Point PaperWhat is a chaplain? Traditionally a chaplain is a religious person given responsibility for a particular group, usually outside the church. Such groups could be: hospital chaplains, military chaplains, prison chaplains or school chaplains. How you define “chaplain” depends on where that chaplain is located. Today chaplaincy is a specialized ministry carried out by ordinary people, men or women. They are trained to offer care and support: on a personal, emotional, physical, relational and spiritual level. They are there to listen and to provide a safe environment for people to share their feelings. They also help people solve life problems and assist in times of crisis and difficulty. Simply put, wherever there is a need for care and support; the chaplain must be there. The purpose of this paper is to define what it means to be a chaplain and what being one entails. «The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me: he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom to the captives and release to the captives ; to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." Isaiah 61:1-2 NRSV. This is the call to all Christians and in particular to those ordained or authorized for ministry by the Church. Traditionally chaplains are seen as religious experts, those with knowledge of the Bible, the ability to carry out specific religious functions, the "toll-free number" in prayer, the ones to call when faced with ethical questions, a confidential listener in all circumstances. As religious experts, chaplains are expected to have a more intimate awareness of the Bible and God's saving plan for humanity, of God's love, healing and promises, of the answers to... middle of paper ... the expert or consultant. It seems the future of chaplaincy hangs in the balance. Chaplains move with the times, accept change and development, work towards professional status or maintain the status quo, remain important to the well-being of the whole community but fail to communicate this and risk extinction or, at best, a compassionate tolerance? More than ever, society requires employees to demonstrate their value through research, audit and practice improvement. Chaplains are part of it! In addition to maintaining their distinctive role as accountable to their faith communities, chaplains must ensure that they articulate their distinctive role as spiritual caretakers. This involves time, energy, action and being in many roles at the same time. It involves being ready to evaluate and review practice and, above all, to change.