Experience Dilemma

Oompa Loompa said:

Hello everyone,

I am new to this forum so bear with me. I am currently going to seminary and working on my M.Div. I would like to be an Army Chaplain but I need to be ordained. The problem is that I am falling into the typical dilemma when I cannot get credentials without experience. But I can't get experience without credentials. The problem is compounded with the fact that I move around a lot so I haven't been a member of a church for a long time. The current church I attend is a non-denominational church but I have only been a member for less than a year.

How do I break past the barrier?

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Roots allowed to grow in one place lead to experience. And people who can recommend you. A military chaplain needs some group to sponsor him, and who would sponsor you if they didn't know what denomination you would be in next year? Grow roots.

Oompa Loompa said:

Hello everyone,

I am new to this forum so bear with me. I am currently going to seminary and working on my M.Div. I would like to be an Army Chaplain but I need to be ordained. The problem is that I am falling into the typical dilemma when I cannot get credentials without experience. But I can't get experience without credentials. The problem is compounded with the fact that I move around a lot so I haven't been a member of a church for a long time. The current church I attend is a non-denominational church but I have only been a member for less than a year.

How do I break past the barrier?

Click to expand...

Becoming an ordained minister is very, very easy from what I have observed. I once supervised a convict in prison who made a living ripping off security checks from senior citizens. He could quote the Bible one second and in the next try to be telling me how much courage and honor it took to do such. The church he went to was a Primitive _______ (well-known denomination.) All one had to do to be ordained was be charismatic enough to get a popular vote for such. He claimed to be still an ordained minister and seem to carry a religious stature among the inmates.


Another situation was when my superior in one of my National Guard units AND another one of his friends (he asked me if I'd like one, too) did so through some site online. My superior was very intelligent and a supervisor at a security firm and would not have gotten scammed. He is now a Pastor of his own church and got his ordination w/o ANY formal seminary training that I was aware of and we worked together as a duo team in HQ for several years and shared and discussed our faith in Christ a lot.

Additionally, he functioned as an Army Chaplain for our company in the absence of one. Why are you not going through the ROTC program like may do to become an Amy Chaplain for free from the Army. Usually, this is the way it is done; I had a Pastor about a decade ago who did it that way through the Navy and then became a Pastor after his time was served. The Pastor right now I have is also a military Chaplain turned civilian Pastor.

Oompa Loompa said:

The current church I attend is a non-denominational church but I have only been a member for less than a year.

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What's the ordination process for the church you have been attending? If they have a process, would that ordination meet the Army requirements? If not, then you will have to find another means to meet those requirements. That may mean connecting to a denomination whose ordination is recognized by the Army. I really don't know. If this is really what you are to do, then you will find a way. May God grant you discernment, the means, and the peace to go forward.

Oompa Loompa said:

am currently going to seminary and working on my M.Div. I would like to be an Army Chaplain but I need to be ordained

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I'm not going to be very helpful, as I firmly believe no one should go to any theological college,seminary etc etc without the backing of their church.

Who has said that you are suitable for providing Christian leadership etc.

All I ca suggest is to get involved with the church you are attending, talk to the minister about how can you help.
If you have any ability he will recognise it and back you.
I would expect this to take three or four years.

Talk to your church first. This is a huge undertaking honestly. If you have ability, this will be evident.

Oompa Loompa said:

Hello everyone,

I am new to this forum so bear with me. I am currently going to seminary and working on my M.Div. I would like to be an Army Chaplain but I need to be ordained. The problem is that I am falling into the typical dilemma when I cannot get credentials without experience. But I can't get experience without credentials. The problem is compounded with the fact that I move around a lot so I haven't been a member of a church for a long time. The current church I attend is a non-denominational church but I have only been a member for less than a year.

How do I break past the barrier?

Click to expand...

You are a grad student so talk to your profs they know how to help you.