Chaplains today are on the cutting-edge of delivering effective ministry with rapidly expanding opportunities. Chaplains fulfill a sacred calling to accompany and provide professional support and spiritual nurture for everyone in their distinctive secular communities, which authorize and hold them accountable. This ministry requires specialized knowledge, competencies, and initiative to meet a broad range of human needs. With 37 contributors representing 914 years of chaplaincy experience, The Heart of a Chaplain examines several essential questions; highlights the need for competency, endorsement, and continual training; explores six major types of chaplaincy; offers a mentoring tool in the appendix; and, provides an extensive resource section. The “memorable moments” will leave you laughing or crying with joy.

“When I learned of this book’s publication, my first reaction was ‘It’s about time!’ The Heart of a Chaplain is a masterful, comprehensive work that is long overdue. The chaplaincy in all its applications owes a debt of gratitude to the creators and collaborators who made this dream come true.”

―Dondi E. Costin, PhD, President of Charleston Southern University; major general, US Air Force, retired; 18th Air Force chief of chaplains

“The Heart of a Chaplain is an ideal text for those exploring a chaplaincy vocation, faith groups who endorse clergy for chaplaincy positions, and seminaries interested in training chaplains. The book addresses the uniqueness of chaplaincy and chaplains’ roles; the wide field of chaplain positions; historical, US Constitutional, and faith foundations for the vocation; and qualifications and competencies for professional success. To be mentored by multiple chaplain experts individually would be impossible; this text allows the readers to learn from the thirty-seven chaplain authors who are experts in the field.”

―Rev. Dr. Jan McCormack, BCC, ACPE CE, chair of chaplaincy and pastoral counseling programs, Denver Seminary; coauthor of The Work of the Chaplain

“Professional chaplaincy engages ministry with broad lenses, refusing to be pigeonholed to one religious tradition or particular service field. Therefore, a thorough study of a full breadth of professional spiritual care is needed. The Heart of a Chaplain: Exploring Essentials for Ministry is a practical resource to understand the width and depth of this wonderful service in honor of the Holy.”

―Chaplain Joe Perez, past president of Association of Professional Chaplains, chief mission & ministry officer for Baptist Health System

Dr. Jim Browning served as a hospital and military active-duty chaplain and is the Marsh Center for Chaplain Studies Director. Dr. Jim Spivey served as a seminary senior fellow, a military reserve chaplain, and the visionary of the Marsh Center. The Marsh Center is a chaplain-focused center of B. H. Carroll Theological Institute, partnering to equip chaplains, provide solutions for their ministry, and advocate on their behalf.