Eligibility

To be considered for an appointment as a Defence Anglican Chaplain you must:

• Have a Bachelor of Theology/Ministry, equivalent or higher,
• Be a minister, deacon or priest in the Anglican Church of Australia,
• Be recommended by the appropriate Principal Defence Force Chaplain,
• Have at least two years full-time pastoral experience,
• Be endorsed by the Anglican Church of Australia through the Bishop to the Defence Force. 

and,

Meet recruiting and medical requirements, for acceptance into the Australian Defence Force.

Or

You may be a Theological/Bible student who is eligible for the Chaplaincy Undergraduate Scheme(contact the Director General Chaplaincy for further information).

Benefits

On completion of initial military training and initial employment training you could earn a salary worth at least:

$103,960 p.a.

Plus generous superannuation

Salary is based on Graduate entry. It does not include additional allowances or deductions for tax, meals and accommodation.

Other Benefits include:

• A Good Work/Life Balance
• Competitive Salary Packages
• Medical and Dental Cover
• Career Development and Progression
• Advance Technology
• Humanitarian and Community-support work
• Housing Assistance

Training

Initial Training on Appointment as an Officer

After being appointed as officers into the ADF, chaplains will undertake both initial single-service (i.e. Navy, Army or Air Force) officer training followed by common ADF chaplaincy training at the Defence Force Chaplains College.

Single-Service Officer Initial Training for Chaplains

Officers who have been appointed to specialist roles such as chaplains, doctors, dentists, psychologists and lawyers must undertake generic initial training officer courses.

The courses vary according to service (ie, Navy, Army, Air Force) and service type (ie, full-time or reserve (part-time)).

Navy

• Full-time. Initial entry officer training is conducted at the Royal Australian Naval College (RANC), HMAS CRESWELL at Jervis Bay in NSW. The New Entry Officer Course (NEOC) is approximately five months in duration.
• Part-time. The Reserve Entry Officers Course (REOC) comprises four phases of training to accommodate the shorter-term availability of Navy Reserve (NR) officers: (1) Initial officer training (two weeks residential) conducted at HMAS CRESWELL.

Army

• Full-time and part-time. The Specialist Service Officer First Appointment Course (SSO FAC) prepares specialist full and part-time officers to perform their role within the Army.
• The course is conducted at the Royal Military Support To Defence Anglican Chaplaincy 2021 College (RMC) Duntroon in Canberra and comprises a 26 training day, and a 16 day
• The modules focus on Foundation Skills and Basic Officer Skills respectively.

Air Force

• Full-time. Immediately upon joining the RAAF, full-time chaplains will normally undertake the 18-week Initial Officer Course, a residential course at RAAF Base East Sale in Victoria.
• Part-time. Part-time chaplains undergo the Specialist Reserve Officer Familiarisation Course which must be completed within two years of appointment. This course is currently of six-days duration undertaken at Officers’ Training School (OTS), at RAAF Base East Sale.
• Sponsorship opportunities may be available for those seeking to become a Chaplain via the Air Force Undergraduate Scheme. Suitable candidates may be eligible to apply for support to complete their undergraduate theological degree, and sponsorship of a two year pastoral experience as an Assistant Minister or Curate.

Defence Force Chaplains College

Chaplain Initial Course

Course Purpose

This course prepares New to Service Support Chaplains for their first appointments and deployments as Support Chaplains with Navy, Army and Air Force.

Course Aim

The aim of this course is to train New to Service Support Chaplains in common core areas for employment in their respective Services.

The training will provide the New to Service Support Chaplain with an understanding and contextualisation of Chaplaincy in Defence including guiding policy and procedures.

Course Outline

The course consists of five modules.

Module 1 – Introduction to Chaplaincy in Defence (Flexible Delivery) This first module is composed of ten topics that have been designed as a distance blended learning package accessible via ADELE. The time allocated for completion is five days. The New to Service Support Chaplain is to be assisted by their Coordinating Chaplain (COORD) in the conduct of this module.

Module 2 – Pastoral Policy and Advocacy (Residential).

Module 3 – Character, Ethics and Morality (Residential).

Module 4 – Pastoral Counselling (Mental Health Literacy and Wellbeing) (Residential).

Module 5 – Operational Chaplaincy – Joint (contained within Modules 2, 3 and 4) any additional Service specific training provided by the relevant single Service.