If you're in a graduate-level seminary, you have an excellent opportunity to explore the Army ministry and to become an officer and a Chaplain Candidate now. You learn. You serve. Upon entering the program, you are immediately commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Army Reserve or Army National Guard, earning pay commensurate with your rank. Several programs are available for Army Chaplain Candidates.

• Chaplain Candidate Program for Army Reserve
  In your first summer, you may attend up to 11 1/2 weeks of Chaplain Officer Basic Course at The United States Army Chaplain Center and School. During subsequent summers, you'll train up to 45 days by: 
  • Assisting an Army Chaplain at an Army post located in the United States.
  • Participating in a special training program designed to develop your pastoral skills (including special language studies and clinical pastoral education).
     
• Chaplain Candidate Program for National Guard Candidates
  During the first summer, you may attend up to 11 1/2 weeks of Chaplain Officer Basic Course at The United States Army Chaplain Center and School. After completing the Chaplain Officer Basic Course, you will attend drills with a National Guard unit, usually one weekend a month plus two weekends of active duty in the summer, for each year you are at seminary. You will have the opportunity to assist the chaplain with worship services and provide other spiritual services to soldiers and their families.

This new program is available now for individuals who join the Army Chaplain Candidate Program. Here are some of the details. The program is presently limited to newly accessioned Chaplain Candidates only.

Funding
Funding for tuition Assistance (TA) complies with Department of Defense (DOD) guidelines.
   Up to 100% of the course cost, or
   Up to $250 per credit hour, whichever is less,
   Up to $4,500.00 per fiscal year

Chaplain Candidates are individuals enrolled in full-time seminary studies who are commissioned as 2nd lieutenants. These men and women are reserve officers who aspire to become chaplains in either the reserves or active component after graduation from seminary and completion of the Church of the Nazarene's endorsement requirements. Reserve Chaplain Candidates are authorized tuition assistance (TA) while enrolled as full-time students. Receipt of TA normally incurs an obligation of four years in the selected reserve according to current DOD Standards (DODD 1304.19) and Army Regulation (AR 165-1). The obligation for Chaplain Candidates begins on the date of commissioning as a chaplain. Failure either to seek or to receive ecclesiastical endorsement as a chaplain will result in repayment of all tuition assistance.

Ratio of obligated service per amount of TA received is based on the following formula: up to 48 months in a Troop Program Unit (TPU) with the obligation accruing on a month of service for each month of tuition assistance received (i.e. a four-month semester under TA generates an obligation of four months in the selected reserve). Usually a summer is two months, an academic quarter is three months, and an academic semester is four months for computation purposes.

For More Information Contact:
Chaplain (LTC) John Armistead at 1-800-223-3735 x6-0585
Chaplain Dwight Jennings, Chaplaincy Director, at 1-800-233-8962 or
Chaplain Windy Lovett, Senior Program Assistant-Chaplaincy, at 1-800-233-8962

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