Texas Baptists Chaplaincy Relations celebrates 1,000th endorsement

DALLAS—The Texas Baptists Chaplaincy Relations, in partnership with the Baptist General Association of Virginia (BGAV), celebrated their 1,000th chaplain endorsement during an endorsement ceremony on Feb. 16.

Texas Baptists celebrated this achievement the next day at the Executive Board meeting. Jim Brown, associate endorser of Chaplaincy Relations, spoke to those in attendance noting that 1,011 chaplains have been endorsed since the ministry began. 

“This is a milestone for us, and we’re looking to continue to grow,” Brown said. “We have endorsed 1,000 chaplains to serve in a variety of areas. It’s an exciting time to be a part of this and it’s a wonderful ministry.”

The Chaplaincy Relations ministry began in 2002, under the leadership of Director Bobby Smith. In 2017, they partnered with BGAV in order to offer additional training and networking opportunities for chaplains to represent churches in Texas and Virigina. 

Currently, there are more than 600 Texas Baptists chaplains who are active. Thirty-eight percent of the chaplains work in healthcare, military chaplaincy accounts for an additional 32%. Texas Baptists are the fifth largest endorser of the United States military chaplaincy. They are also working in prisons, crisis response, lifestyle, marketplace and public safety spheres. 

In addition to Texas, these chaplains also work in 41 other states and six foreign countries. The Chaplaincy Relations team is also working with Baptist entities in other countries to establish training programs and provide support. 

Brown spoke of the valuable work these chaplains are doing around the world. 

“Our chaplains are out there serving the world. They are around the world, serving our soldiers. Many of them are in your communities, right here in Texas, serving in your hospitals, your correctional facilities, even some businesses,” Brown said. “They are literally pastors without walls.”