Healthcare Chaplaincy
For ordained or lay ministers interested in non-federal hospital chaplaincy, The Episcopal Church helps facilitate the ecclesiastical healthcare endorsements required by professional chaplain organizations. See the list of requirements below.
For ordained Episcopal priests interested in serving as federal chaplains in Veterans Affairs hospitals, learn more here.
Requirements for healthcare chaplains board certification
To be eligible for service as a healthcare chaplain through The Episcopal Church, you must:
- Be a priest, deacon, or lay member in good standing.
- Have completed diocesan-sponsored sexual misconduct training.
- Meet the qualifications for board certification for the Association of Professional Chaplains, Association for Clinical Pastoral Education, or the College of Pastoral Supervision and Psychotherapy.
If you meet the above requirements:
- Inform your diocesan bishop that you are interested in board certification for healthcare chaplaincy.
- Please complete the Application for Ecclesiastical Healthcare Endorsement.
- Please provide the Armed Forces and Federal Ministries (AFFM) Office with a letter of concurrence from your diocesan bishop.
- Upon receipt of your materials, a letter of endorsement will be sent to the professional organization from which you are seeking board certification.
