Anglican Chaplains are dedicated to showing God's love to everyone they meet. They are the church's face in the world outside church. They typically provide a listening ear, spiritual guidance, emotional support, religious services and community activities. Chaplains can be ordained or lay ministers. 

Anglican Chaplains often work closely with chaplains from other Christian denominations and other religions. They also follow the historical Anglican ideal of caring for all regardless of their religious belief.

Where do chaplains work?

Chaplains usually work within a secular institution such as a hospital, university or shopping centre. They may have a dedicated space, such as a prayer room or chaplaincy centre.

Hospitals

Hospital chaplains are available to support patients, their families and hospital staff. Hospital chaplains are often specialists in grief and loss care, crisis intervention, conflict resolution and the range of services available to patients and staff inside and outside the hospital.

Prisons

Anglican Chaplains work within a multi-faith team to care for the spiritual and emotional wellbeing of prisoners. They also help with practical aspects of prisoner rehabilitation.

The armed forces

Military chaplains take care of the spiritual and moral wellbeing of servicemen and women and often have to go into dangerous situations with them. Armed forces chaplains are currently serving in Afghanistan.

Universities

Chaplains offer counselling, support and guidance in matters of faith and spiritual development to students and staff. They arrange events to help develop a sense of community within the university.

International communities

Our historic church can be the ideal base for encouraging often isolated ethnic minority church leaders, for enabling them to relate outside their particular ethnic or cultural grouping in order that we may all benefit from their presence in our community so that together we can be witnesses for Jesus our Lord to people who do not yet follow him.

The workplace

There are numerous chaplains caring for people in workplaces across the diocese. They can be found in places as diverse as shopping centres, law firms, train stations and Heathrow Airport. Workplace chaplains provide emotional support, spiritual guidance and help by being a person to talk to who is not a part of the competitive workplace.

Many parish clergy act as chaplains to local businesses in their parishes.

Among Deaf and Deafblind People

The Church of England believes that Deaf and Deafblind people have an equal right to access the life and worship of their local parish and Diocese. The Chaplaincy among Deaf and Deafblind People exists to enable people who are Deaf or Deafblind to play a full part in the life of the Church, at every level.