Christianity Today flags chaplaincy role

Christianity Today reported on August 5 that chaplaincy is growing across the military, hospitals, campuses and other public institutions even as chaplains disagree over what the job is for and how it should be done. The article, by Jack Panyard, described a profession in demand after the COVID-19 pandemic and under new public scrutiny as federal and state officials debate where chaplains belong in civic life. Navy chaplain Eliseo Morales was the article’s opening example. Christianity Today said Morales, a 35-year-old Presbyterian stationed on the USS John P. Murtha since 2024, met Artemis II astronaut Reid Wiseman after the April 10 splashdown off the San Diego coast. At an April 16 press conference, Wiseman said, “I’m not really a religious person, but there was just no other avenue for me to explain anything,” after asking to see a chaplain. (christianitytoday.com) Morales told the magazine he did not proselytize and instead listened as Wiseman broke down in tears. ### Why is chaplaincy getting more attention now? Christianity Today said the profession has “been having a moment” since the pandemic, with demand rising not only in the federal government but also at the state level. The article tied that attention to recent policy fights over chaplains’ place in public institutions, especially in the military. (christianitytoday.com) Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was one of the named officials in that debate. Christianity Today said Hegseth announced major changes to the military chaplain corps in December and, in April, removed Major General William Green as Army chief of chaplains while arguing Green had been teaching “secular humanism.” Separate reporting by Stars and Stripes said the Pentagon this year also moved to have chaplains display religious insignia rather than rank insignia on some uniforms and reduced recognized faith codes to 31 from more than 200. (christianitytoday.com) ### What are chaplains disagreeing about? Christianity Today’s framing was that chaplains do not agree on “what chaplains are supposed to do.” The article presented that disagreement as practical, not abstract: duties vary by institution, expectations differ across denominations, and the balance between explicit religious ministry and broadly framed spiritual care changes from one setting to another. (christianitytoday.com) The article’s account of Morales illustrated that tension. Morales said his encounter with Wiseman reinforced his belief that everyone needs spiritual care, while the magazine also noted that he did not try to convert the astronaut during the conversation. That combination — visible religious identity, but care offered in a plural setting — sits at the center of the disputes the article described. (christianitytoday.com) ### Why is the job so hard to define? North Star Monthly offered a second example on August 5 in a first-person column by Abby Pollender, the interfaith chaplain at Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital. Pollender wrote that she is retiring after 17 years in the role and after roughly 25 years in hospice and palliative-care work. She described chaplaincy as the “highlight” of her working life and said the work drew on earlier jobs that ranged from teaching swimming lessons to managing a group home and reporting in three states. (christianitytoday.com) Pollender’s column did not try to settle the profession’s argument. Instead, it showed how broad the work can be in practice. She wrote that the hospital role included serving in a place “where babies are born, people receive healing care, and life’s unexpected twists bring feared results,” and said interfaith chaplaincy had not been on her list of possible careers when she was in college. (northstarmonthly.com) ### Where does the debate go next? Christianity Today’s article said the argument is continuing as federal and state leaders keep debating chaplains’ place in society. The magazine’s own reporting located the next phase in policy fights over military and public-sector chaplaincy, while Pollender’s retirement leaves Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital preparing for a successor “bringing new ideas and new insights,” as she wrote. (christianitytoday.com) (northstarmonthly.com)