Priest, pastor or porthole: the role of a Navy chaplain

What do chaplains do? What is their role and their effectiveness? When asked about chaplaincy, many Defence leaders reply something like, 'I don't know what they do, but whatever they do seems to work'.

For some people outside Defence, and maybe even inside, 'the clerical collar suggests an ecclesiastical role that is about the Church as an institution, making it difficult for them to recognise that we may have other gifts, roles and ministries to offer'. Chaplains are not historically good at formally substantiating their value, preferring to rely on demonstrated achievements at a local, informal level.

Many sailors and officers do not understand or appreciate a chaplain's role unless they have had reason to seek them out for guidance, support or religious services. This recognition is often modified for those who have held a command, divisional officer or senior sailor position, when interactions with chaplains about personnel or morale issues are more common.

This paper explores what it is that Royal Australian Navy (RAN) chaplains do and how they do it. It shows how they participate in the organisational mission to 'fight and win at sea'. It also seeks to demystify some of the understandings surrounding chaplaincy both at sea and ashore.

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