The chaplain is a very special person.  The Chaplain is an ordained minister, but functions as a professional counselor, as a spiritual therapist and psycho theologian.  The chaplain may also be a doctor, a nurse, or medical missionary working in the jungles, the desert islands in the agricultural heartland or the big cities. 

The chaplain in traditional settings has many assignments. They function as church pastors or work in hospitals, prisons, the armed forces, truck stops, auto races, as well as public services such as the fire and police departments. 

his/her time fulfilling the duties of the average pastor, yet is the busiest, most sought after person in the world.  The average church pastor may visit three or four persons on a daily basis. The chaplain may see as many as twenty in one day.

The chaplain probably meets more people of diverse backgrounds and beliefs on a daily basis than the average parish pastor would in a lifetime, and faces a greater challenge of relating to those people.

The chaplain devotes many hours to individual counseling, and yet, they are not a psychiatrist. They relate to the social milieu of patients, yet are not social workers.  The Chaplains pray with anyone that is in need and conduct worship services in hospitals, raceways, truck stops, hospice centers and wherever needed.  The chaplain stands ready to assist in every situation, including employee relations.  One of their greatest attributes is their readiness to adapt to unusual circumstances and relate well to new cultures and values.  To successfully accomplish the tasks of the chaplain, one must be versatile, understanding and diversified.  The chaplain (in the hospital context) visits critical patients daily, and makes pre surgical visits, when possible, on all surgical patients.  The chaplain appreciates the hospital staff calling his/her attention to patients in particular need of pastoral attention.  The saying in medical circles is ..."We care ... God Cures".  This adds a bit of weight to the chaplains from the expectations of - patients, medical staff, and the patient's families - when it appears that medical help has failed.  The chaplain is then expected to be the facilitator instilling the much needed hope and confidence in a higher power to all concerned.

Listening is an art that is indispensable to the discharge of the chaplain's duties.  The chaplain frequently comes in contact with, patients, employees, accident victims, and military personnel in distress who often feel their cries have not been heard.  The deepest experience of God's love is to feel that their cries have been heard, understood and respected as distinct human beings and that their suffering has, at least, been shared by another.  Often, when people feel appreciated in this way, they can feel capable of being loved. The Chaplain is available when a victim, a patient, or a family is particularly distressed.  In all their rounds, the chaplain demonstrates the love of GOD through personal integrity, warmth, non possessive care and interest in all people.  There is a level beyond which usual medical care may not be sufficient. Most physiological ailments have their origins in emotional and psychological distress.  The effective chaplain helps to care for the body, the mind and the spirit of those in need of his/her services.  As the role of the chaplaincy grows, chaplains are involved in special areas of the ministry.  These include hospitals, military and public areas of life where structured programs are already in place.  One of the chaplain's primary responsibilities is to be available to individuals or groups for counseling and spiritual guidance when called upon.  The chaplain assists in the leadership of group meetings for or on behalf of stroke victims as well as assisting in the leadership of group meetings in the assessment of patients' needs.  The chaplain participates, as requested, in the treatment of patients, on both individual and group basis, who are experiencing excessive emotional stress.  The chaplain is available for group meetings, or talk outs with adolescents as well as adults, meeting the needs of everyone.  The chaplain has more diverse responsibilities than are required in regular pastoral work.  The chaplain is a liaison between parents and teens, between doctor and patient and between inmate and warden. In the military, the chaplain is the spiritual advisor, counselor and pastor on each military base and ships around the world.  A chaplain is often the most important person to each service person.   Next to the commander of the unit and the medical personnel the chaplain cares for them in all types of emergencies.