Living Church in the World: Chaplaincy and the Mission of the Church

There has been recent growth in chaplaincy in community contexts but little or no empirical research into chaplaincy practice and its significance for the mission and ministry of the Church. This article presents a case study of the development of a chaplaincy role in a rural context as part of a wider qualitative research project designed to develop understanding of chaplaincy practice. The study describes the context and practice, processes and relationships involved in the development of the role. The data are analysed with reference to the integrity of chaplaincy as a form of ministry and its significance for the mission of the church as part of the missio Dei. The findings suggest that chaplaincy does have its own integrity as a form of ministry, that it has a key role to play in the mission of the church in England and that further case studies are needed in order to establish a fuller understanding of the integrity of chaplaincy and its place within the mission of the church as a significant way of living church in the world.