Chaplaincy Practice on Trial in Africa

Chaplaincy Practice on Trial in Africa

1.     Professional chaplaincy and spiritual care provision is on trial in Nigeria and the continent of Africa. What kind of trial?

a.     The trial of acceptability, as the practice is strange and alien to us in Africa.

b.     The profession is being tested by the general public in the same way new drugs and vaccines are tested before they can be certified for use in treating people or combating diseases.

2.     Professional chaplains, spiritual care and psychospiritual care practioners are on trial for their:

a.     Integrity.

b.     Hospitality.

c.      Accommodation.

d.     Tolerance.

e.     Doggedness.

f.       Commitment.

g.     Competence and skills etc.

3.     The professional practioners are on trial or their hospitality is on trial requiring them to demonstrate.

a.     Hospitality cultivating inclusion.

b.     Hospitality cultivating time.

c.      Hospitality cultivating space.

4.     Clinical professional practice and service delivery is on trial in the continent of Africa, to see if the wholistic needs of the people can be met by the practice such as:-

a.     Physical needs.

b.     Psychological needs.

c.      Spiritual needs.

d.     Emotional needs.

e.     Environmental needs.

5.     Various professionals involved in chaplaincy, spiritual care, psychospiritual care are on trial for their:

a.     Sound educational qualification.

b.     Professional training and certification.

c.      Competence and skill in dealing with issues or problems.

As the general public and clients have the right to choose the professional who handles their issues.

In conclusion, I wish to state categorically without any reservation that the corona virus pandemic have come to reveal to us and the people of our society that clinical chaplaincy, spiritual care and psychospiriutal care practice is on trial in Africa.

What then is the way out? The way out of the wood are:

1.     Proper and quality general practice education and training.

2.     Specialized professional education and training.

3.     Specialization to ensure that all areas or fields of chaplaincy are covered in practice.

4.     Continuous professional development (CPD).

5.     Proper professional practice that is beneficial to the general public.

Chap. Prof. Mike-Jacobs

Certified Chaplaincy Educator

5^th May, 2020