My Philosophy of Ministry

By Crystal Spence

Chaplains are caring,
Honest & Open,
Accepting,
Positive & hopeful. They
Love others & offer them a listening ear. They are
Able to see themselves as servants to those in need while
Inviting spiritual care and a
Need to meet others in love & confidential trust. For all these things and more

Chaplains are a must!

This acrostic poem is the outline that I am using along with the guidance of the Lord to present my Philosophy of Ministry to you today. In reading “The Work of the Chaplain.” I have learned a lot more than I have ever known about who a Chaplain is, what a Chaplain does, who a Chaplain serves, and how they minister spiritually to those in need. Prior to this study, Chaplains have been introduced to me but this is the first time that I have gotten a thorough understanding of all that it means to be an effective Chaplain in a wide variety of settings. I am pleased to have learned so much already and pray that this report shows my understanding and honors both God and the Chaplaincy ministry.

I have had personal contact with a Chaplain on two occasions of my life. The first time I made contact with a Chaplain I had minimal knowledge of God and wasn’t saved, but the Chaplain was respectful of both things and didn’t judge me or push me to one side of anything or the other. He stood there, he listened, and he asked how he could be of service and was there any way he could be of benefit to me. He approached me as a servant and not as a means of a proselytizing agenda, which made me feel comfortable with him and at ease at the time. Therefore I was more willing to listen to him and to later accept the resources he left with me.

The second time I met with a Chaplain was a bit different from the first in that I was saved at the time. Yet although I was different the similarities in the Chaplains were very much clear. This Chaplain sat by me with a bible in his hand and he asked me one question, “How are you doing today?” with a smile and a sincere look of interest in my reply. We had a wonderful conversation and as a new convert, he opened my heart and mind to new truths that applied to the season of my life that I was in and that came directly from the word of God. He did not pry for more information but sat there listening to me attentively. He allowed me to take the lead in directing how the conversation went. I was not aware of it then, but what the Chaplains were exhibiting was the ministry of presence that is so fundamental in the life, leadership, and ministry of a Chaplain today.

When I think of the ministry of presence as portrayed in “The Work of the Chaplain” I am reminded of Jesus and how He was always present with His disciples and the people around Him. Even when Jesus went off to pray to the Lord, He was always fully present there with the Father in prayer. Chaplains represent Jesus in that we are fully present with those around us ministering to all people and treating everyone with unconditional high regard; even those who seem like the worst of sinners and seem as though they don’t deserve favor at all. Jesus hung out with sinners and He broke bread with those the world would not choose to share dinner with at their table. As a Chaplain we are there to serve as Jesus did and to bring Romans 12:2 to life, “ Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” By sharing the love of God with the least of these as Jesus teaches us in Matthew 25:40 “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me” we are granting people the right to be themselves while paving the way for them to know that God has never left them or forsaken them and is in fact very near.

Knowing that God’s presence is everywhere, at all places, and all times it comes as a further incentive and encouragement for me to know that Chaplains can be found everywhere in the community. They are found in the military which is the oldest branch of Chaplaincy that there is, in hospital settings where my interest mainly lies, and in the workplace where they invite peace and clarity where tension usually resides. Wherever a Chaplain is found they provide services that help people to grow mentally, physically, socially, and spiritually. Chaplains provide resources when needed. They are adept in different faith practices while still upholding their own foundation of faith. They provide crisis intervention and assist with stress and anger management. They are institutional advocates providing interventions that assist with employee concerns, while still adhering and strengthening the validity of the institution they serve.

Chaplains are the listening ear, the tender gaze, the swift feet that bring good news to the hearer. They are the lips that open when inquired to be of service and that remains closed when the breach of confidentiality is threatened unless safety is of concern. They are the voice of spiritual care that gives everyone the right to seek God in their own way or to not seek Him at all if they so prefer. Chaplains are a representative of Christ in the way they humble themselves to serve and “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than themselves.” (Philippians 2:3) It seems like a hard task for a person without supernatural ability of their own until we look to the one Christian Chaplains look to first, “He who is before all things, and in him through whom all things hold together.” (Colossians 1:17) To be a Chaplain takes patience and strength that may fail if one is not spiritually full. Yet it is a worthwhile pursuit for one like me who feels called to the ministry by God. My Philosophy of ministry has already been written in the Word of God and I know it will serve me well in the days to come for, “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13)