Chaplain

A chaplain is a clergy member or lay person authorized to provide spiritual care, religious services, and religious support within institutions or communities where people are away from their usual places of worship. Chaplains serve in settings such as the military, hospitals, prisons, universities, and emergency services, offering guidance across faiths and traditions and addressing emotional, moral, and existential concerns.

Responsibilities include conducting worship services and rites, administering sacraments or blessings when appropriate, and providing confidential pastoral counseling, crisis intervention, and bereavement support. They may assist with end-of-life decisions, advocate for patients’ or inmates’ spiritual needs, and help staff address ethical issues in care or operations. Interfaith chaplaincy emphasizes serving people of many denominations or no affiliation.

Most chaplains are ordained clergy or endorsed lay leaders who have training in pastoral care and theology. Many pursue formal chaplaincy education and clinical pastoral education (CPE) and seek certification through professional associations. In military or police contexts, chaplains are commissioned and work under a chain of command and the auspices of a sponsoring religious denomination.

Chaplains can be non-denominational within a single faith tradition; they often coordinate with hospital chaplains, denominational bodies, or secular authorities, and operate under charters or endowments. They may be accredited by professional organizations that set standards for ethical practice, supervision, and continuing education.

Historically, the term chaplain derives from the keeper of a chapel in medieval households or religious establishments; modern chaplains are professional caregivers who provide spiritual care in diverse secular institutions as well as churches.