Private Chaplaincy Practice  

Preamble: Before considering this specialized and specific private professional chaplaincy practice, I wish to give due consideration to private practice in general. That is private professional practices.

Private Professional Practice: Private professional practice is considered to be practice of professional practitioners in any field of profession in offering beneficial services to people which is not paid for by government institutions of with public funds.

Private practice is a professional practice coined by professional practitioners or a group of professionals coming together to offer professional services to clients or customers in private setting. Some examples of private professional practice includes:-

a.     Private legal or law practice.

b.     Private medical practice.

c.      Private accountancy practice.

d.     Private engineering practice.

e.     Private professional counseling practice and services.

f.       Private chaplaincy practice and service delivery.

g.     Private psychotherapy practice, to mention just few.

Private Chaplaincy Practice and Service Delivery: In considering this specialized and specific professional chaplaincy practice; I wish to state very clearly that it is the practice of professionally trained, equipped and certified chaplains to practice chaplaincy professionally and offering professional beneficial services to the public or placing professional chaplaincy services at the disposal of the people without depending on government funding or public funds for operation or payment of such services but rather by individuals or family of the care recipients or the care recipient in question.

Private professional chaplaincy practice is an opportunity for professional chaplaincy practitioners to be self- employed, gainfully employed and empowered to earn a living and as well be employers of labour.

Essence of Private Chaplaincy Practice: In the US precisely, there is an increasing consideration and desire for private professional chaplaincy practice where there are employment opportunities for chaplains.

In our own peculiar situation in the continent of Africa where there are little or no opportunities for chaplains to be gainfully employed; private professional chaplaincy practice and service delivery seems unavoidable.

The followings are the reasons why private professional chaplaincy practice is considered to be important and worthwhile:

1.     It provides self-employment opportunities for professional chaplains meeting with the economic realities of our age.

2.     Private professional chaplaincy practice is considered important for job security.

3.     Private professional chaplaincy practice gives the professional practitioners the opportunity of proving their mettle and promoting chaplaincy profession.

4.     Private professional chaplaincy practice gives professional practitioners the opportunity of demonstrating innovative creativity which make them to think of seeking to break new grounds.

5.     Private professional chaplaincy practice gives the professional practitioners the opportunity of thinking of how to add value to their practices as well as chaplaincy profession.

6.     Private professional chaplaincy practice and service delivery will bring better awareness of chaplaincy and its practices to the public.

7.     Private professional chaplaincy practice will enhance public recognitions as well as government recognition of chaplaincy.

If other professionals engaged in private professional practice have success stories, chaplains are no exemption.

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

5^th Oct, AD2022

 

 

Myths and Lies Professional Chaplains will Need to Contend with and Dispel in Nigeria

The general public have been fed with lies and myths about chaplaincy capable of confusing people of what chaplaincy is or entails. The presentation of chaplaincy by people who know next to nothing about chaplaincy has left people in falsehood.

Professional chaplains will therefore have an herculean task in presenting the truth to the public which will have to be approached first with dispelling the myths:

1.     Chaplaincy is exclusive reserve of the military: This is false as there are many or much more civilian chaplains in the world, taking care of the majority of the world population.  Professional chaplains will need to dispel this amongst the people and public.

2.     All about chaplaincy is physical exercise, parade and matching: The statement is a myth for all about chaplaincy is compassionate emphatic care services rather than physical exercise.

3.     Chaplaincy is militia or para-military: This is false as chaplaincy has nothing in common with militia groups and organizations.

4.     Chaplains exert force in their operation to show their power and might: The statement is a myth as chaplains are respectable professionals who emphatically serve people without force.

5.     Chaplains are brutes, inflicting injuries on people in the course of their duties: This statement is in nowhere true about chaplains as chaplains are never brutes professional care providers with active listening skills.

6.     All about chaplaincy is uniform and rank: This statement id false, as uniform does not make anybody professional. Professional chaplains will need to make people understand that uniform is for identification and what they have inside is what made them professionals.

7.     Chaplaincy is all about impersonation: This is a false and a myth, for chaplains all over the world are highly respected and honoured professionals.

8.     Chaplaincy is all about caring for the sick: This statement is only partially true as chaplaincy is all about caring both for the sick, the whole, the living and the dead.

9.     Chaplaincy is only for Christians: This is false and misleading as chaplaincy is for people of all religions and none religious people as well.

10.                        Chaplains are security operatives: This statement is false as there is nowhere in the world chaplains are recruited as security operatives.

11.                        Chaplains are Church security officers: The statement is false because chaplaincy has gone beyond church setting and professional chaplains will have to dispel this myth.

12.                        Chaplains are pall bearers: This statement is false and confusing. Although chaplains have ministry to the dead, they can conduct burial or officiate in the burial but they are never used as pall bearers. Professional chaplains will be duty bond to correct such impressions in the public.

