That may sound a little strange in this post 911 era but it wasn't too long ago that question did come up in some areas. Let me attempt to shed a little insight on this subject.

It wasn't long ago when that question would never have been asked. In most major metro cities they all had Chaplains. In fact the common set up was a Catholic priest, a general Protestant minister and a Rabbi served the needs of the first responders. Of course it varied from city to city as to how many were provided and to how active they were.

The historic root of today's Chaplaincy was birthed by our first President, George Washington when he retained Chaplains in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. Their stellar service was recognized and carried on through today's Chaplaincy program in the Department of Defense to our US Military.

Chaplains are assigned to units, receive specialized training significant to their military duties as well as basic and advanced Chaplains training.
Continuing education in an on going process through out their career.

Around the country today Chaplains serve in a wide variety of fields including, but not limited to, corrections, state and federal law enforcement agencies, hospitals, fire departments, EMS units, Coast Guard, reserve units, the private sector and even business and industrial settings.

Duties vary, but all have a basic thread of serving their constituents and families first, then are available to the "who so ever" that may have needs.
"Normal and Customary" duties include funerals, memorials, special services, pastoral counseling, moral and ethical expertise. Home, hospital, shut in, and incarceration visitations play a part in the life of a chaplain as well.
Actual hands on time in stations and response runs are both common and expected.
Some are exceptionally trained and have certifications in mediation, crisis intervention, negotiation, stress management, disaster relief, and many other areas. In addition, there are those who hold professional licensure in a number of fields.

Certainly the above mentioned list is by no means comprehensive but gives a good insight to the specialization and value of skilled trained Chaplains.
However, one of the most important and often overlooked values is that of the Chaplains ordination credentials. If granted by a recognized organization, the clergy confidentiality privilege in huge. Though many organizations offer some type of EAP program today, there are still a large number of people who prefer to use Chaplains. This is very common in areas of first responders. They may have issues they wish to discuss but do not want it to wind up in a EAP file.

Another aspect is, WHO is a chaplain. I'm told in the original intent, they were "ministers on loan" from their faith group to the particular area of service, or if a person felt a calling for a certain area of service. They were to be ordained ministers willing to GO TO THE FIELD.

Most Chaplains I know today truly enjoy serving in their specialized field.
No doubt everyone has the usual peaks and valleys associated with life in general, but my experience is we almost crave our work. The challenges we face today are greater than what we saw just as little as five years ago. It never gets any easier doing a funeral, delivering a death notice, or navigating tedious counseling sessions, but the satisfaction of bringing the presence of Christ and the power of the gospel into that situation far out weighs the difficulties. For you see, we serve a God who touches our own lives as well as those we serve. The challenges are great but the rewards are angelic.

This has been but a brief thought on this subject in comparison to what could be written. To all Chaplains reading this, we welcome your thoughts, experiences, difficulties and stories of a particular incident. I would be remise if I did not offer the opportunity to communicate with us your prayer request as well. Let it be known from the beginning, confidentiality is highly respected. If you have something to share, we may select it in the days to come. If not, and you are in need of a "Chaplain to Chaplain" chat we'll do that as well. Be assured you will not be the topic of next Sunday's sermon, if you know what I mean.

Here's to the beginning of what will hopefully be a great time of ministry and mutual support for many years to come. Until next time, I'll be .................

Responding to the Call.....................Chaplain Steve Holden                               Oct. 2004