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"What Is An Ecclesiastical Endorsement?" by David B. Plummer ©1999 rev. 2005 As an ecclesiastical endorsing agent for over seven years, I regularly receive calls from prospective chaplains who ask for "credentials" so that they can become "full-fledged chaplains." They often call with a number of mistaken notions. Some have never heard of the term "endorsement." Some think that an ecclesiastical endorsement is the same as ordination or perhaps is like a letter of recommendation. Many also think that the process of endorsement is a simple, overnight process. In truth, few chaplains and even fewer pastors understand just what an ecclesiastical endorsement is and means. What An Endorsement Is Not An ecclesiastical endorsement is not a letter of recommendation. Anyone or any church can write a recommendation. Only recognized ecclesiastical endorsing agencies can legally endorse. An ecclesiastical endorsement is not ordination. Only a denomination, faith group, or church has the God-given authority to ordain. The Coalition of Spirit-filled Churches (CSC) respects and recognizes the autonomous authority of its member churches and fellowship groups to ordain their clergy. Subsequently, CSC will occasionally ordain prospective chaplains on the authority and at the request of the churches and fellowship groups that it represents. What An Endorsement Is An ecclesiastical endorsement is a legal document that states that an ordained minister is spiritually, doctrinally, educationally, and professionally qualified to represent his/her church in a specialized setting (beyond the local church) ministering to all in a religiously diverse context. Simply stated, an endorsement is the document that makes a "general" minister a very specialized one -- a "chaplain." What is the CSC's Application Process? Before the CSC will endorse a minister, he/she must complete a very thorough application process. All ministers must document their basic background information, testimony (of salvation and neo-Pentecostal beliefs and experiences), education, and professional experience. The CSC generally requires no specific educational or professional ministry background beyond that which the prospective chaplain's institution requires. Nevertheless, the CSC desires that its professional chaplains have some form of clinical education in their educational process. Next, the CSC will conduct a criminal background check with a licensed private investigator as well as a spiritual background check with the minister's pastor, ministerial colleagues, and ordaining authorities. Professional chaplaincy applicants will be then interviewed in-person by a member or friend of the CSC organization. In addition to all of the above requirements, the prospective chaplain will be instructed that he/she must have a servant's heart and a willingness to minister to all people regardless of their ethnic, religious backgrounds, and moral values. This is quite a challenge to many clergy, but if a minister desires to be a chaplain he/she must agree, in writing, to be a servant to all, without discrimination. The Significance of An Endorsement An endorsement is only good for a
specific period of time, for a specific
institution. Endorsement means that a minister is
on temporary "loan" from their church
to an organization. At almost anytime, for a
variety of reasons, a chaplain can have his/her
endorsement withdrawn and the minister quickly
becomes a "non-chaplain." Further, if
the chaplain does not perform to the high
standards of chaplaincy or is guilty of major sin,
he/she is likely to find their endorsement non-renewed,
if not "pulled" (prematurely terminated).
Ultimately, endorsement links all chaplains to
their churches in matters of accountability and
spiritual oversight. Thus, chaplains are
continuously accountable to their sponsoring
church, ordaining authority, the endorsing agency,
and to the institution of which they are a part. |
