Our Program

Every gift to Empower Chaplaincy, no matter the size, directly empowers a rural pastor to access transformative education and all its benefits. Your support is crucial to a movement changing the world through chaplaincy. Together, we can make a lasting impact!

Our Mission & Vision

To provide a formal training program to assist rural pastors in becoming incarnational leaders, and finally an Endorsed Community Chaplains.

This study is centered around the training preparation for rural pastors to enter the many faith and non-faith homes, hospitals, and workplaces that are frequently a part of their regular services. It highlights the necessity for pastors to be equipped with the skills and training to minister effectively. This study aims to compel pastors towards formal credentialing. With adequate training and credentialing, they will be able to minister with a listening ear and direct people toward the knowledge of our heavenly Chaplain, Jesus Christ, ultimately transforming their lives and the lives of those around them.

Our Goals

Develop strategies to help rural pastors implement shalom, incarnational, and servant leadership relationships in their communities.
To provide training in chaplaincy care and the theories of caring for people facing daily moral, ethical, and quality-of-life decisions.
To develop an understanding of Missio Dei, the mission of God, which means "God is a missionary God." This principle is the foundation of chaplaincy, "to go," to be among those who are hungry and searching.
To gain an understanding of the terrain he or she will be working, symbolically speaking, the world of community economics, infrastructures, and community politics.
To gain a greater understanding of one’s calling and to understand the desirable skills, knowledge, attitudes, and practices necessary for chaplains to be competent to accept the mandate to message the gospel out to the community.

Our Values

Strong Work Ethic - Do you put in the extra time it takes to be ready? Ready to work, serve, worship, live, and obey God’s word. Successful rural pastors have a strong work ethic.
High Standards - Are you a person who barely passes the minimum standards or are you a person who maximizes the standards? By striving for the minimum standards, you are setting yourself up for possible failure and incurring injuries to yourself and the cause of Christ.
Servant Attitude - Understand that the ethos of chaplaincy is Service. The premise that serving Christ and serving others is an honor and a responsibility that requires self-sacrifice-belonging to and giving to something larger than ourselves.
Perpetual Student - Never stop learning. The individuals who joins as a Rural Community Chaplain values learning and adapting to their culture.
Minister’s License - They hold an Assemblies of God minister’s credential. They are bound to their calling by their integrity, trust, and accountability. They become the Rural Warrior’s whose personal and professional life reflects an attitude of determination and compassion.

What a Rural Community Chaplain is NOT:

They don’t need a higher education - only the required education needed to obtain a minster’s license
They don’t need to leave their church - The goal is to give more tools to continue pastoring their church and their community
They don’t need to take out a loan to join - The lower costs makes it possible for anyone to join

What You Will Learn

Personal Assessment

The first component to consider is the necessary gift sets for a person desiring to be a chaplain, especially in a rural setting. Is rural life suited for the person pursuing rural Community Chaplaincy? Most importantly, does the person sense a real calling to this specific type of ministry? This role offers not just a job but a path to personal and professional growth.

Community Assessment

As ministers of the gospel consider their role in influencing the local community and society, they should ask themselves: “What is my responsibility to civil government, public authorities, community leaders, political leaders, the education of children, and the economic well-being of the community?” In the early years of American government, it was widely understood that the church and its message were guardians of civil morality within a civil society.

Spiritual Leadership

The “Life in Rural America” survey reveals the incredible bonds rural Americans share with their communities, placing great importance on family, life, and work. Spiritual leaders in these areas should focus on nurturing relationships, celebrating diversity, and honoring the distinctiveness of rural life. This empowering approach inspires individuals to thrive and reach their fullest potential. Together, let’s celebrate these values and embark on an incredible journey of personal growth!

Springfield Immersion

Chaplains play a vital role in providing support in various settings beyond traditional churches, including workplaces, hospitals, and schools. They offer compassionate care to individuals of diverse faiths as well as those without any religious affiliation. By emphasizing empathy and active listening, chaplains foster connection and understanding, creating inclusive environments where everyone feels valued and heard.

On completion of the Rural Community Chaplaincy course they earn an endorsement from the Assemblies of God Commission on Chaplains and receive a Professional Development Certificate from Bakke Graduate University.