Life as an Army Chaplain is a calling like no other. Belonging to a remarkable organisation of young men and women, sharing your life with them and serving alongside them wherever they go brings tremendous opportunities and challenges. It is a vocation that is both demanding and rewarding and offers an adventurous journey of faith.
Reverend Mark Grant-Jones.
Reverend Amy Walters.
Reverend Mark Nightingale.
Reverend Lorraine Watts.
Reverend Ivan Linton.
Chaplain General to His Majesty’s Land Forces, The Reverend Canon Michael Parker.
Rabbi Nir Nadav.
British Army Regular and Reserve chaplains are Professionally Qualified Officers who care for the Army’s people by:
- Delivering pastoral care to everyone at home and abroad
- Providing or facilitating spiritual support publicly and privately, at every level of the Army
- Offering moral guidance and ethical leadership to Service personnel and the Chain of Command
Our chaplains care for the whole force and their families irrespective of faith, world philosophy or status.
I felt a sense of these young people, soldiers, going off to do what was an incredibly difficult job with huge unknown elements to it and that I should be involved in supporting them.
Some chaplains like Revd Mark Grant-Jones, an instructor at the Armed Forces Chaplaincy Centre, are drawn to ministry in the Army by world events:
“I was a Baptist Minister in Kent and it was during the build-up to the war in Iraq and Afghanistan when I began to see military chaplains being interviewed.
"I felt a sense of these young people, soldiers, going off to do what was an incredibly difficult job with huge unknown elements to it and that I should be involved in supporting them.”
My calling to ministry was to serve people and I thought I could continue to do that in the Army. Since joining I have been able to travel overseas to Canada, Europe and Turkey and see the Army operating in lots of different ways. It has been incredible.
For Revd Amy Walters, who currently works at Army Headquarters, it was a sense of wanting to serve others. She said:
“I wanted to be able to serve people. My calling to ministry was to serve people and I thought I could continue to do that in the Army.
"Since joining I have been able to travel overseas to Canada, Europe and Turkey and see the Army operating in lots of different ways. It has been incredible.”
I learn different ways of how to offer pastoral care, spiritual support and moral guidance that is needed for those I am called to serve.
Serving as an Army chaplain takes you on a new journey as you become part of your unit’s family, as experienced by Revd Mark Nightingale, Chaplain to The Royal Tank Regiment:
“Being able to journey through work and life with its people is fulfilling. Being on exercise with a squadron, walking around the tank park, or leading Acts of Remembrance, field services, weddings and baptisms is something every chaplain enjoys.
"As I live life amongst my unit, I learn different ways of how to offer pastoral care, spiritual support and moral guidance that is needed for those I am called to serve.
"It is good to be exhilarated and my job offers this time and time again.”
I decided that I would really like to have an adventure to see ministry in a different context and Army chaplaincy seemed to be the perfect opportunity.
Not all chaplains join within the first few years of being ordained and will wait until the time is right for them.
Revd Lorraine Watts, a single mum to four children, is Chaplain to 1 Signal Regiment and joined the Royal Army Chaplains’ Department in September 2023.
“It is only in the last three to four years I considered becoming an Army chaplain. I decided that I would really like to have an adventure to see ministry in a different context and Army chaplaincy seemed to be the perfect opportunity.
"It is not always easy and there are challenges but it’s definitely worth the journey and I love my job”, she said.
Our remit is to look after serving personnel and their families providing pastoral care to everyone, spiritual support to those who ask for it and moral guidance to individuals and the Chain of Command.
For more than two millennia, Armies have taken religious leaders and teachers with them to war.
The role of chaplains within the military has changed significantly, but their presence has remained as important as ever.
Revd Ivan Linton, Senior Chaplain to 102 Operational Sustainment Brigade, said:
“Since 2014 I have served as a Chaplain in the British Army, the area of ministry I felt called to.
"Our remit is to look after serving personnel and their families providing pastoral care to everyone, spiritual support to those who ask for it and moral guidance to individuals and the Chain of Command.
"Sometimes that can be in barracks, during a field exercise, or on operations; sometimes it’s in a phone call in the early hours from someone who needs to talk.
"Wherever and whenever, that may be, I am certain that God has called me to this ministry for his purposes.”
As chaplains, we have time for people and time to care for them. We celebrate with them. We listen to them when they're having problems. We are there for them in all the challenges they might face,
The Army Chaplains’ Department was formed on 23 September 1796 under the first Chaplain General, the Reverend John Gamble. Members of the department have ministered to British soldiers wherever they have been called upon to serve.
Their gallant and dedicated service during the First World War led to four chaplains being awarded the Victoria Cross and, faithful to the spirit of the department’s original warrant, chaplains continued to minister when the level of risk and personal discomfort was high.
In recognition of this service and sacrifice, the prefix ‘Royal’ was granted by King George V in 1919 following WWI.
It may to us be the smallest example of our vocation - listening, comforting, advising, praying - but to those we serve, it can be a life changing encounter.
Chaplains became synonymous with bringing comfort, care and compassion to those caught up in World Wars and since 1945 chaplains have continued to serve wherever British soldiers are sent.
The current Chaplain General is The Reverend Canon Michael D Parker KHC CF. After assuming the role of Chaplain General in May 2022, he said,
"As chaplains, we have time for people and time to care for them. We celebrate with them. We listen to them when they're having problems.
"We are there for them in all the challenges they might face, whether on operations, serving at home or times of separation from their families.
"It may to us be the smallest example of our vocation - listening, comforting, advising, praying - but to those we serve, it can be a life changing encounter.”
A chaplain is there for everyone irrespective of religion, belief or status. In days gone by, if you were a Jewish chaplain, you would care and be responsible solely for Jewish soldiers. Nowadays, you are more of a regular chaplain; you are there for everyone.
The Royal Army Chaplains’ Department is an increasingly diverse and multi-cultural organisation which recruits both religious and non-religious personnel and World Faith Chaplains.
Rabbi Nir Nadav, a Reserve Chaplain working with 156 Regiment Royal Logistic Corps said,
“A chaplain is there for everyone irrespective of religion, belief or status. In days gone by, if you were a Jewish chaplain, you would care and be responsible solely for Jewish soldiers.
"Nowadays, you are more of a regular chaplain; you are there for everyone. The main role is to care for the people in my unit whatever their needs may be.
"If they need something specifically religious that I can’t provide, I put them in contact with someone who can.”
The department currently has 139 Regular and 56 Reserve chaplains.
Find out more about the vocation of an Army Chaplain here.
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