Reflection of How People Became Chaplains: Telling Your Story

People came into chaplaincy differently for reasons they should be able to tell others, through a reflection or in a reflective mood. Many people from developed nations who told their stories as to how they got into chaplaincy in a reflection vary from one individual to another.

But most of them got into chaplaincy when they were in the seminaries or in divinity schools or universities. The bottom line and similarities between all of them was that they all seem to get into chaplaincy when they know little or nothing about chaplaincy and the type of chaplains they were going to become.

As they got introduced to chaplaincy from seminaries and school of divinity, they usually earned at least one unit of CPE by the time they graduated with first degree from seminaries or school of divinity.

With the one unit of CPE, they were sent on intern under qualified chaplaincy supervisors in public institutions and specialized settings such as hospitals, military, police, correctional centers, schools, universities etc. where there are staff chaplains.

 Many of them came in contact with realities of life and what chaplaincy meant. They all were able to say that chaplaincy offered them opportunities to serve people outside their congregations as mere clergies and they were also able to make a choice of becoming the type of chaplains they desire to be such as becoming career chaplains in the military, police, hospitals etc.

During their interns, some of them sought employment as chaplains to enable them continue their CPE study programme as they have come to an understanding they needed four units to be eligible for certification, while some others went back to divinity schools to earn Master of Divinity Degree to enable them qualify to pursue their CPE studies to where they can earn four units as M.Div as a condition for certification at unit 4 levels.

Some who did not have at least one unit of CPE on graduation from divinity schools enroll in CPE study centers for training to become chaplains.

In a nutshell, nobody become a certified chaplain without CPE study units which makes one eligible for certification and no one become a career chaplain without certification.

Nobody can also get certified as a chaplain without internship and 2000 hours of supervised chaplaincy practice which is mandatory.

We of this part of the world; the continent of Africa and beyond, must be able to reflect on how we came into chaplaincy, what brought us into chaplaincy like others in the developed countries. How we came into chaplaincy is bound to vary with individuals and there is nothing wrong with that.

We however, should be able to freely tell our stories of how we came into chaplaincy and what chaplaincy has made us to become or what we are doing presently in chaplaincy or know why we are in chaplaincy.

For sure our stories will be different from one another. Taking examples from chaplains from developed nations of the world; some became career hospital chaplains, some military chaplains, some police chaplains, some correctional chaplains and some higher education chaplains.

What exactly can we say we have become in chaplaincy in Nigeria, continent of Africa and beyond?

This would be an assignment for all trainee and trained chaplains that pass through me for either general professional chaplaincy studies or clinical professional chaplaincy studies or specific professional chaplaincy studies and internship.

Good to go!

My Journey into Chaplaincy: The news that chaplaincy was going to make people become interfaith and interreligious minister thrilled me and I enrolled to study chaplaincy as well in the divinity school. By the time I graduated at the divinity school, I had also became a certified chaplain and counselor.

An additional training for another two years that qualifies me to become a certified psychospirituo-therapist

I had to seek additional training and education that will make me become a chaplaincy educator of my dream apart from being theological educator. At the end of this course of study I became a certified chaplaincy educator and trainer, that is what chaplaincy has made me to become and what I have been doing in chaplaincy.

As a certified professional chaplain, a certified clinical psychospiritual therapist, a certified pastoral counselor and a certified educator; I desire to see chaplaincy professionalized in the continent of Africa and chaplaincy practiced professionally as well.

This pursuit of mine; I started in the year AD2005 with lots of challenges and intimidations but today professional chaplaincy practice and service delivery is beginning to take root in Nigeria, continent of Africa and beyond.

As a certified chaplaincy educator and trainer, I have been able to co-establish Prodam-J chaplaincy Institute for the training of professional chaplains. I have also been able to establish a center for CCPE study programmes and a center for supervised clinical chaplaincy practice and internship.

I have also been involved in chaplaincy literature writing and publishing to create needed awareness for the public. I have also been able to found and incorporated Association of Professional Chaplains Inc. focusing on the continent of Africa and beyond in its operation for granting chaplains needed professional certification for the practice of chaplaincy.

The importance of internship cannot be overemphasized neither can it be swept under the carpet as it has always seemed as an eye opener to many trainee chaplains as to what type of chaplains they can become, what type of chaplaincy career they should go for and the necessity to complete CPE or CCPE units to enable them get certified.

Until very presently when Prodam-J Chaplaincy Institute I represent started sending trainee chaplains on internship to pubic institutions, internship was none existence.

With this innovation, we are confronted with serious challenges as most lof the public institutions in our societies know next to nothing ablout professional chaplaincy or clinical chaplaincy practice.

Some public institutions say they have not heard of chaplaincy even though what we promise chaplains can offer their institutions are very appealing.

We therefore have to use board certified chaplains we hae available to supervise trainee chaplains on internship in their communities nearest to them as it is impossible to get supervisors from the public institutions that have no staff chaplain.

We are hopeful that in the next ten years, our stories shall be different.

Recommendations: Internship will remain mandatory for trainee chaplains who desire to be certified to practice chaplaincy professionally. Reference can be made on my article on mandatory nature of internship.

Are you interested in online professional chaplaincy training to enable you offer beneficial chaplaincy care and services, get registered at the prestigious chaplaincy institute – Prodam-J Chaplaincy Institute for adequate and proper professional chaplaincy education and training to make you outstanding among your equals? Call 08033072375; 07055287861; 08035092416 or WhatsApp – 09091981944

Chap. David Mike-Jacobs CPC, CPST, BCC.

Professor of Anthropology, Certified Chaplaincy Educator & Trainer.

Blog: thechaplain1.blogspot.com

23^rd Oct, AD2022