Some Truth About Chaplaincy, Its Practice and Service Delivery: Just as professional chaplains are armed here to be able to dispel with various myths about chaplaincy, they should also be armed with the truth about chaplaincy practice and service delivery as listed below:-

1.     Chaplaincy is for all people regardless of their religious affiliations, cultural setting, political leanings, economic status social status, gender and sexual orientation.

2.     Chaplaincy is for people of all religious and people of no religion.

3.     Chaplaincy services should be made available to all people in a pluralistic settings and society.

4.     All people can be trained as professional chaplains to offer chaplaincy care services to humanity.

5.     All people have the opportunity to be trained to become or take careers in chaplaincy profession.

6.     People in all sectors of the economy deserve chaplaincy care and services.

7.     Chaplaincy care and services are important in all aspects of life.

8.     others

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

10^th Oct, AD2022

 

 

Ministers Retreat Held on 28^th-30^th Dec. AD 2022

Organized by The Open Reconciliation Mission Inc. at Igbotako, Osoro - Ondo State

Topic: Walking the talk                           Texts: 1 Thess. 2:9-12; Eph. 4:1-3.

Introduction: Walking the talk is a crucial word for categories of leaders in any field of endeavour. Anyone who want to be a notable leader of repute among his/her followers must know how to walk the talk.

It is not enough to claim leadership or desire a leadership position with eloquence and motivational talks without needed and measurable actions backing up what was being said.

Meaning of Walking the Talk: Walking the talk means the following:

1.     Putting your words into action that is showing that you mean what you say by actively doing it yourself and taking responsibility of any outcome.

2.     To perform actions consistent with your claims.

3.     Being involved in doing the work rather than planning and talking about it.

4.     To back up your boastful talk with meaningful and measurable actions.

5.     Taking responsibility to come up with solutions to problems and when you do, it shows you lead by example.

The Importance of Walking the Talk:

1.     It delivers rightly in a well appreciated manner.

2.     It helps to connect you as a pastor or leader with your congregation or followers.

3.     It provides firsthand experience and information on what is happening within.

4.     It helps to break down the “us” and “them” mentality that can divide different levels and groups in the Church or any organization.

5.     It helps you to be the change you want to see in the Church or your organization and in the congregational members or followers; individually and collectively.

6.     It helps in the development of accountability culture which is the best culture to have.

When you and your congregation or followers can say you are walking the talk as a leader in the Church or organization is when you or people see the positive impact you have made in the Church or organization and among the congregation or followers in the following ways:

a.     Motivating others for positive and effective works.

b.     Engaging others in positive works and outcomes.

c.      Bringing out the best in others for the service of God, the Church and for others.

d.     Building them up to be honest and accountable.

In Conclusion – Col. 1:10: If you want to achieve a great feat and achievement asa a minister of the Most High or a leader, you must endeavor with accorded strive to walk the talk.

Wisdom Word: “The day you start practicing the ‘walk the talk,’ life shall show you the dream to reality path.”

Food for Thought: Words do less than 10 things, but actions do more than 10 thousand things. Be ready to back your words and claims with needed and measurable action. Stop the talk, walk the talk!

By

The Rev’d Dr. Joy David

 

 

 

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

 

 

The Roles of Chaplains in Medical Decision-Making

There are various occasions and situations that warrants decision-making on patients/care recipients such as:-

1.     When surgery is to be performed on a patient.

2.     When critical issues that require urgent decisions to be made by patients.

3.     When patients are to be given suicide assistance (assisted suicide).

4.     In organ donation.

5.     When patients are diagnosed to have developed terminal disease or illness. The kind of medication and treatments to be given to such patients.

6.     In cases of blood transfusion.

7.     For people who have gotten to end of life stage.

In developed nations like US and UK, medical practice and services is a collaborative one with interdisciplinary professionals in which all healthcare professionals are a team including hospital chaplains, palliative chaplains and hospice chaplains as well.

Whenever medical decisions are to be taken, medical directors, specialists, chief pharmacists, chief nursing director or matron, head of social workers and chaplaincy directors who are members of the hospital board or committee will usually meet to take needed and vital medical decisions on patients each time such decision becomes necessary.

This kind of collective medical decision making can only be expected in well-structured and organized teaching hospitals, medical centers or specialist hospitals etc. where there are presence of various professional healthcare team working for the care and healing of patients.

It is worthy of note that even in developed nations  that there are some hospitals and healthcare centers that do not follow this procedures while many of them employ this collective participative medical decision making which include interdisciplinary professionals as stated above.

However, in the continent of Africa, with special reference to Nigeria as a nation and people, chaplains are not even in the healthcare conversations which calls for advocacy for the inclusion of trained and certified professional healthcare chaplains in the healthcare development system.

But for the future chaplaincy leaders in this part of the world, they need to create needed space for chaplaincy profession, practice and service delivery, the professional practitioners in the healthcare sector as well as other sectors of the economy.

This advocacy now brings me to the point of enumerating what roles chaplains should play in healthcare sector:-

1.     Inclusive and qualitative sound education that will enable chaplains enter into decision and conversations with other healthcare professionals in the care and healing of patients.

