Models of Chaplaincy

Models of
Chaplaincy
Bukal Life Care
2019

Note:
This presentation is based on
our modification of concepts
that come from two main
sources: Miranda Threlfall-
Holmes and Ben Ryan. The
sources are listed on the
reference page.

mparison
Threlfall-Holmes/Ryan Bukal Life Care
Missionary Apostle
Pastor Deacon
Historical/Parish Pastor
Agent of Challenge Prophet
Incarnational/Sacramental Priest

Apostle
The apostle identifies himself (or herself) as
being called out of the church... sent out...
on mission into the outside world.
Chaplains with this model may see
themselves as being tasked to carry
God's message of grace and hope to
those without hope.

Apostle
The temptation with this role is to become
an evangelist--- a proselytizer of one's
faith or denomination.
This may not be acceptable where one is
serving as a chaplain. Additionally, it may
narrow one's role too much. Finally, it may
draw into question one's motives to those
of other faith or affiliation.

Apostle
In a more positive light, this model follows the
wisdom of St. Francis, that one should always
preach the Gospel.... “If necessary, use
words.”
This role can be seen positively if one embraces
the missionary role of expressing God's love
to all, and answer questions of those around
with gentleness and respect. (I Peter 3:15)

Deacon
This one is described by Threlfall-Holmes as the
Pastor model. However, the focus is on care
and service. As such, the term “deacon,” a
servant, seems more appropriate.
A deacon leads by serving. This service may be
seen in terms of pastoral care or spiritual care.

Deacon
The temptation is to slip out of a Theologically
grounded role.
The role can devolve into something of the
form--- “It is nice to be nice to people.”
While it certainly is nice to be nice, that may be
an inadequate basis for the chaplaincy role.

Deacon
In a more positive light, this model is rather in
line with the foundation of chaplaincy--- with
Martin of Tours who expressed loving care for
a beggar and then came to see that behavior
as serving Christ. (Matthew 25:31-46)
Additionally, it is the role that probably makes
“most sense” to the secular world regarding
chaplaincy.

Pastor
This is also called the historical/parish model.
The idea is that the chaplain serves as the
pastor of “the church of the unchurched” or the
church of those disconnected from the church.
This role can be especially important where
people have been geographically separated
from their communities of faith.

Pastor
The temptation is to take this role too seriously... to
act as a churchplanter. In some settings, such as
the military, university, or jail, this role may be
rather valuable, but in others, such as a hospital,
corporation, or disaster setting, this role would be
decidedly unhelpful.
At its worst, this role may simply transport the
religious and denominational barriers in the
community into the chaplain's setting.

Pastor
In a positive light however, many people need a
spiritual community, and they often need it
most in situations where they are cut off from
their home community.
For some it can serve as an example of what a
community of faith ought to be.

Prophet
Also called the “Agent of Challenge” model. A
prophet brings God's message of hope to the
world, but with special focus on bringing about
change, and challenging systems and
attitudes.
A chaplain of this model can serve as an
advocate for the people within the institution
and calling for policy changes.

Prophet
The temptation is too embrace too narrow of a
role. As important as working with the
institution to fix problems may be, care must
be demonstrated to people directly, not just
through political action.
Additionally (as noted later) one role of a
chaplain may be community mediator, so
advocacy between the people and the
institution may be two-way, not just one-way.

Prophet
Positively, however, a chaplain is more effective
if he/she can be seen as an independent
voice, rather than a pawn of the institution.
This follows the role of the prophet, including
many of the OT writing prophets who called
for radical changes to political and religious
institutions.

Priest
Also known as the Incarnational/Sacramental
model, this one sees the chaplain as
expressing God's presence within a new
setting.
The model sees the chaplain as personifying the
presence and concern of the God and of the
sacred within the sphere of the mundane.

Priest
The temptation is to focus on the self as symbol,
and lose track of the methodology of
chaplaincy. After all, a chaplain is not simply a
state of being, it is also a vocation for doing.
It may often be difficult to see how this role
works within many secular settings.

Priest
On the positive side, it embraces a bit of the
spirit or the original idea of chaplains, ones
who leave the church setting, to be present
with those on the highways and byways...
serving in some small ways as lights to the
world. (Matthew 5:14-16)

Note #1 “Exile”
Ryan adds another role model here. He calls it
the “Exile.” In this case, the chaplain serves as
the religious guide to those who have rejected
the church (or their home faith), or were
rejected by the same.
The chaplain serves outside of the church
because he or she doesn't quite fit in, working
with people who often don't fit in either.

Note #1 “Exile”
The temptation of the “Exile” is tied to the other
term that Ryan uses for this model--- the
“Cultist.” The chaplain, being disenfranchised
in some way from the church, connects with
others and essentially keeps them from the
church... perhaps drawing them to something
different.

Note #1 “Exile”
However, it can also be seen more positively.
John the Baptist (a “voice crying in the
wilderness”) and Jesus can be seen as
ministers who were not accepted in the
religious institutions of their day, and cared for
those who also were often disenfranchised by
those same institutions.

Note #2 “Secular Models”
Threlful-Holmes and Ryan add some models
that they consider to be more “secular” though
that doesn't necessarily mean that they are
without Biblical or Theological basis. These
will not be dealt with here in this presentation,
but note that many of them dovetail nicely with
the models previously described. (See
references for more detail on these.)

Note #2 “Secular Models”
 Pastoral Care Model
 Spiritual Care Model
 Diversity Model
 Tradition/Heritage Model
 Specialist Service Provider
 Community Mediator (added by Ryan)
<Perhaps it could be said that all chaplains
should draw from these to varying degrees>

Conclusion
1. It should not be thought that there is a clear
best model. Each have strengths and
weaknesses.
2. Some models work better for certain types of
settings over others... but all have value.
3. It should not be thought that one must
embrace one model and reject all others. In
fact a ministerial self-identity should probably
draw tentatively from multiple Biblical and
Secular models.

Conclusion
4. Chaplaincy has the difficulty of not fitting
smoothly into Biblical roles, and the range of
duties associated with chaplaincy makes it
hard to define. However, this lack of specificity
in chaplaincy can give it resiliency through
flexibility. Thus, the models listed here in no
way are meant to reduce that flexibility, but
rather give clearer focus to a complex role.

References
 Ben Ryan, “Theology and Models of
Chaplaincy” in A Christian Theology of
Chaplaincy, edited by John Caperon,
Andrew Todd, and James Walters
(London: Jessica Kingsley Pub., 2018).
 Miranda Thelfall-Holmes, “Exploring
Models of Chaplaincy” in Being a Chaplain
by Miranda Threlfall-Holmes and Mark
Newitt (London, SPCK Publishing, 2011.
www.bukallifecare.org

Models of Chaplaincy

More Related Content

What's hot (20)

Similar to Models of Chaplaincy (20)

More from Celia Munson, BCCC (20)

Recently uploaded (20)

Models of Chaplaincy