Steps to Becoming a Chaplain
- Chaplains cater to a number of populations. This includes the military, police officers and firemen. However, there are other groups at least equally in need of religious counsel. An often overlooked population that chaplains provide religious instruction and counsel too are prisoners. Certainly, being a chaplain in a prison isn't for everyone -- but then again, neither is having a military or police chaplaincy. You must figure out where you are the best fit.
- Most places, such as the United States Army and the Federal Bureau of Prisons, require you to have received religious instruction before you become a chaplain. Depending on where you seek a chaplaincy, you may be required to have either a bachelor's or a master's degree. For example, the Army allows people with a bachelor's degree to be chaplains, while the Bureau of Prisons requires a more advanced education.
- You must undergo the required training to acquire a chaplaincy position. You can get some of this while you attend seminary. You can also get training through the institution in which you wish to serve. You generally need to have a bachelor's degree of divinity in your field. However, you can receive instruction on how to become a chaplain -- as opposed to a minister in the broader world -- from the institution you apply to.
- After you have fulfilled all of the requirements of becoming a chaplain you need to apply for jobs in your field. While you may have chosen the population you want to serve, it is important to cast a broad net when applying for your first job. Your first placement may not be in your first choice. Still, you should take the best opportunity offered to you with an eye toward the long haul of your career.