First comes chaplain training,
leading to chaplain certification,
resulting in chaplain employment.

Questions about chaplain training, chaplain certification, chaplain employment and even how to become a chaplain were answered for me in Clinical Pastoral Education or CPE.

My goal is to help those with questions on how to become a chaplain learn a bit more without having to take the basic coursework first.

This website has as its focus information on career change and that is especially true of chaplaincy.

I can think of no better way to give you information about the basics of chaplain training, what is needed for chaplain certification, and keys to finding chaplain employment than to simply tell my chaplain career story.

My "Change Career Journey" to Chaplaincy

A Theological Reflection
by Chaplain Paul Slater

First of all, let me say that I believe in a very personal God, One whom the Psalmist could address as "My God", and the One whom Jesus said could be called upon as "Our Father".

The Apostle Paul suggested that we as "adopted children in the Family of God" could even call upon Him as "Abba", a term akin to our "Papa" or "Daddy".

Scripture has always been important to me and I have seen the Bible as a guide for faith and obedience all my life.

For a great source for Bibles in chaplaincy ministry Shop IBSDirect.com who provide quality, ministry-priced Bibles, New Testaments and other specialty Scripture products.

I believe that God has initiated a very personal relationship with me and that my God pursues that love relationship daily.

This is a relationship to be shared and I find great delight in telling others this special message of Good News: "God loves you and has wonderful plans for your life".

Yes, I actually believe God has a purpose for each one of us. For me, chaplaincy has become the pastoral ministry career I have chosen to fulfill God's purpose for my life.

How To Become A Chaplain: Getting from There to Here

But as I reflect on my practical faith, God's love and leadership, and my response to His purpose for my life, I ask the question "How did I get here, to the Center of Urban Ministry, to San Diego, California in the year 2002?"

And a further question I ask as I attempt to discover and interpret what God is doing in my life and my wife's as well is "What Now?"

Over the past 30 years of pastoring I have attempted to master a skill outside that of the pastorate. These skills include carpentry, electronics, and computer technology.

In fact I started a small computer repair and upgrading business in my last pastorate in order to support my "home mission habit".

That interest in computers led me to a Nazarene layman who operated several businesses employing over 200 people. He already owned the largest security company in Western Washington.

He saw that the Internet would be a part of his future strategy and asked if I would help him start an Internet service that was "family friendly".

ReachONE Internet Service was launched in 1999. We became the largest locally owned ISP in our county and had recently gone nationwide with our filtered service.

Meanwhile I had been re-evaluating my call to ministry, God's invitation to share the reality of Christ with people (rather than just working on computers).

I realized that I still had a call from God to help people know His will for every phase of their life. (Hmmm . . . maybe a new website for those who are thinking of what some call leaving the ministry but I view as expanding the ministry, aiding your chaplain job search, highlighting chaplain jobs, hospital chaplain jobs, chaplain certification.)

As I look back now that I have my Association of Professional Chaplain Certification, I appreciate the challenges experienced in my chaplain training, the process of chaplain certification, and finally the fulfillment of chaplain employment.

Continue the story by clicking Part 2: A Breakfast That Changed My Life and Started Me In Chaplain Training.