaplaincies: campus, community, corrections, health care, military, and the workplace. Chaplaincies are open to Adventist clergy in many nations of the world.
The Seventh-day Adventist Church attempts to place only highly qualified ministers in the chaplaincy expressions of ministry. The General Conference establishes denominational standards for chaplaincy ministries, and the ACM Department provides guidance for applying those standards to the world field.
Each Seventh-day Adventist World Division establishes endorsement requirements for the chaplains within that region. If you are seeking endorsement, please get in touch. A current list of directors is available here.
Adventist chaplains are ministers with current conference-issued credentials who are granted ecclesiastical endorsement to serve in one of the specialized ministries. The chaplaincy is an equally valid and viable expression of ministry on par with more traditional expressions of pastor and evangelist. They are an integral element of the Adventist ministry.
Chaplaincies Requiring Endorsement
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is committed to endorsing only qualified clergy in chaplaincy ministries. Ecclesiastical endorsement is granted only to individuals who qualify for appropriate ministerial credentials and who have applied to serve or are serving as chaplains in one of the following chaplaincies:
Campus – Adventist and Public Colleges and Universities
It has been estimated that 65-75 percent of Adventist youth attend secular colleges and universities. Many Adventist chaplains minister in those campus settings.
Community – Disaster Response, Fire Departments, Law Enforcement Agencies, Government Legislatures, Search and Rescue, and others
Community chaplains’ work is another expression of chaplaincy ministry. Adventist Community Chaplains perform a vital ministry to the greater communities in which Adventists have a presence. Adventist Chaplaincy Ministries believes this is a primary method of reaching people, which follows Christ’s way.
“Christ’s method alone will give true success in reaching the people. The Saviour mingled with men as one who desired their good. He showed His sympathy for them, ministered to their needs, and won their confidence. Then He bade them, “Follow Me.” There is need of coming close to the people by personal effort. If less time were given to sermonizing, and more time were spent in personal ministry, greater results would be seen. The poor are to be relieved, the sick cared for, the sorrowing and the bereaved comforted, the ignorant instructed, the inexperienced counseled. We are to weep with those that weep, and rejoice with those that rejoice.”– Ministry of Healing, page 143.
Corrections – Federal, State, and Local Prisons
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 vital to the correctional care team members as they bring God’s grace to inmates who need Christ and rehabilitation to return to a productive role in society. Chaplains go where most others cannot, including on death row, to do their tasks as ministers of the Gospel.
Health Care – Hospital, Hospice, Veterans Affairs, Assisted Living, and Nursing Homes
Health care chaplains comprise the largest group of professional chaplains. They visit patients in various settings, including hospitals, clinics, long-term care facilities, hospices, and private homes.
Health care chaplains work with patients, their families, and staff. 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 to facilitate the mission of their institutions.
Military (Active Duty and Reserve Components)
Various nations have recognized the need for spiritual ministry for persons in uniform for centuries. Chaplains retain their identity as Seventh-day Adventist ministers and significantly contribute to the church’s mission. They care for Adventist and non-Adventist military personnel alike. Adventist Chaplaincy Ministries also seeks to expand this aspect of chaplaincy into other countries.
Workplace Institutions or Organizations—Airports, Businesses, Cruise Lines, Industrial, and Sports Organizations, etc.
Role Comparison of Chaplain and Pastor
Pastor
- Internal church focus
- Parochial in perspective
- Primarily pastoral to parishes in a district
- Evangelistic emphasis
- Conference Calls/employs
- Credentials Pays
- Some administrative positions
- Occasionally teaching
Chaplain
- External institutional focus
- Religiously pluralistic in outlook
- Specialized ministry
- Secular environment
- Systemic operationally
- Bridge between groups
- Relational emphasis
- Professionally trained
- Church issues credentials
- Endorsed by denomination
- Meets institutional standards
- Institution hires and pays