Chaplain

ABOUT

There are those who are born to lead, and those who are born to lead in faith. As a Navy Chaplain, you will be the voice of encouragement, reason and hope to thousands of Sailors and Marines. From morning prayers to Sunday mass services to baptisms at sea, you will support and uplift the brave men and women who have chosen to serve their country.

The Navy Chaplain Corps boasts more than 800 Navy Chaplains from more than 100 different faith groups, including Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist and many others. Chaplains hold important leadership roles as well, each serving as a Navy Officer. Chaplains offer everything from faith and personal advice, to much-needed solace – all while living up to the guiding principles of the Chaplain Mission:

• Providing religious ministry and support to those of your own faith
• Facilitating the religious requirements of those from all faiths
• Caring for all servicemembers and their families, including those subscribing to no specific faith
• Advising the command in ensuring the free exercise of religion

RESPONSIBILITIES

As a Navy Chaplain, your job spans a broad range of duties. You will support fellow servicemembers during their most joyful moments and during their most difficult. Your responsibilities might be to:

• Conduct worship services in a variety of settings
• Perform religious rites and ceremonies such as weddings, funeral services and baptisms
• Counsel individuals who seek guidance
• Oversee religious education programs, such as Sunday school and youth groups
• Visit and provide spiritual guidance and care to hospitalized personnel and/or their family members
• Train lay leaders who conduct religious education programs
• Promote attendance at religious services, retreats and conferences
• Advise leaders at all levels regarding morale, ethics and spiritual well-being

WORK ENVIRONMENT

Navy Chaplains immerse themselves in the daily lives of servicemembers. In what can be best described as a ministry of presence, they are there to offer guidance and insight, whenever they’re needed. You could provide support on land or at sea, when presiding over religious ceremonies on a base or conducting services from the flight deck of an aircraft carrier.

PAY AND BENEFITS

From the day you start, you’ll receive:

• Competitive salary
• Free health insurance
• Free housing
• A retirement plan
• 30 days paid vacation per year

QUALIFICATIONS & REQUIREMENTS

A candidate seeking to serve as a Navy Chaplain and Officer must:

• Have a bachelor’s degree from a qualified four-year undergraduate educational institution
• Have a graduate degree in theological or related studies from an accredited educational institution. (Note that a qualifying degree program requires no fewer than 72 semester hours or 108 quarter hours of graduate-level work. Related studies may include graduate courses in pastoral counseling, social work, religious administration and similar disciplines when one-half of the earned credits include topics in general religion, world religions, the practice of religion, theology, religious philosophy, religious ethics and/or the foundational writings from the applicant’s religious tradition.)
• Have two years of full-time religious leadership experience that’s compatible with the duties of a Religious Ministry Professional (RMP) in their respective Religious Organizations (RO) and relevant to the settings of military chaplaincy
• Must be able to obtain an Ecclesiastical Endorsement from a religious faith organization registered with the Department of Defense
• General qualifications may vary depending upon whether you’re currently serving, whether you’ve served before or whether you’ve never served before.

PART-TIME OPPORTUNITIES

There are part-time opportunities available.

Serving part-time as a Navy Reserve Chaplain, your duties will be carried out during your scheduled drilling and training periods. During monthly drilling, Chaplains in the Navy Reserve typically work at a location close to their homes. This gives you the flexibility to minister in the Navy while maintaining responsibilities to your congregation at home.

For Annual Training, Chaplains may serve anywhere in the world, alongside the Sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen to whom they minister.