Rector’s Reflections
Monday 3rd June 2024
Chaplaincy in the 21st Century
Today I am starting a new series of reflections, on the subject of chaplaincy. What might effective chaplaincy look like, in our particular time and culture?
Let me start with explaining what I mean by the word “chaplaincy”. Basically, there are three different models for structuring Christian ministry, and chaplaincy is one of these three models. All three models have their strengths, and all have their weaknesses.
One model is to base ministry around the needs of a particular geographical area. I shall call this the parish ministry model, using the word “parish” to mean a geographical area allotted to a particular church. This is the traditional meaning of the word “parish” within the Church of England, although sometimes the word parish is used to refer to the congregation itself rather than to the geographical area which the congregation seeks to serve. The parish ministry model has been the main model of ministry within the Church of England, although some would say that its days are numbered.
The second model of ministry is based on the congregation, rather than any geographical area as such. The focus on ministry is the congregation which gathers for worship in a particular church. This congregational model is generally adopted by every church which is not part of the Established Church . In other words, in England, every church other than the Church of England tends to adopt the congregational model. North of the border, the Established Church is the Church of Scotland, so in Scotland, every church other than the Church of Scotland tends to adopt the congregational model. However, some Church of England churches have in fact given up on the parish model, and have become focussed on serving the needs of their own congregations rather than the wider community around them. This is typically true of some of the big congregations in urban settings, which draw members from a wide geographical area to experience high quality worship and preaching. For example, in our area of South Oxfordshire, I am aware of people who travel to Christ Church Abingdon, or to the Cathedral in Oxford. Both are examples of a congregational model of ministry.
The third model of ministry is chaplaincy. Chaplaincy is based neither on serving the needs of a particular area, nor on serving the needs of a particular congregation. Instead, it tends to be focused on serving the needs of a diverse community of people, who have come together for a whole variety of reasons. Hence there are chaplains working in schools, in hospitals, in prisons and in the armed forces. There are also chaplains who serve dispersed communities of people who share the same interest and concerns, for example chaplains who work among farmers and farm-workers. Chaplaincies come in all shapes and sizes, but the key feature is that they are not Church focussed. They care for people of all faiths and none.
These three models of ministry are not necessarily exclusive – for example, the parish model can be combined with the congregational model. However, in pratice, they are largely distinct. Historically, the Church of England has operated using the parish model. There is much pressure today to abandon the parish model and move to the congregational model. And there are also those who would encourage the Church of England to do more to promote the chaplaincy model. Does the future of the Church of England lie in the congregational model? Or even the chaplaincy model? What are the issues at stake? What are the strengths and weaknesses of each approach?
We shall explore these and other questions in the days ahead.