Video Transcript: Commissioned to Visit — Your Calling as an Officiating Chaplain

Final Presentation: Your Calling Starts Here — A Conversation to Commission Officiating Chaplains

Featuring: Henry Reyenga and Chaplain Tom Walcot

HENRY:
Well, Tom...

Here we are—our last sojourn in this course.

It’s kind of hard to believe we’re wrapping it up. And even though this whole experience has been online and through videos, this part really feels personal.

It’s time to pause and reflect.

And not on us, but on you, the student.
What is the Holy Spirit saying to you right now?
You’ve listened to these conversations, gone through the readings… now it’s time to ask:

“Lord, what’s next?”

So let’s talk through some simple next steps that will help guide your calling.

🔹 Step One: Revisit Your Testimony

Your first credential isn’t a certificate. It’s not your ordination card.

It’s your testimony.
It’s your story.

• How did you meet Jesus?

• What pain or struggle has He redeemed?

• What moments shaped you into who you are today?

At Christian Leaders Institute, we often say:

“What have you been saved from? And what has Christ saved you for?”

That’s where your real authority begins—in your transformation.

Have you seen that to be true, Tom?

TOM:
Yeah, I really have.

I love how you framed that. It's all about: Has Christ changed you?

You can study all the theology, read all the books on chaplaincy and care—but if that transformation hasn't really happened in your life, it’s going to be really hard to be real in someone else’s.

That’s why your story matters so much. Who you were. Who you are now.
It’s what people connect with.

HENRY:
Exactly. And that leads right into...

🔹 Step Two: Connect Your Testimony to Your Calling

Chaplaincy so often comes from your own wilderness.
Where have you been hurt?
What brokenness have you known?
Where does your heart break?

Who do you feel called to walk beside?

That’s where calling is often found—right there in your own story.

TOM:
Yeah, and every chaplain’s calling is different.

Some feel drawn to medical professionals.
Others connect with military or first responders.
Some serve in truly unique settings, such as a biking group, a motorcycle club, or even an online gaming community.

Where you’ve walked... and what you’ve walked through... that’s what gives you the language of empathy.

🔹 Step Three: Discern Your Chaplain Parish

HENRY:
We’ve been using the term “parish,” and I love its roots.

From the Greek paroikia—it literally means to dwell beside.

So your chaplain parish isn’t a building. It’s your circle of influence.

It might be your workplace.
It might be a shelter.
It might be a support group, a golf club, or even an online chat forum.

Tom, I know you didn’t always use the word “parish,” but looking back… when did you know where yours was?

TOM:
Still figuring it out, honestly.

But I can say this: When I was a missionary in the Dominican Republic, I loved it. I also loved being a pastor.

But when I became a military chaplain—especially when I was assigned to the Coast Guard—something clicked.

The Coast Guard’s humanitarian mission—saving lives, protecting people—that really resonated with me.

Even after retirement, I haven’t stopped. I still visit units. I still teach. Just last winter, I spent ten days on a Coast Guard icebreaker in Alaska.

So yeah, that’s my parish. Still is.

HENRY:
That’s powerful.

And for those of you watching, let me ask you directly:
What’s your parish?

Maybe write it down:

“My Chaplain Parish is…”

That clarity helps shape your ministry path.
Mine? Believe it or not, it’s a country club.

TOM:
(Laughs) You’ve got the golf ministry, Rev!

HENRY:
Yeah, and you know what? Many of these guys don’t go to church. They’ve got a memory of it, maybe, but they’re not showing up on Sunday morning.

And one of them—Johnny—he was going through a really painful breakup. One day, he pulled me aside, and through that painful conversation, he gave his life to Christ.

Three months later… he died. And I did his funeral.

That country club?
That’s my parish.

TOM:
And that’s exactly why we say:

“My Chaplain Parish is…”

It could be anywhere.
Bike riders. Softball players. A fishing group. A grief group. Even an HOA board.

If God has placed you there and opened doors for you to speak His love—that’s your parish.

🔹 Step Four: Complete Your Training Plan

HENRY:
Now let’s get practical.

This is correspondence education. So YOU set the pace.

No cohorts. No dorms. No rigid deadlines. That keeps it affordable, but it also means you bring the discipline.

So set:

• A target date

• Your study plan

• Your credential goals

• Your ordination celebration plan

• Your commissioning timeline

All of this builds public trust—and that’s vital for real ministry.

🔹 Step Five: Consider a Soul Center

HENRY:
Here’s something you may want to think about: setting up a Soul Center.

This is a publicly recognized ministry hub where your chaplaincy becomes visible. You list it in the Christian Leaders Alliance directory, tied to your parish.

So if your parish is the fire department or the country club, you can say:

“I’m the Chaplain of the Hope House Soul Center,” or
“I lead Crossroads Soul Center, serving veterans.”

You don’t need one to be credentialed, but it’s a great way to establish legitimacy, especially as our society asks for transparency in public ministry roles.

TOM:
Yeah, I didn’t know much about Soul Centers before, but I love the idea.

It simply provides structure for the calling. And more and more, I think that public clarity builds the credibility chaplains need.

💬 Final Charge: You’re Not Just Finishing a Course

HENRY:
You’re not just checking off another class.

You’re beginning a calling.

Bring your story.
Step into your parish.
Stay rooted in Christ.
Be fully present for others.

“As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” (John 20:21)

That’s your commission.

Go. Sojourn. Become a chaplain wherever Christ's presence is needed most.

Tom, before we say goodbye, I’ve got to say—it’s been such a gift doing this together.

TOM:
Same here.
You know, decades ago when we first connected, I never imagined we’d be sitting here encouraging the next generation of chaplains.

And yeah, we just had our birthdays—May 13 for me, May 14 for you.
And as the years go on, I feel more and more that urgency to help raise up an army of sojourners—chaplains who show up with love, humility, and truth.

HENRY:
Amen.

We believe in what God’s doing in you.
And we pray you’ll step into this calling with boldness and grace.

God bless you—and Lord willing, you’ll see Tom again in more chaplaincy development here at Christian Leaders Institute and Christian Leaders Alliance.