Chaplains in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs serve in medical centers for veterans around the country. These are large, multi-disciplinary hospitals serving the complex range of medical needs of U.S. military veterans. There is no place where God is not already present and calling leaders to participate in the work of bringing healing and hope through the good news of Jesus Christ.
ELCA pastors serve among the chaplains in these medical centers to carry out a word and sacrament ministry to those who otherwise may not experience the presence and support of a faith community and its witness of the good news of Jesus Christ. Because of the setting and the needs of the veterans served by these medical centers, Veterans Affairs chaplains representing the ELCA are ordained clergy.
Qualified applicants for Veterans Affairs chaplaincy have a minimum of two units of Clinical Pastoral Education and the best qualified will have a year of Clinical Pastoral Education, often in a Veterans Affairs training center. Positions for Veterans Affairs chaplains are posted on the federal government’s "USAJobs.gov" Web site, and any ELCA pastor seeking a Veterans Affairs chaplain position must obtain an endorsement in advance of applying. For information about endorsement for Veterans Affairs ministry and about the work of ELCA chaplains serving in these special settings, contact the Bureau for Federal Chaplaincies at 202-626-3846 or email.
