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The Spiritual Responsibility to Support and Advance the Ministries and Impact of Unitarian Universalist Chaplains
Chaplaincy has a long history of serving beyond the walls of our congregations.
Chaplains have risked their lives to provide spiritual care while serving in potentially dangerous environments. Traditional Chaplaincy has largely involved a multi-faith perspective. Arguably, this inherently positions some spiritually agile faith traditions such as Unitarian Universalist and Buddhists Chaplains, for example, as uniquely suited for this holy work. The following will focus on my perspective as a Unitarian Universalist reflecting on Chaplaincy in my faith tradition.
Long gone are the days where Chaplains only served in hospitals, military institutions, or as spiritual confidants to royal families. Today, Chaplains serve in all types of organizations such as federal agencies, prisons, nursing homes, online groups, and anywhere people need spiritual care.
Our parishes are sacred ground, yet many people do not have the ability or privilege to enter such places on a regular basis. Chaplains bring not only the sacred to the people, but hope, support, resilience, and listening hearts. A Chaplains ministry supports healthy, holistic care.
Despite chaplaincy being one of the oldest and most prevalent forms of community ministry, the profession continues to evolve. The Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) and Unitarian Universalist Society of Community Ministries (UUSCM) have stepped up to create a new pathway for Unitarian Universalist Chaplains, for example. This groundbreaking pathway does not require receiving fellowship from the UUA Ministerial Fellowship Committee. Why does this matter?
In the past, without receiving fellowship, a Unitarian Universalist identified Chaplain would have to seek a different faith tradition to endorse their chaplaincy or forgo BCCi accreditation altogether. Itโs exciting to learn that this Unitarian Universalism has answered the call for a new, more inclusive pathway to meet modern needs.
This new pathway provides a clear, rigorous process for accountability and professionalism that includes but isnโt limited to an interview, essays, and documentation demonstrating active engagement with the UU faith, awareness and knowledge of UU values and identity, and a commitment to live into those values as a BCCi Chaplain.
If you have been called to Unitarian Universalist Chaplaincy, visit the UUSCM Chaplaincy Endorsement web page to learn more: https://www.uuscm.org/Endorsement. UUSCM is available to support and accompany you on your chaplaincy accreditation journey and ministry.
Unitarian Universalist is an inclusive faith tradition that aligns uniquely well with the inter and multi-faith competencies required of Chaplains. This fact speaks to and inspires our spiritual responsibility to support and advance the ministries and impact of Unitarian Universalist Chaplains.
The same way affiliated community ministers represent their congregations as they enrich the broader community and increase the social commitment of their local congregation, Unitarian Universalist Chaplains have a similar symbiotic relationship with our faith. Specifically, Unitarian Universalist Chaplains represent the loving spirit of our faith tradition in the wider world. Supporting their ministries are one of the ways in which we live into our spiritual commitment to advance love as global citizens.
Unitarian Universalism is stronger when we support the various and agile ministries that meet the changing, diverse needs of our world community. You can support UU Chaplaincy and the loving spirit of our faith tradition by sharing this article and donating (https://www.uuscm.org/Donate) to UUSCM today.
If youโre interested in pursuing Interfaith Chaplaincy education, consider The Chaplaincy Institute at https://chaplaincyinstitute.org.
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