Chaplaincy Profession: Creating Space for Inclusion in Diverse Situation

In chaplaincy profession, practice and service delivery, hospitality is vital, essential and crucial. In demonstrating hospitality in chaplaincy practice and service delivery, space must be created by chaplaincy leaders who take responsibility for inclusion of all people.

All forms of diversities that may constitute themselves to bringing in the smooth works of practicing chaplains in the health care sector and beyond. You know as well as I do that health care professionals are numerous and diverse in their operations.

Chaplaincy profession is expected to create space for all of them in the health care sector to enable care recipients and their relatives receive optima care and service delivery, a result of space created for inclusion.

Diversities:

It is pertinent for us at this stage to consider what diversities present themselves to practicing chaplains at work or the discharge of their duties legitimately and professionally too.

This diversities if not taken care of very well may become barriers for inclusion and harmonious practice and service delivery by various professions in the IDT. Some of such diversities are:-

1.     Cultural diversities.

2.     Religious diversities.

3.     Gender diversities.

4.     Sexual orientation diversities.

5.     Personality diversities.

6.     Social status diversities.

7.     Political diversities.

8.     Educational diversities.

9.     Professional diversities.

10.                        Language diversities, etc.

Care Diversities:

In providing wholistic care to people who we are called to serve, whether in the health care settings or other sectors of the economy, the following care diversities may present themselves in collaboration with other professionals:-

a.     Physical care which is provided for the physical needs of CRs. This care can be provided by CR’s carers, social workers, nurses and physiotherapists in assisting CRs meeting with their physical needs during illness or incapacitation.

b.     Medical care which is exclusive reserve for medical practioners for the wellness of the body of the care recipients. Medical care is known to be provided by a team of diverse medical professionals such as physicians, nurses, pharmacists etc.

c.      Psychological care which calls for the attention of psychologists, psychiatrics, psychiatric nurses, social workers to meet with the psychological needs (mind and thoughts) of care recipients.

d.     Emotional care which calls for the care of the soul and mental health of people under one’s care. This requires the attention of mental health professionals and chaplains to help CRs deal with their feelings and mental health challenges they may be experiencing.

e.     Spiritual care which focuses on the care of the spiritual health and wellbeing of CRs for wholistic wellbeing and living. This calls for qualified trained chaplains or spiritual care practioners in that area in meeting with the spiritual needs of the people who are experiencing spiritual crisis and distress.

f.       Religious care, because many people we are called to serve are of diverse religions, beliefs and faiths; it is pertinent for chaplaincy leadership and management to create space for this diversity to enable practicing professional chaplains to discharge their legitimate duties effectively that will accommodate and benefit people under their care irrespective of their religious affiliations and beliefs.

When chaplaincy practioners allow inclusion in the space created for their practices the following barriers are broken:

i.        Cultural barriers.

ii.      Religious barriers.

iii.    Language barriers.

iv.   Self-opinion barriers.

v.     Gender differences.

vi.   Sexual orientation etc.

NB: Chaplaincy leadership and management must put in place an interfaith professional chaplaincy training and CPE or CCPE study programme where chaplains will be grounded for this.

Uncovering or Discovering the relevance of Processional Chaplaincy Degrees in the Practices of Professional Chaplains in all Sector of the Economy:

This current development and discovery has actually helped to put paid to the misrepresentations and usurpation of credentialed pastors and clergies who took over the positions of professional chaplains in various institutions and establishments, doing the works of chaplains without professional training and qualifications.

Thank God that this discovery is coming from the military who can claim to be the oldest in the practice of chaplaincy and service delivery world over. Professional chaplaincy degrees has now become a prerequisite for taking on the professional title “Chaplain.”

Chaplain Prof. Mike David