A question we commonly ask one another when getting acquainted is, "What do you do?" When I tell people I am a hospital chaplain, most just say "Oh? and never inquire further. As a friend recently put it, saying you are a chaplain can be a 'party buster,' like saying you work at a funeral home. There is old, deeply engrained, stereotypical thinking about chaplaincy, and I sometimes encounter it while visiting patients in the hospital.

The look of concern that comes over people's faces when I introduce myself as the  chaplain tells it all. Some are bold enough to verbalize what their face has already revealed. "Is there something I don't know?" or "Am I dying?" Another response I encounter is the perception that the chaplain is there to 'push religion' - not.

To help clarify matters, here are three of the most frequently asked questions about chaplaincy ministry and my brief responses. For additional information, please see the sidebar at the end of this article.

Association of Alliance Chaplains   Since 1995, the C&MA has had an Association of Alliance Chaplains which is supported by the National Ministry Centre and District Offices. Those working in chaplaincy automatically become a member of the Association, which now has 55 members and is growing and changing to better support its chaplains.

What is a chaplain?

A chaplain is typically a religious or spiritual leader such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, imam, etc., ministering to people outside of the 'church' who either don't have a religious affiliation or are unable to attend a place of worship for various reasons such as health, confinement, military duties, etc. If churches were the blood vessels in a body, then chaplains would be the lymph system that reaches all the other parts of the body that blood vessels don't reach.

That being said, some common duties of chaplains would include leading worship, funeral and memorial services; officiating at weddings and baptisms; providing spiritual and life counsel; providing emotional support for those in crisis and those who are hurting, grieving, lonely, frightened, confused, etc.; being a trustworthy presence in the secular workplace; being an ambassador for Christ; providing resources; being a moral voice; advocating; and responding to needs as an opportunity for ministry and witness.

Although chaplains may not be able to openly evangelize or proselytize in the workplace, it is possible to model Christ in all that we say and do and to love our neighbours as ourselves. Our God of grace does provide opportunities to speak about Christ to those ready and needing to hear, so it is not as limiting as some may think.

For those who have a compassionate heart and want to support others without going through all the requirements stated above, many institutions such as hospitals, nursing homes, hospices, hostels, corrections, etc. are open to volunteers.