A school chaplain performs religious services, provides counseling, and organizes community events for students, staff, and parents. While this role is often associated with Christian-faith communities, it can serve several faiths. The chaplain supports students’ spiritual growth and development through religious services, observances, and occasionally through religious and educational programming.
Education and Qualifications
In most cases, a chaplain must be licensed and ordained. Chaplains typically have a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in divinity or some equivalent.
Responsibilities and a Day in the Life
Chaplains mainly work during school hours, but this role has no defined work schedule. Chaplains make themselves available for evening or weekend events.
Though daily responsibilities may vary based on many factors; some of the common ones include the following:
- Preparing for sermons by researching and writing the materials to present lessons.
- Preaching at school assemblies.
- Providing pastoral support to staff and students.
- Organizing and leading festivals like Christmas, Easter, and Thanksgiving (or even Diwali, Yom Kippur, etc., at non-denominational schools).
- Defining the strategic goals and vision of the chapel by closely working with the board, school leadership team members, and staff.
- Implementing a plan to achieve the vision by leading weekly staff meetings.
- Monitoring and presenting progress and taking necessary corrective actions.
- Developing, implementing, and leading activities through staff and volunteers.
- Administering all aspects of the chapel, including facility management.
- Leading an effective program for hospital visitation and home visits.
- Conducting counseling sessions.
- Performing wedding ceremonies.
- Conducting funerals.
- Ensuring adherence to chapel policies and procedures.
- Maintaining a ministry of presence for students, parents, faculty, and staff to support the school community and its mission
Other Necessary Skills
- Ability to empathize with the congregation.
- Spiritual and personal integrity.
- Good communication and presentation skills.
- Strong leadership skills.
- Motivational skills.
Salary
- According to BLS, the median salary for a chaplain is about $57K.
Job Growth
According to BLS, there were about…
- 51K clergy jobs in 2021
- BLS does not provide further details for this occupation.
Summary
If you are someone who finds the following characteristics of this job appealing, you can consider being a chaplain as your future career:
- Spiritually mature and God-centered
- Loving and compassionate
- Humble, honest, and accountable
- Love to work with children
Similar to pastors, chaplains are involved during the most meaningful times in people’s lives, such as weddings, illness, death, and family conflicts. So, this could be a very fulfilling and satisfying profession.
