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In
cooperation with Freedom
Christian Ministries Association, and Freedom
Prison
Ministries, Freedom Bible College and
Seminary is pleased to offer qualified applicants
the opportunity to earn a recognized Bachelor's
Degree or a Certificate
in Christian Chaplaincy. Take your
ministry to another level, and gain
greater recognition, by earning a coveted FBCS Christian Chaplaincy
degree or certificate. Click here to view the
curriculum and here for the cost of the program.
Dr. John
Johnson
National Director
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The
FBCS Bachelor's Degree or Certificate
in Christian
Chaplaincy has been designed in response to a
growing recognition of the need to meet the unique educational and
certification requirements of those called to chaplaincy ministries. In
cooperation with Freedom Prison Ministries, a subsidiary ministry of Concepts
of Freedom Ministries, and Freedom Christian Ministries
Association, FBCS students
will be better prepared to credibly answer their call to the gospel
ministry of
chaplaincy through academic preparation and ecclesiastical endorsement.
The
program is ideally suited for anyone wishing to answer the call to
chaplaincy
ministries, as well as for those already involved in chaplaincy
ministry who
are seeking credible recognition
of their calling. |
The
FBCS Bachelor's Degree or Certificate
in Christian
Chaplaincy program is comprehensive and includes
academic preparation in both correctional and hospital
or nursing home
chaplaincy. The FBCS Bachelor's Degree or Certified
Christian Chaplaincy Program has been designed
especially for the minister operating, or wishing to operate, as a
licensed or
ordained clergy working within state prisons, county jails, various
correctional facilities and juvenile detention centers, hospitals, and
nursing
homes. Since chaplaincy requirements vary from one jurisdiction to
another and
from one setting to another, please check the requirements in your own
state or
locality to make sure that the FBCS Certified Christian Chaplaincy
program is
right for you. No promises or assurances of employment, either
expressly stated
or implied, are hereby made. The FBCS Bachelor's
Degree or Certified
Christian Chaplaincy Program is
designed for licensed and ordained ministers answering the call of
chaplaincy.
Chaplaincy
is a special calling within ministry. Not unlike their counterparts in
military
or hospital settings, Correctional chaplains meet an important need in
providing pastoral care to the incarcerated. Correctional chaplains are
often the
last ray of hope and stability between the lost and hopeless inmates
who occupy
dark prisons, jails, and correctional facilities, and the larger
societies from
which they come, and hope to one day return to. Chaplains are
professional men
and women who take seriously the words of Jesus, in Matthew 25:35-36, “For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat:
I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me
in:
Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in
prison, and
ye came unto me.”
Chaplains
provide specialized pastoral care to the imprisoned, to the
correctional
facility staff, and, in some cases, to the families of inmates.
Chaplains
respond to the spiritual care needs of the ill and infirmed, and those
shut
away in rest homes or convalescence centers. This specialized pastoral
care
includes general spiritual care, pastoral counseling, grief counseling,
informing inmates of deaths within their families, marriage counseling,
liturgical duties (within the context of their own ecclesiastical
backgrounds),
and—in the case of in-house chaplaincy, acting as religious program
managers to
ensure that inmates are afforded the opportunities to practice their
faith traditions
according to constitutional provisions and personal conviction. Those
ministers
called to hospital and convalescence home chaplaincy often help
patients deal
with end of life issues, administer the ordinances and/or sacraments of
the
Church, and provide other spiritual care. The
Freedom Bible College and Seminary program in Bachelor's
Degree or Certified Christian
Chaplaincy is unapologetically “Christian” in terms of preparing
the FBCS
graduate to operate as a chaplain within the context of the Christian
tradition, while the program itself will expose the student to the
diverse
populations and groups most frequently encountered.
Correctional
chaplains are also representatives (and sometimes employees) of the
correctional facilities in which they minister. The chaplain is first
and
foremost a representative of their religious body, but it should not be
forgotten that the chaplain has an obligation to positively uphold the
rules,
policies, and correctional goals of the institutions where they work.
Chaplains
(both in-house and volunteer) are representatives of not only their
respective
faith group, but of corrections itself. Chaplains work very closely
with other
key prison staff to reinforce overall correctional policies, to diffuse
otherwise potentially dangerous situations, and to encourage the
rehabilitation
and development of offenders by promoting spiritual growth. The
chaplain must
never lose sight of the unique setting in which s/he ministers, and
must always
realistically view ministry within the larger correctional framework.
The
chaplain must adhere to strict ethical requirements and be of
outstanding
character and temperament. Chaplains should hold realistic views and
expectations of the people most encountered within the environments in
which
they minister, and should generally be people oriented and realistic.
First and
foremost, “Christian” chaplains should be called by their Lord to
serve.
Chaplains
are representatives of their respective faith communities or
ecclesiastical
groups, and must carry credentials or other endorsements from these
groups. Those enrolling into the Freedom
Bible
College and Seminary Bachelor's Degree or Certified
Christian Chaplaincy Program must be either licensed
or ordained ministers with a recognized ecclesiastical group,
and be
in good standing with that faith group. Those seeking licensure or
ordination are
invited to contact Freedom Christian Ministerial Association. Those
ministers
holding credentials from other recognized Christian ministries, and
which agree
with the FCMA / Concepts of Freedom Ministries Statement
of Faith, are also invited to apply.
Chaplaincy
is an exciting and special area of ministry. Those enrolling into
Freedom Bible
College and Seminary’s Bachelor's Degree or Certified
Christian Chaplaincy Program must meet the
following requirements to graduate from either of the programs.
·
Hold
ecclesiastical
endorsement from, and be in good standing with, as general licensed or
ordained
ministers, recognized Christian denominations or interdenominational
bodies
which subscribe to the main tenets of Christianity. Ecclesiastical
endorsement
must be from recognized and credible Christian institutions, where
licensure
and ordination are commonly recognized. Those students not holding
ecclesiastical endorsement are invited to contact Concepts of Freedom
Ministries to apply for credentials. FCMA will provide the
mentoring needed prior for license and ordination to member ministers.
·
Must
be
called of the
Lord to work in Christian chaplaincy.
·
Must be
walking with the
Lord and be accountable to their faith or ecclesiastical group. The
student
must be able to pass a criminal background check in order to
successfully
minister or gain entrance into most facilities, and the student should
strive
to live a life that is beyond reproach.
·
Must
meet the
educational track requirements of the FBCS Bachelor's
Degree or Certified Christian Chaplaincy Program,
including paying all fees and related costs prior to graduation and
receipt of
a transcript and official FBCS diploma.
·
For
further questions,
please contact the FBCS
office or email freedomprisonministries@yahoo.com.
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