A while back, I wrote an article about banquet chaplains (Wade 2021), those who only show up to pray at the annual department banquet or who may make rounds once a month when they come to the station to go out to lunch with the Chief. I still think these “chaplains” should be removed from their positions and replaced with someone who will do the work more consistently. I hate explaining the difference between what we do when we both carry the same job title.

But a problem coming in a close second is that of chaplains with a Moses complex. What I mean by a Moses complex is the problem Jethro addressed in Exodus 18 when he did a little intervention with his son-in-law, telling him in no uncertain terms that he couldn’t, and shouldn’t, do it all. He pointed out that Moses needed to share the responsibility of leading the people of Israel. In the world of public safety chaplains, those with a Moses complex:

• Do it all themselves, no matter how big the organization or how many divisions it has

• Don’t work well with chaplains from other agencies.

• They are very protective and won’t let any new chaplains in

• Are seldom open to new ideas.

While they may be beloved and do good for a while, sometimes years, their behavior can have profound consequences.

1. They are ripe for frantic/overload burnout. (Wilding 2022, 2; Strobel 2022) These chaplains have no room for rest in their lives. They think that if the police or fire department runs 24/7/365, they must also be. So, they violate sabbath principles and take no rest from their work. But everyone needs to take breaks.

2. They limit what God can do. They don’t allow God to work through others and grow in their gifting and calling.

3. They refuse to hand over ministry to the next generation. As a result, when they retire or die, they need more time to be ready and qualified to continue their ministry. Often, when the chaplain dies, so does the chaplaincy. We all know our departments are not likely to find and train the next chaplain. Beyond the coursework and training, Chaplains must be mentored and discipled into their calling. It’s our responsibility to equip the next generation of chaplains.

Ultimately, a chaplain who refuses to pass the baton to the next generation is selfish and can hinder the work of the Holy Spirit. And we who praise the chaplain who does it all may be part of the problem.

I understand that many of our departments are lucky to get one chaplain. I get that. But for larger departments, especially, we have to work as a team and seek to develop ministries that can last through many generations of chaplains. That is part of the legacy of a good chaplaincy.

How Many Chaplains Are Needed?

Lessons learned in church ministry may help. Decades ago, after World War II, church management models suggested a ratio of one person (or full-time equivalent) for every 500 people in a congregation. By the 1990s, when I was an undergraduate, we learned a better ratio was 1:100. Today, the best practice is 1:76. (Steen 2018)

Granted, this research comes from parish ministry, but it seems a good start for a conversation about how many chaplains we need in public safety chaplaincy. I believe the demands of an effective chaplain program could sustain the same staffing level to engage in the department's life, not including chaplains who only run calls on the nights or weekends. But since serving the public is generally part of the job, it may take two or three chaplains to make up one full-time equivalent.

Benefits of Developing a Team

Increasing our staffing, by whatever means available, would support many helpful outcomes:

• Strategic functions for chaplains. Chaplains could be assigned to divisions within the department and run 911 calls. An example would be that chaplains should also be assigned to serve as part of the peer support team rather than being a competing entity.

• The establishment of deeper relationships. It is not possible to have deep relationships with large numbers of people. (Volpe 2022) A lower ratio of chaplains to first responders allows for deeper relationships.

• A reduction of stress on existing chaplains. Chaplains who feel they don’t have to do it all can be more effective with what they have and find time to relax outside the fire or police department.

• Helpful structure and accountability. This would include a chain of command.

  • Fitting into the existing NIMS/ICS functional models

  • Accountability at all levels to command staff

• A plan for bringing on new chaplains. This should include not only recruitment but onboarding and ongoing training.

• Care of current chaplains. We can take care of each other and be an example to our first responders of what it means to be a caring team.

• Coverage for when a chaplain needs to take a break. We all need time off, and with added margin built into the team, things won’t go undone when we need to take a break.

• Coordinating with chaplains in adjacent jurisdictions. This may include mutual aid, training events, retreats, fellowship, and encouragement.

It is important to remember that the Ministry of Public Safety chaplaincy is not ultimately about the chaplain. It’s about the work of God in the lives of our first responders and the public we all serve. Abandoning the Moses model and forming multi-faceted chaplain teams may be the best way to make chaplaincy effective and sustainable.