Bureau for Federal

Chaplaincy Ministries

This office provides support for the ELCA's 400 active duty and reserve military chaplains, as well as 130 clergypersons in other federal chaplaincies. Budget for the Bureau for Federal Chaplaincy Ministries in  Washington D.C. and oversight of this work is provided by the Synodical Relations unit.

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.

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