Different parts of the church have different expectations when it comes to the preparation for ministry. In our corner of the church, we have a long-established tradition of a highly educated clergy. Although we now recognize that there are multiple paths to the ministry and have eased off from the rigid standards of a few decades ago, it is still the expectation that a minister have a rigorous academic preparation. The standard remains a three-year master’s degree following a four-year bachelor’s. There are parts of the church where academic preparation is not stressed in the same way. There are ordained ministers who have not graduated from high school and in some denominations a high school diploma plus two years of bible college, often at an unaccredited institution, is the norm in terms of academic preparation.

This wide variation has resulted in challenges for places where ministers from many different denominations serve together, such as in chaplaincies in hospitals or law enforcement. While I have both undergraduate and graduate credits in ethics and am required by my denomination to take recurrent boundary training every five years, I have colleagues who have never had a professional ethics course.

In response to this variation, different organizations have grown up to help with the credentialing of professional chaplains. In the law enforcement community, the most widely recognized organization is the International Convention of Police Chaplains (ICPC). In the United States the ICPC holds an annual training session at its national convention as well as annual regional training events. Yesterday, today and tomorrow I am participating in the ICPC Region 3 training. ICPC credentials are not required for law enforcement chaplaincy in our area. Our Sheriff’s office has six chaplains, but only two of us are participating in this training.

For me personally it is not a matter of “What are the minimum requirements,” but rather, “What best equips me for ministry in my setting?” The courses vary in terms of my familiarity and expertise in the subject. Yesterday I attended sessions on crime scene procedures, blood born pathogens, and regional drug enforcement. Those are all areas where I have less knowledge and there was much to learn. For the most part I was glad to learn that the procedures that we follow in our department are in keeping with the latest information. Still there were plenty of nuances and details of which I had been unaware and attending the classes was well worth my time.

I also attended a session on death notification. While there was good information to be learned in that session, I suspect that it was geared to beginning chaplains. Such was appropriate. I sat next to a young chaplain who had never participated in a death notification. I’ve been doing them for nearly 40 years and suspect that I have participated in as many as the instructor. I had to hold my tongue from time to time, especially when the talk turned to suicide response, an area of specialization for me. I’ve invested the last 20 years in honing my skills for this difficult and necessary ministry and I have great passion about how we talk about suicide and how we provide care and support for survivors.

Today’s sessions look to be more of a mixture of topics. Unfortunately, the courses required for basic certification as a law enforcement chaplain are, from my perspective, incredibly elementary. There is a part of me that wants to ask, “How did you become a minister without learning this?” Still, the fact that there are colleagues who lack this basic information and training demonstrates the need for this level of education. I only wonder about my colleagues who do not participate in these opportunities for continuing education.

So much of what we do in ministry is of critical importance for the people we serve. It doesn’t matter how many death notifications I have made in the past, each one is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the family to whom I am delivering news. Each is critically important and each family deserves the best we can bring to the situation. This is true of many other aspects of ministry as well. For some people, their judgement of the entire church will be based on the quality of my interaction with them. It isn’t fair, but it does happen. This means that I not only have the power to damage relationships between people and God, I also have the possibility of opening people to new experiences and a deepening relationship with God. It is a heavy responsibility.

I’ve been lucky to be skilled and experienced at academic study. I read and retain information well. I can listen and discern which information is most important. I know how and when to take notes. Tests and quizzes are easy for me. I know that this is not the same for other learners. There are many different styles of learning and listening to PowerPoint presentations with questions to follow isn’t the best way for many to add to their information and knowledge. Still, I remain committed to the maintenance of basic academic standards for ministers. Our work is too critical to be left to chance. The truth we are asked to carry is too important to be left to uninformed opinion.

We who serve in chaplaincies work daily with some of the most highly trained and professionals in our community. Our law enforcement colleagues train continually and maintain the highest standards. We owe it to them to approach our part of the work with the same dedication and professionalism. Being a chaplain is much more than wearing the right clothing and having a cross on your lapel.

So I am investing my time, which means long days this week. I go to the office early to get my desk work done and return to the office in the evening for meetings and other responsibilities. I check my email and answer messages during the breaks. I try to bring the best of my focus to the sessions and learn as much as I am able. I can’t control the decisions or training of my colleagues, but I can prepare as best as I know how for the challenges that lie ahead in my ministry.

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