Which U.S. Congregational Leaders Also Work as Chaplains? A National Overview

Historically, congregational leaders did the work of chaplaincy. In the past century, the professions have diverged and chaplaincy has diversified in form and function. We ask which congregational leaders currently also serve as chaplains to identify the extent of overlap between these two types of religious leaders in the contemporary United States. We analyze data from the National Survey of Religious Leaders (NSRL), a nationally representative sample of 1,600 clergy collected in 2019 to 2020, to determine how many congregational leaders are also working or volunteering as chaplains. Though some overlap exists between the occupational roles of chaplains and congregational leaders, our study shows that they are largely distinct professions, with only 17.1% of primary congregational leaders also working or volunteering as chaplains. Catholic primary leaders and Hispanic primary leaders are more likely than their peers to also work as chaplains. Researchers studying each group should be attentive to the ways these professional groups overlap and diverge, and the corresponding possible confusion among religious practitioners and the general public. Theological educators should consider the specific training and support needs of the portion of clergy who serve as chaplains alongside of their congregational positions.