Anna Chaplaincy at BRF Ministries had the joy of collaborating with the Marsh Center for Chaplaincy Studies in an international webinar on 2 May entitled ‘Ministering among those with dementia’. (Reflections on ‘Ministering among those with dementia’ international online conference.)
The Marsh Center’s Dr Jim Browning and Dr Jim Spivey, who hosted the webinar, edited an excellent textbook on chaplaincy studies, published in 2022, which is the focus of this blog. The book is entitled The Heart of a Chaplain: Exploring essentials for ministry and can be purchased on Amazon.
As training and development lead for Anna Chaplaincy, Julia Burton-Jones spoke at the webinar on dementia in May. In discussion with friends from the Marsh Center in working together on the webinar, it was apparent that Anna Chaplaincy’s community-based approach to spiritual care among older people was new to them as a model of chaplaincy. The Heart of a Chaplain reflects this in the types of chaplaincy covered in part five as case studies: healthcare chaplaincy; military chaplaincy; correctional chaplaincy (prisons); corporate/workplace chaplaincy; public safety chaplaincy (including firefighters and law enforcement); community/lifestyle chaplaincy (including higher education, sports and biker chaplaincy).
Of the categories covered in the book, healthcare chaplaincy most closely links with Anna Chaplaincy and includes a section on long-term care, but the book assumes a chaplain who has trained as a church minister, is in a paid role and is working within an institutional setting. While Anna Chaplaincy includes people who are ordained and in paid roles, the majority of Anna Chaplains are lay volunteers. Though their ministry may involve visiting institutions like care homes, hospitals and hospices, they work across their local community under the umbrella of their sending church, or group of churches.
Marsh Center colleagues were affirming of Anna Chaplaincy in its innovative approach to spiritual care in later life, seeing a model that might be relevant in the US context, and though models of chaplaincy described in The Heart of a Chaplain differ, many of the principles apply to Anna Chaplaincy and the book makes interesting, helpful reading in reflecting on our methodology and calling in coming alongside older people.
The insights and best practice guidelines contained are especially relevant to Anna Chaplains who work in care home settings. A small number of care homes appoint a paid chaplain to their staff team (including Methodist Homes). This means they are working as part of a multidisciplinary team in contributing to care planning and provision, ensuring spiritual needs are assessed and spiritual care offered. Anna Chaplains don’t have access to care plans and are not included in staff discussions on care, but many say that they are seen as a member of the team and treated as such by staff. They can contribute to the documentation of spiritual needs and wishes by sharing with staff (with permission) what residents tell them about their faith and things that bring them a sense of purpose and meaning in life.
In these ways, Anna Chaplains are fulfilling similar roles to chaplains employed by an institution and described in the book: being part of a holistic approach to care and support; advocating on behalf of individuals; being person-centred in responding in each situation that arises; bringing a ministry of presence; caring for the whole community including the staff team.
A key tenet of Anna Chaplaincy is to encourage ‘professionalism’ and best practice in how we approach spiritual care in later life, and it is in this domain that The Heart of a Chaplain sheds light helpfully on approaches we might explore:
Understanding the distinctive role of a chaplain
The book unpacks the heart of chaplaincy, as the title suggests. Chapter 8, ‘Frequently asked questions’, covers helpful ground in understanding how chaplaincy and evangelism link, the role of prayer and working with other non-Christian groups, among several relevant questions. Throughout the book, there are helpful descriptions of the history and nature of chaplaincy ministry, its spiritual formation and calling. ‘Chaplaincy appears to be the fastest growing ministry in the United States’ (p. 8); hence B. H. Carroll Theological Institute establishing the Marsh Center for Chaplain Studies to help train and accredit chaplains.
Here are some helpful definitions of chaplaincy from Chapter 1:
‘A chaplain is a “visible reminder of the Holy.”
‘Representing the sacred is neither a badge one wears nor a job. Serving as a chaplain is a response to a call.’
‘Chaplains are sojourners with others in their spiritual journey, providing a ministry of purpose and a calming presence in the middle of chaos.’
‘Chaplains should be accessible, engaged, trustworthy, humble and relational. They should be compassionate, confidential, curious, creative and credible. They should be listeners, counsellors and collaborators.’
‘Chaplains see the blind spots of leadership and advocate for those with muted voices.
‘Chaplains express genuine care for the souls of all individuals within their purview, regardless of how different they may look, act, think or believe.’
The imperative to grow, reflect and learn continually as a chaplain
As would be expected, The Heart of a Chaplain says much about the skills needed in chaplaincy and provides a helpful tool in an appendix for developing competency in the role. This allows the chaplain, with the help of a mentor, to assess and increase their level of competency in a number of key areas. Many of the 19 competencies listed are relevant to Anna Chaplaincy, of which these are some examples:
Empathy/compassion
Containment (managing thoughts, feelings and behaviours so personal issues are not projected into the chaplain’s relationship with the other)
Pastoral identity (using pastoral skills in ways that allow the other to find spiritual healing)
Self-care
Communication skills
Theological expertise
Ability to learn (apply learning, seeking constructive feedback and using it nondefensively)
Ability to engender a sense of safety and comfort
Attendance competence (attend to a person’s verbal and nonverbal communication so well that they experience healing and relief)
A suggested area of learning which we may not consider as Anna Chaplains, but which may engender sensitivity and relevance, is seeking to understand the disciplines and context of the places where we minister. This would suggest becoming familiar with the ethos and approaches of the care home we visit, grasping some of the contemporary themes and challenges in long-term care in the UK and understanding what the staff team are seeking to achieve for their residents.
A contribution we can make to organisational culture as chaplains is in the sphere of ethics. Chapter 9 covering ‘Special issues and challenges’, looks at virtues and principles, considering how the chaplain might enable organisations to look at the cardinal virtues of prudence, temperance, justice and courage, alongside theological virtues of faith, hope and love. Anna Chaplains in Kent are currently considering virtue ethics in developing their practice, with the aid of the Revd Dr Peter Hayler whose doctoral thesis as chaplain to the staff at the University of Cambridge looked at ethics as a way of reflecting on chaplaincy practice.
The book includes enlightening memorable stories from chaplains which are thought-provoking and encouraging. Though the focus of the book is paid professional chaplaincy roles, it has much to say about the undergirding principles of Anna Chaplaincy as we strive to practice safely and professionally and is recommended as excellent background reading.
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