Fr. Daniel Sparks, Senior Editor
Traditional Anglican priest and U.S. Army chaplain.

About Fr. Daniel Sparks

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    Father Daniel Sparks is the senior editor of ArmyChaplaincy.com. He serves as a chaplain with the 36th Engineer Brigade at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico. He previously served with the 2nd Infantry Division and 43rd Sustainment Brigade at Fort Carson, Colorado. Fr. Sparks is a priest of the United Episcopal Church of North America (UECNA) and author of the book He Shall Direct Thy Paths: Reflections for America's Soldiers and Heroes.

Posts by Fr. Daniel Sparks:

    I’m a Second Lieutenant. Now what?

    Okay, you’ve been through the paperwork and your packet went before the chaplain candidate appointment board. You were approved and you’ve received your appointment packet, sworn the oath of office, and mailed the papers in. You’ve received your commission and your letter of appointment to the IRR. Now what?
    Education
    The most important thing [...]

    The chaplain candidate appointment process. Part 2.

    One of the most critical pieces in the chaplain candidate life cycle–and in the chaplaincy in general–is the ecclesiastical endorsement. For chaplain candidates, this is actually referred to as “ecclesiastical approval” instead of “ecclesiastical endorsement”. You will get nowhere as a prospective chaplain candidate/chaplain if you do not have an ecclesiastical approval/endorsement.
    What is [...]

    So you want to be a chaplain?

    If you have an interest in serving God and our country as an Army chaplain, here are some pointers for beginning your journey to soldier ministry. These suggestions are based on my own experience and knowledge and do not necessarily reflect official Army doctrine or policy.
    Chaplaincy qualifications
    To serve as a chaplain, you must fulfill [...]

    Chaplains and ethics

    Earlier today, I was searching for something online and ran accross this article on the JAG Central blog (the original source). I recognized the name of the Army chaplain involved in the matter–in June 2003, I trained with him for a couple of days at Fort Knox.
    I searched a little more and came up [...]