Getting Started as a Chaplain with No Experience

Chaplains provide emotional and spiritual guidance to those in a non-traditional church environments and often-through community or government institutions. You want to take on the duties of a chaplain but many places will not take on a chaplain that doesn't have experience previous experience. The key to getting around this is to become licensed, ordained, registered and endorsed as a chaplain with a credible organization and then to locate opportunities that will provide you with some hands on experience.

Get Ordained

Log on to the internet and compare different online companies and churches that provide licensing, ordination, registration and endorsement as a chaplain. Doing this online allows you to forgo the traditional method of ascending the through the ranks of a local church and obtaining an undergraduate or graduate degree in theology or divinity. Some online organizations will ordain you for free and then charge anywhere from $40.00 on up for various chaplain credential packages.

Submit Application

Fill out the application for ordination and submit it. Order chaplaincy credentials such as the ordination certificate, titling certificate and the letters showing you are registered and endorsed by the organization. If the online company only offers ordination but not endorsement, you join other online chaplain organizations once you're ordained provided those organizations do not require previous pastor experience, although you may have to pay membership dues.

It's Important to choose an organization that aligns with your religious beliefs. Both Minister's Best Friend and the Universal Life Church will license, ordain, register and endorse you as a Chaplain all in the same process even though both organizations have very different religious beliefs.

Receive Credentials

Wait for your email confirmation that you are now a chaplain. If you don't have email, wait for your credentials to be mailed to you. Take advantage of any free or low-cost training the organization might offer on bedside manners, ministering to inmates and crisis counseling.

Chaplain Opportunities

Domestic violence and homeless shelters are sometimes more flexible on the requirements needed to work as a chaplain with no experience. Some colleges will employ chaplains with no experience while monitoring you for the first year of employment. You could also start your own ministry as an independent chaplain and network with community organizations that serve people such as local churches, soup kitchens and more. Even though local churches may have its own pastors, church leadership, etc...not all of them have actual chaplaincy programs with ministers such as ordained chaplains dedicated to helping in outlying functions or events sponsored by the church.

Further, some hospitals offer "in house" chaplaincy programs where you simply inquire enroll to the program and attend free spiritual care trainings at the hospital for about one year prior to being released to work with the current chaplains for a short time. After that, then you can minister on your own.

Not all religious denominations believe that becoming ordained outside of the traditional method is valid, therefore, you might receive negative feedback even though becoming ordained online is legal. You also might hear that receiving online ordination credentials is worthless in the job market. Your worth as a chaplain is what you make of it and the credentials will open doors of ministry opportunities even if many major employers still require ordination via the traditional methods.