Paper on Chaplaincy received by ASC

Friday, 19 August 2011

The survey is designed to assist the MEC to identify the range of contexts in which Lay Preachers serve and their roles and tasks.

This will include understanding the processes and standards for training and assessment of Lay Preachers and what currently is in place to supervise and support Lay Preachers. The survey also seeks to understand the roles and recognition of non-accredited lay preachers and worship leaders.

The survey results will form part of a review that the MEC is conducting this year. All accredited Lay Worship Leaders & Preachers and non accredited lay worship leaders and preachers are invited to participate. Go to this link to complete the online survey or go to

The closing date for contributions to the survey is May 31.

A paper on the role and responsibilities of Ministers and lay people serving as Chaplains and other similar ministries was received by the ASC and has now been sent to agencies, presbyteries and other councils of the church that employ chaplains with the encouragement to send it on to chaplains. People are invited to respond to the paper and some questions have been provided in a covering letter. The paper is online here.

The paper was developed in response to the number of persons from non UCA backgrounds leading Agencies and Schools havng increased significantly in the last 20 years in entities that often apply contemporary corporate governance models. Lay persons are filling in a larger proportion of chaplaincy positions and more ordained persons are coming from non UCA backgrounds.

The theological understanding of mission, ministry and the church has also changed over the last 20 years and has implications for the ministry of chaplaincy which is causing confusion and sometime conflict, between Agencies/Schools, Ministers serving as chaplains and/or Councils of the Church and differing expectations about how Agencies /Schools operate as sacramental communities.

This paper was prepared after consultation with the network of Synod school liaison persons, Synod Chaplaincy Co-ordinators and other appropriate persons and after obtaining various background papers and speaking with several people involved with chaplaincy; inviting them to make comments on the drafts. It was decided that the paper be more widely distributed to schools, agencies and other interested parties for feedback and input on the operation of chaplains in their particular contexts.

The paper will go some way towards clarifying the role and expectations of chaplaincy and other similar ministries in UCA in a 21^st century context.

The paper has been prepared by Rev Dr Chris Walker, National Consultant Theology and Discipleship with Rob Brown, Wendie Wilkie and Michelle Cook. Topics in the paper include: