Qualifications for the U.S. Army Chaplain Candidate Program

Office: 770-968-7935 www.goarmy.com/chaplain Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/USArmyChaplainRecruitingSE/ Twitter: @chaplainrec_se https://youtu.be/PqRYavhyFTc So, you think you might be called to be an Army Chaplain? This video addresses a special program to help you become qualified for Army Chaplaincy. When we commission chaplains into Regular Army and into the reserves, the qualifications are significant in education and experience. But some applicants have not yet had any ministry experience or completed a Master’s of Divinity. The Chaplain Candidate Program of the US Army Reserve allows applicants to gain real, Army chaplain experience while working on the Master’s of Divinity degree as a full-time seminary student. The qualifications for the Chaplain Candidate program include the following: Citizenship, Age, education, physical health, moral/legal standing, endorsement, and ministerial experience. You do NOT have to be a United States citizen to be a Chaplain Candidate in the U.S. Army Reserve. You must only have legal standing as a permanent resident. Let’s talk about age: Chaplains accessing into the U.S. Army Chaplain Candidate Program must be less than 33 years old. We can sometimes grant an age waiver for applicants who are otherwise qualified and are a few years older than 33. Next is education: An applicant must have a bachelors degree with a 2.5 GPA or higher from an accredited institution. An applicant must also provide proof of admission into a seminary Master’s of Divinity program including 72 hours or more. Because each chaplain is also a Soldier, applicants must also be physically and mentally fit to serve in the Army. This has two parts: a physical examination and the ability to meet the Army height and weight standards. If you have undergone any injuries or surgeries, we will need to examine your situation to make sure you can physically perform the duties of a Soldier. Unfortunately, there are some conditions which are disqualifying. In addition to physical fitness, chaplain applicants must also be mentally fit. If you take required, prescribed medications for a mental condition, you may also be disqualified. The only way to know for sure if you have a disqualifying condition is to talk to a Chaplain Recruiter. Each applicant must also provide proof that they meet the current Army height and weight standard. The next qualification to consider is also one that applies to all Soldiers. Each applicant must be able to pass a background check that includes an examination that will uncover any issues of a legal or moral nature. Generally speaking, if you have never been convicted of a felony or you’ve never had a bankruptcy or issues with collections, you shouldn’t have any issues with the background check. I’ve saved the more challenging qualifications for the end. The first is Ecclesiastical Endorsement. Each chaplain must be endorsed by an ecclesiastical body to verify that they represent their particular faith group. This looks very different across religions and even denominations. To find your endorser, just Google your denomination and Army chaplain. You’ll know when you find the right person, they will already know the process for getting you endorsed. Here’s a great bit of news! You do not need any Pastoral Work Experience to become a Chaplain Candidate. Of course, any pastoral experience you have will make you a better candidate and eventually a better chaplain. So, what do you think? Do you now, or could you in the future, meet these qualifications? Are you called to chaplain ministry? If you would like to know more about chaplaincy in the context of the U.S. Army, or how to become an Army chaplain, please watch more videos on this channel and use the provided contact information to reach out to a Chaplain Recruiter. Please like and share our videos when appropriate and please subscribe to this channel for updates. Blessings to you and yours! For God and Country! Music by Josiah Stone Douthitt 2020 Video by Joseph Stone Douthitt 2020