Royal Army Chaplains' Department Explained

Unit Name:Royal Army Chaplains' Department
Dates:23 September 1796 – present
Country: United Kingdom
Branch: British Army
Role:Chaplaincy
Garrison:Marlborough Lines, Andover
Motto:"In this Sign Conquer"
March:Prince of Denmark's March (Trumpet Voluntary)
Ceremonial Chief:The Queen
Ceremonial Chief Label:Patron
Commander1:The Rev. Michael Parker
Commander1 Label:Chaplain General
Identification Symbol Label:Tactical recognition flash

The Royal Army Chaplains' Department (RAChD) is an all-officer department that provides ordained clergy to minister to the British Army.

History

The Army Chaplains' Department (AChD) was formed by Royal Warrant of 23 September 1796; until then chaplains had been part of individual regiments, but not on the central establishment. Only Anglican chaplains were recruited until 1827, when Presbyterians were recognised, but not commissioned until 1858. Roman Catholic chaplains were recruited from 1836, Methodist chaplains from 1881, and Jewish chaplains from 1892.[1] During the First World War some 4,400 Army Chaplains were recruited and 179 lost their lives on active service.[1] The department received the "Royal" prefix in February 1919.[1] During the Second World War another 96 British and 38 Commonwealth Army Chaplains lost their lives.[1]

From 1946 to 1996, the RAChD's Headquarters, Depot and Training Centre were at Bagshot Park in Surrey, now the home of The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh.[2] In 1996, they moved to the joint service Armed Forces Chaplaincy Centre at Amport House near Andover, Hampshire.[3] Since 2020[4] the joint centre has been based at Beckett House, part of the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom, just outside Shrivenham, Oxfordshire.[5] In November 2023, the Ministry of Defence announced the intent to recruit Non-Religious Pastoral Support Officers into chaplaincy in order to reflect the changing demographics of the United Kingdom and HM Forces.[6]

Role

Serving regular chaplains in the British Army can be Catholic, one of several Protestant denominations, or to the Jewish faith. Uniquely within the Army, the Royal Army Chaplains' Department has different cap badges for its Christian and Jewish officers.[7]

Army chaplains, although they are all commissioned officers of the British Army and wear uniform, do not have executive authority. They are unique within the Army in that they do not carry arms. Many chaplains have been decorated for bravery in action, including four awarded Victoria Crosses: James Adams, Noel Mellish, Theodore Hardy and William Addison.[8] At services on formal occasions, chaplains wear their medals and decorations on their clerical robes.[9]

The RAChD's motto is "In this Sign Conquer" as seen in the sky before the Battle of the Milvian Bridge by the Roman Emperor Constantine. Its regimental march, both quick and slow, is the Prince of Denmark's March, erroneously known as the Trumpet Voluntary.[10]

Museum

The Royal Army Chaplains' Museum is at Shrivenham, in a new building opened by the Countess of Wessex on 17 May 2022.[11] Its newly curated collection replaced the Museum of Army Chaplaincy which was at Amport House near Andover, Hampshire until 2019.[12]

Faith denominations and belief backgrounds

Chaplains are either classified as Jewish, a member of one of the following denominational Christian groups, a member of World Faiths or a Non-religious Pastoral Provider:[13]

There are also religious advisors from other faiths.[14]

An Army chaplain is expected to minister to and provide pastoral care to any soldier who needs it, no matter their denomination or faith or lack of it.[15]

In 2004, Defence Minister Ivor Caplin said: “It is our aspiration to have armed forces which are representative of UK society as a whole.” The move might also help when dealing with soldiers in other armies from different faiths. At the time there were about 740 personnel that declared themselves to be from the four other main religions, but only Christian chaplains are employed by the Ministry of Defence. The number of non religious Ministry of Defence personnel including those in uniform numbered in the tens of thousands.[16]

In 2011, following a freedom of information request on Ministry of Defence spending on chaplaincy, the National Secular Society proposed that £22m of spending should come directly from churches while professional counselling should continue to be funded by the taxpayer, in order to better serve the non-religious in the military.[17] The proposal was rejected by the Church of England.[18]

In September 2021, Defence Humanists, through a submission to the Government’s Integrated Review of foreign policy, defence, security and international development, called for an independent review of pastoral support for the armed forces which takes into account the nation’s changing religion and belief demographics and the need for a multi-faith and belief approach.[19] In November 2023, the Ministry of Defence announced the intent to recruit Non-Religious Pastoral Support Officers into chaplaincy in order to reflect the changing demographics of the United Kingdom and HM Forces.[6] The armed forces of the Netherlands have had Humanist chaplains since 1964, known as Humanist Counseling in the Dutch Armed Forces.[20]

Ranks

Chaplains are the only British Army officers who do not carry standard officer ranks. They are instead designated Chaplain to the Forces (CF) (e.g. "The Reverend John Smith CF"). They do, however, have grades which equate to the standard ranks and wear the insignia of the equivalent rank. Chaplains are usually addressed as "Padre", never by their nominal military rank.