2.     Inclusive and qualitative theological education and CPE or CCPE which will give chaplains the needed competences and professional confidence in chaplaincy practice and service delivery.

3.     Chaplaincy leadership creating needed spaces for the profession, its practice and the professional practitioners to enable them be integrated very well into the system.

4.     Chaplains must make professional chaplaincy practice, evidence based clinical chaplaincy practice a priority with proper documentation of conversation with patients for use by interdisciplinary professionals in the healthcare sector.

5.     Chaplains must endeavor not to limit their practices and operations to religious rituals and practices only. They must of necessity come to the understanding of the fact that all human beings have spiritual components and spirituality belongs to the religious people as well as people of no religion.

6.     Chaplains are understood to be the bridge between medicine and spirituality and must educate themselves very well to remain in such position with evidence based practice that will engender them to other healthcare professionals.

7.     Also chaplains are bridge between hospital management and the patients and their families and should endeavor to improve themselves adequately to maintain such position effectively.

8.     Chaplains are expected to advocate social justice and moral issues.

9.     Chaplains are expected to represent the organizations they work for in the public rightly.

10.                        Chaplains are expected to let the public know their values to enable the public respect accord them the needed recognition.

11.                        Chaplain must to make known what they do in the care of patients and the value of their services.

12.                        Chaplains must of necessity engage in literature writing and publishing that will make their activities and specialties known to the general public so as to be engaged by them.

13.                        Chaplains must learn to engage in chaplaincy researches and activities themselves not leaving it to other interdisciplinary professionals who will not project the profession rightly nor the practitioners accurately.

In conclusion, I wish to state at this juncture, that students and trainee chaplains on intern will have to be instruments of integration if they serve competently in any healthcare sector they were sent to meet the demands of the sector and the patients.

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

22^nd Oct, AD2022

 

Stress and Stressful Situations

Many occurrences in various communities and societies of the world are attributed to stress and stressful situations in life. People of this generation and world speak of stress so much, that the word has become a household word. All occurrences are said to be as a result of untold hardship and stressful situations, people have been exposed to in the life journeys.

What then in a nutshell is Stress? We of Prodam-J chaplaincy concept and institute wish to define stress as follows:-

1.     An aggression either external or internal, causing pains, agonies, discomforts etc. to people, group of people, individual personalities and organism.

2.     Stress is also known as a pressure exerted on human beings, animals and organism by the society, life situations etc.

3.     Stress is also an emotional or psychological pressure exerted on human being and animals resulting in painful and disastrous situations in life.

The followings are known types of stress common to society of the world:-

·        Psychological stress.

·        Emotional stress.

·        Physical stress.

·        Economic stress.

·        Financial stress.

·        Marital stress.

·        Traumatic stress.

·        Societal stress.

·        Academic stress.

·        Chemical stress.

·        Workplace stress.

·        Health issue stress etc.

We know stress to be very devastating and disastrous, if not well managed by professionals to prevent disaster as well devastating situations in life. We advocate handling of stress and stressful situations by practicing professional chaplains.

Unmanaged stress is capable of leading to depression and depressive state which if unchecked may lead to suicidal thoughts and actions.

NB: The fact that stress and stressful situations do leave behind what is known as post-traumatic disorder (PTSD) calling for our attention and care.

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

6^th May, AD2017

 

 

The Roles of Hospice and Palliative Chaplains

Starting with the hospice chaplains, they are specialized specialist professionals  who usually provide spiritual care to people or care recipients in a spcecialized hospice centers or in the care recipients homes.

Although, hospice chaplains are members of the healthcare professionals; they are disctinctly different from hospital chaplains:-

1.     They provide the needed ministry of presence of chaplaincy to their care recipients as they stand with them in their situations.

2.     They provide comfort and conducive atmosphere to their care recipients.

3.     They ensure that their care recipients maintain needed connectivity with themselves, their relations as well as the source of life as the spiritual care they desire.

Hospice chaplains are not religious or denomination chaplains as they are called to offer chaplaincy care services to all people of various religions and people of no religion whatsoever; even though they have their own religions.

Their primary assignment is to provide needed care, comfort and connectivity to those who have gotten to end of life at their homes or specialized hospice centers different from hospital setting.

NB: Hospice chaplaincy provide a widow of opportunity for employment for chaplains who are interested in such chaplaincy setting as well as opportunity to venture into private practice and home care delivery.

Palliative Care: Palliative care chaplains are also specialists professional chaplains who offer chaplaincy care services to patients or care recipients in the hospital settings, their roles are as follows:

1.     They usually provide palliative care chaplaincy services to terminally ill patients in the hospital. 

2.     They rekindle hopes in the hopeless patients they may have in their care.

3.     They ensure their care recipients take their prescribed therapeutic treatment as recommended by doctors who are specialist oncologists.

4.     They provide follow up care for patients especially after chemotherapy or surgery; whatever the treatment feaslsly employed or radiation treatment.

5.     They usually stand with their care recipients until they are healed and discharged.

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

14^th Oct, AD2022