Social workers, school counselors and even chaplains themselves testified at the Ohio Statehouse on Tuesday afternoon, voicing their opposition to a bill that would allow untrained and uncertified chaplains to volunteer in Ohio public schools.
Ohio House Bill (HB) 531 he got his third hearing before members of the House Education Committee who questioned the bill’s overall lack of uniform requirements for volunteer chaplains.
Proposed by conservative Christian and longtime evangelical pastor Jonathan Newman (R-Troy), the bill would not require chaplains to be certified by either. Association of Professional Chaplains (APC) or Board of Chaplaincy Certification, Inc. (BCCI) – the largest chaplain certification body in the country, representing over 5,000 members.
Instead, the bill would allow chaplains to serve in schools “affirmed” by their own denominations, which have fewer educational and practical requirements.
Experts say that without a standardized training and education process for volunteer chaplains, their presence in schools could threaten the health and safety of some students, including LGBTQ+ students and students from non-Christian religious or cultural backgrounds.
APC/BCCI has previously opposed similar school chaplaincy bills in other states. In Texas, Florida and Louisiana, Republican lawmakers ultimately passed similar legislation anyway.
While the group told The Buckeye Flame that it “supports the inclusion of appropriately trained and certified chaplains in professional work in any field for which they are adequately prepared,” an ACP/BCCI representative also expressed concerns about the bill’s lack of standardized training and education requirements.
“Other professionals working in public schools must have specific education and training related to working with students and children,” APC/BCCI told The Buckeye Flame. “We would expect this requirement to extend to chaplains if they were employed by a school.”
Various certification standards
The bill requires volunteer chaplains to pass a general background check and have endorsement from a “recognized ecclesiastical endorsing agency,” which likely includes a number of denominations offering their own certifications and “endorsements.”
Endorsements are not the same as certificates and typically require fewer practical hours and fewer religious practices and educational standards.
There are approximately 10,000 board-certified Christian chaplains currently practicing throughout the United States, including approximately 3,000–4,000 active-duty military personnel.
Chaplains employed in hospitals, prisons, correctional facilities, schools and law enforcement agencies are most often required to have a master’s degree in theology or divinity and to document several thousand hours of practical experience.
However, each certification body has its own training and education standards – some are much less stringent than others.
National Association of Catholic Chaplains (NACC)for example, it offers four separate types of ministry certificates. To qualify as a full board chaplain, ACC requires applicants to have an advanced degree.
Spiritual Care Association (SCA)the standards are also strict. Even the most basic group certification process requires candidates to obtain letters of recommendation, pass a standardized clinical knowledge test, and have a bachelor’s degree.
The group even found support to be insufficient – particularly for chaplains serving vulnerable populations such as students and other juvenile people.
“The SCA credentialing and certification process does not require the endorsement of a religious group,” their website states. “This endorsement is not an evidence-based indicator of an individual’s competence as a chaplain.”
Under HB 531, volunteer chaplains would not be subject to any standard education or training requirements.
Social workers oppose the bill
National Association of Social Workers (NASW) also publicly opposed the bill, citing, among other things, a potential lack of equal faith representation for non-Christian students.
Jewish chaplains have international certificates issued by Neshama: Association of Jewish Chaplains (NAJC). However, the group certifies chaplains in much smaller numbers – an estimated 1,000 Jewish chaplains practice in the United States.
Muslim chaplains – although they usually have high education and certificates – are even fewer – it is estimated that about 200 people practice throughout the country.
NASW public testimony also highlighted the need for state oversight and accountability mechanisms for volunteer chaplains, as well as the statewide lack of practicing, licensed physicians in schools.
“Ohio students deserve support from professionals who are specifically trained, licensed and supervised by the state to meet their needs,” the group said. “While NASW Ohio appreciates the bill and the sponsor’s intent to desire greater support for Ohio students, we strongly believe that this support should come from licensed clinicians.”
“Chaplains do not provide mental health care.”
Several individual chaplains also provided public testimony opposing the bill, including Benjamin Iten, a humanist chaplain with more than a decade of credentialed experience.
A secular humanist, Iten earned a Master of Divinity from Ohio Methodist Theological School as part of the chaplaincy certification requirements – along with over four units of Practical Clinical Pastoral Care (CPE) completed at OhioHealth Grant Medical Center and OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital.
Iten called directly on lawmakers to allocate more resources and support for licensed mental health professionals in public schools, acknowledging the ongoing mental health crisis among juvenile people across the state.
“Really, if we are serious about the mental health of our students, we should provide solid funding for mental health professionals, not chaplains,” Iten said.
Shawn Grime, executive director of Ohio School Counselor Association (OSCA)he also told committee members that his group was concerned about the project’s lack of standardized and well-defined training and qualifications.
“Our opposition to this bill does not reflect our support for the role faith plays for many of our students and families, but our position that it is important for students to have access to licensed professionals who are specially trained and responsible for meeting the mental health needs of each student,” he said.
“We question whether the training and qualifications of school chaplains will be consistent with the requirements placed on teachers under federal and state law,” Grime added. He asked lawmakers whether volunteer chaplains would be required to meet mandatory reporting standards for child abuse, self-harm and risk of harm to others.
“Certified chaplains do not provide mental health care,” Grime told committee members. “We are strong supporters of children’s access to licensed and trained mental health services.”
“The Door to Prayer”
The only certification body supporting chaplains in public schools is the National School Chaplains Association (NSCA).
The group was founded in 2021 by a conservative Christian and a self-proclaimed “reformed drug-smuggling pirate.” Rocky J. Malloyand certifies chaplains through an 8-week online course.
According to The Texas Tribune report.the NSCA website previously linked to Mission Generation, a Christian proselytizing group Malloy founded in the 1990s.
“Schools provide chaplains with designated counseling and prayer spaces to serve students, school staff and parents. Chaplains and counselors spread God’s word both individually and in groups.” archived version of the Mission Generation website reads. “We influence learners until the saving grace of Jesus becomes widely known and students develop a personal relationship with Him.”
Currently, the group’s website states that its certified school chaplains aid “open doors to prayer and hope in public education.”
Ignite the action
- To find the contact information for your Ohio State Representative, click here.
- To find contact information for an Ohio State Senator, click here.
- If you are a juvenile LGBTQ+ person in crisis, please contact Trevor’s project: 866-4-U-Trevor.
- If you are a transgender adult in need of immediate aid, please contact National Trans Lifeline: 877-565-8860
