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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 [...]
Email to Senator Richard Shelby about religious liberty in the military
Senator Shelby,
I urge you to take immediate action in the Senate to affirm the right of military chaplains and all military personnel and civilian employees to pray according to the dictates of their own religious traditions.
As a current Army Reserve officer who has applied for an active duty appointment as an Army chaplain, I am [...]
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 [...]
The chaplain candidate appointment process. Part 1.
You’ve decide to take the plunge and become a chaplain–or at least to become a chaplain candidate and test the water. The work has just begun.
The first part of serving as an Army chaplain candidate is submitting a packet for the appointment board. First, let’s run over the list of things you should [...]
How do I learn more about becoming a chaplain candidate? Part 2.
Additional ways to learn more about the Army chaplaincy and the chaplain candidate program:
Seek out chaplain candidates in your seminary. They can relate their own experiences firsthand. They may be able to help you with paperwork or with contacting the chaplain recruiter. They can tell you what the Chaplain Officer Basic Course [...]
How do I learn more about becoming a chaplain candidate? Part 1.
You’ve decided you’re interested in the challenges and opportunities of ministry as an Army chaplain. How do you learn more about it?
The first thing I recommend you do when considering the Army chaplaincy is to read a little about the requirements for appointment as a chaplain and about the ministry of the chaplaincy. [...]
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 [...]
