Chaplains

Educational Chaplaincy

Click here for the main page. 

Chaplaincy to the Armed Forces 

Dorset and Wiltshire have some significant military establishments, including the Royal Armoured Corps at Bovington near Wareham, the School of Signals in Blandford and the School of Infantry at Warminster.

The Salisbury Plain Training Area includes the School of Artillery at Larkhill and the military garrisons at Bulford, Tidworth, and Upavon. There is also a Royal Marines base at Poole, and a growing REME garrison in the parish of Lyneham with Bradenstoke, north of Salisbury Plain.

Each establishment hosts chaplains, known as Padres, under the direction of the Royal Army Chaplains’ Department or the Royal Naval Chaplaincy Service. Chaplains are licensed by their denominations, including Church of England, United Board (URC and Baptist), Methodist, Church of Scotland and Roman Catholic.

Anglican chaplains are licensed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, and therefore are available to minister in any of our parishes, having first sought the Bishop’s Permission to Officiate and invitation of the local priest. Military chaplains can also participate in the Continuing Ministry Development programme and attend Deanery Chapter meetings.

Posts can be as short as two years, and the itinerant nature of the job means that faces come and go. Army chaplains are welcome in the Diocese and need prayer and support. Most will minister to large numbers of young men and women - some with young families - and entire communities facing tough situations in far away places.

Click here to visit the chaplains' section of the British Army website or here for the chaplains' section of the Royal Navy website.

Further information

The Ven Alan Jeans  Archdeacon of Sarum 01722 438662  adsarum@salisbury.anglican.org  On social media:

Chaplaincy Forum

In this diocese, we seek to support a variety of Chaplains exercising a vital ministry in hospitals, schools, hospices, the armed forces, prisons, to various faith groups including the emergency services, and in the workplace. The Chaplaincy Forum brings together those who co-ordinate chaplaincy in their particular sector.

The Forum is co-ordinated by

The Right Reverend Karen Gorham  Acting Bishop of Salisbury Bishop of Sherborne 01258 444521 bishop.sherborne@salisbury.anglican.org    On social media:

Contact our leading Chaplains here