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There are many definitions of what chaplaincy is. Perhaps the most accurate is 'loitering with intent'. Chaplains are at large in the community in all sorts of areas. They are found in prisons, schools, hospitals, aged care facilities, in sporting clubs, in police stations, in detention centres, in universities, among people with disabilities and in times of disaster. Chaplains are present building relationships, providing encouragement and understanding. They loiter with the intent of being a resource in all of the highs and lows of human life.

Chaplains are in a very real sense on the front line of representing (making present again) Jesus to the world God loves. These are key roles and demand the best people the church has to offer. It takes a special gift to be accepted among a largely unchurched community and to journey with people starting wherever they are.

There are chaplains in many of the Uniting Church agencies. A number of these come from other denominational backgrounds. There are also a variety of ecumenical chaplaincies overseen by the South Australian Heads of Christian Churches Chaplaincy Committee (HC4). Uniting Church ministers are among those in these appointments. Click here to read more.

Chaplains work with caring professionals in a veriety of settings, from prisons to hospitals, aged care and schools.