ECCLESIASTICAL ENDORSEMENT OF CHAPLAINCY FOR:
• Institutional Chaplain
• Hospital Chaplains
• Pastoral Counselors/Educators

General Baptist State Convention recognizes the fundamental mission of Chaplaincy is to offer pastoral care to all individuals by facilitating the opportunity to pursue individual spiritual beliefs and practices.

Academic Requirements

• Candidates for endorsement must possess an earned Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution with at least 120 semester hours. In addition, the candidate must have earned a Master of Divinity degree from an accredited seminary or school of theology.
• Completion of at least four (4) Clinical Pastoral Education units under supervised clinical practice in ministry.
• Institutional accreditation consists of recognition by the U. S. Department of Education as well as The Association of Theological Schools (ATS).

Ecclesiastical Endorsement

• The candidate’s association with the General State Baptist Convention must reflect at least one year of church membership in a participating congregation of the Convention.
• The endorsement will affirm the candidate’s aptness for ministry and support for his/her candidacy as well as an assurance that the candidate has no present or past legal or moral barrier to Congregational ministry as well as Chaplain ministry. Endorsement further affirms the candidate’s willingness to minister to all persons regardless of faith/non-faith affiliation.

Ethics

• Candidates must conform to guidelines established for areas of employment, financial and criminal history. Candidates must adhere to a “Do No Harm” philosophical stance in regard to ministry to all persons he/she might encounter.

Candidate Expectations

• The General Baptist State Convention expects candidates to earnestly consider endorsement by this faith group as he/she continues to answer their call to ministry with individuals in all walks of life. Every received application will receive consideration when all required documents are submitted.
• It is expected that endorsed Chaplains of the General Baptist State Convention agree to maintain continued maintenance of their endorsement by submitting documentation of at least thirty (30) hours of continuing education hours over a three (3) year period.