The senior Church of England chaplain is ranked within the church hierarchy as an archdeacon, and he or she holds the appointment of Archdeacon for the Army whether or not he or she is also the Chaplain-General. The senior Roman Catholic Chaplain (usually a CF1) is sometimes ranked as a monsignor.[21]

List of Chaplains General

Term Began Term Ended Name Notes
4 October 17961810 Resigned
10 March 18101824 Died in position
12 July 18241844 Died in position
2 July 18461875 Retired
7 April 18751884 Died in position
8 February 18851 November 1901 Retired
1 November 19011925
19251931 Resigned
19311939
19391944 Retired
6 November 19441951Resigned
6 November 19511960 Resigned
11 June 19601966
8 February 19661974 Retired
1 July 19741980
198031 December 1986
1 January 19871995Scottish Presbyterian, first non-Anglican Chaplain-General
3 February 19952000Irish Presbyterian minister
13 May 20002004
20042008Methodist
20082011
29 July 20112014Baptist
September 20142018 Church of Scotland
December 20182022
May 2022 Present Methodist [22]

Deputy Chaplains General

Term Began Term Ended Name Notes
1915 1919[23]
1941 1945 Alfred Thomas Arthur Naylor [24]
1985 1986Church of Scotland, later Chaplain General
1986 1989
1989 1993
1993 1995
1996 1999
1999 2000later Chaplain General
2000 2004Methodist, later Chaplain General
2008 2011Baptist, later Chaplain General
2011 2014Church of Scotland, later Chaplain General
2014 2017
2017 2018later Chaplain General
2018 2020Catholic[25]
2020 2022 Methodist, later Chaplain General[26]
2022 Present David Barrett Methodist

Some notable Army chaplains

See also

Sources

Further reading

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: History of Army Chaplains. Ministry of Defence. 5 May 2014.
  2. Web site: Bagshot Park. 5 May 2014.
  3. Web site: Army Forces Chaplaincy Centre. Defence Academy. 5 May 2014.
  4. Web site: Edwards . Robert . 17 October 2023 . Historic Amport House near Andover to be converted into 48-room boutique hotel .
  5. Web site: Beckett House Conference (Religion and Defence). 9 July 2021. Defence Academy of the United Kingdom. 13 June 2022.
  6. Web site: Armed forces to recruit first non-religious pastoral officers.
  7. Web site: Military Cap Badge Royal Army Chaplains Department (Jewish). 12 January 2012. Intriguing history. 5 May 2014.
  8. Web site: Padre VC Holders. 5 May 2014.
  9. Web site: Army Dress Regulations (All ranks). 577. Ministry of Defence. 14 June 2022.
  10. Web site: Marches of the British Forces. https://web.archive.org/web/20090612043909/http://worldmilitarybands.com/marches-of-the-british-forces-edit/. dead. 12 June 2009. 5 May 2014.
  11. Web site: The Countess of Wessex visits Oxfordshire. 20 May 2022. Oxford County Council. 13 June 2022.
  12. Web site: Museum of Army Chaplaincy . 5 May 2014 . Ministry of Defence.
  13. Web site: Royal Army Chaplains' Department . 30 November 2022 . Ministry of Defence.
  14. Web site: Taneja . Poonam . Army imam: Muslims can be good soldiers . BBC News . 10 January 2019 . 13 January 2014.
  15. Web site: Royal Army Chaplains' Department. Ministry of Defence. 5 May 2014.
  16. Web site: United Kingdom: non-Christian chaplains to be appointed by armed forces. Religioscope. 28 November 2022.
  17. Web site: Bingham. John. Military losing faith in God. Daily Telegraph. 16 June 2014 . 8 May 2018.
  18. News: McManus. John. Military chaplain funding queried by secular group. BBC News. 15 October 2011. 8 May 2018.
  19. Web site: Defence Humanists calls for non-religious pastoral care in the armed forces. Humanists UK. 28 November 2022.
  20. Web site: Humanistisch geestelijke verzorging . 14 June 2022 . Humanistisch Verbond . nl.
  21. Web site: They gave their today. 5 May 2014.
  22. Web site: Methodist Chaplain announced as next Chaplain General for the British Army. Methodist Church. 17 November 2021. 13 June 2022.
  23. United Kingdom . THE DEPUTY CHAPLAIN-GENERAL . House of Lords . 22 September 1915 . 836 . 839 . Lord Balfour of Burleigh .
  24. Web site: A Second World War D.S.O., and Great War O.B.E. group of seven : Reverend A.T.A. Naylor, Army Chaplain's Department . Bonhams.com . 23 June 2017. 12 March 2014.
  25. Web site: Top appointment for Catholic army chaplain . Independent Catholic News . 10 January 2019 . en . 28 May 2018.
  26. Royal Army Chaplains' Department . ArmyChaplaincy . 1268428770320531457 . 4 June 2020 . We are pleased to announce that The Revd Michael Parker CF, currently serving with @3rdUKDivision, will be the next Deputy Chaplain General. Padre Parker will take up the post in October. #calledtoserve . 31 July 2021 .