About Federal Chaplains

Mission Statement

"To support the chaplaincies of the church in federal agencies, institutions, and armed forces, and to provide for the pastoral care of those called to these ministries."

From this mission the Bureau for Federal Chaplaincy Ministries provides:

A continuing education and spiritual nurture for chaplaincies

Liaison between federal agencies and the ELCA

Recruitment of chaplains (administrative assistance)

Ongoing communication with chaplains

Deepening and strengthening of ties between chaplains and the ELCA

Active participation within the interfaith chaplain community

Materials to support chaplain ministries

Staff

	The Reverend Darrell Morton Assistant to the Presiding Bishop for Federal Chaplaincy Ministries biography
	Terry Fulton Administrative Assistant

Contact

The Bureau for Federal Chaplaincy Ministries finds its origin in the ELCA Constitution, Bylaws, and Continuing Resolutions, where the responsibilities of the presiding bishop are listed. It reads:

15.11.B03. Responsibility for Federal Chaplaincy Ministries

To assist in the fulfillment of constitutional provision 13.21.j., the presiding bishop shall have a staff member appointed by the presiding bishop who shall be an assistant to the presiding bishop of this church to carry out duties related to the chaplaincies of this church in the U.S. armed forces, the Veterans Affairs Administration, and other federal agencies and institutions. The assistant to the presiding bishop for federal chaplaincies shall:

a. Supervise the operation of the Bureau for Federal Chaplaincy
Ministries of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America;

b. Fulfill the requirements for endorsement of candidates for services in
federal chaplaincies; and

c. Seek periodically the advice and counsel of the inter-Lutheran
committee for federal chaplaincies whose members of this church
shall be appointed by the presiding bishop.

Place in the Organizational Structure:

- Office of the Presiding Bishop

- Department for Synodical Relations: Bureau for Federal Chaplaincy Ministries

- Assistant to the Bishop for Federal Chaplaincy Ministries

- Administrative Assistant