Chaplain
As a Navy Chaplain, you’ll attend to the pastoral and spiritual needs of Navy members, providing them with the opportunity and facilities to practice their religion. You’ll be person-centred, have a deep appreciation of human spirituality, work with others in ways that are meaningful to them, and understand and respect Australia’s cultural diversity.
What you'll do
You’ll enter the Navy as an ordained minister / religious leader of your faith group. You’ll work in a team with chaplains from other faith groups to provide ministry services to Navy members and their families, both at sea and ashore.
As an officer you’ll also adopt an important leadership, counselling and mentoring role. You’ll have privileged insight into concerns relating to personnel and stand in a unique position to exercise alternate points of view and provide guidance as a staff adviser to command.
Your duties may include:
- working within a Chaplaincy team that accepts different faiths, religious and philosophical views, sexuality and gender
- prioritising a person-centred approach above a religious framework
- delivering spiritual and religious support and pastoral care to ADF members and their families, including those with diverse spiritual frameworks, philosophical or humanist values, traditional religious perspectives and non-religious views, as well as those of diverse gender and sexuality
- providing advice to command relating to spiritual, religious and pastoral wellbeing, personal morality, ethics, culture, character formation, esprit de corps and morale
- promoting and supporting a culture of inclusiveness and displaying respect for differing beliefs, theological thought and culture
- working side-by-side with people and religious leaders from all faith groups while in Australia and overseas
- adhering to Defence values and behaviours.
You'll also perform additional general duties that support the whole ship, including:
- ship security, firefighting and replenishment at sea
- boarding party, first aid, flood repair and flight deck
- assisting with medical, ammunitioning or ceremonial duties
- shift work, or on-call duties as required.
Opportunities for progression and upskilling continue throughout your career as an officer. As you progress, the Navy will provide you with leadership, management, and specialist skills training to develop your ability to effectively manage your teams. You’ll also be provided with training opportunities to further develop your role-related expertise. This world-class training will strengthen your skillset and enable you to become an influential leader in the Navy allowing you to face any challenge, either at sea or ashore.
As an officer in the Navy, you may also undertake a posting to an Any Officer role during your career, such as instructor/training roles and staff officer roles. This experience helps you broaden your skill set and prepare for more senior roles.
Following training, you may be posted to any of the Navy’s major shore establishments. You'll serve both at sea in Major Fleet Units, where you'll provide ministry to the wider fleet, and ashore. You'll also deploy with task groups on operational and non-operational deployments.
Discover where the Navy operates across Australia on our base locations map.
We care for the pastoral and spiritual needs of all Defence personnel.
We care for the pastoral and spiritual needs of all Defence personnel.
Requirements and training
You must be an Australian citizen to serve in the ADF. However, Australian permanent residents may be eligible. For more details, visit the "Citizenship" tab on the Eligibility Requirements page.
You can apply for a role in the ADF from 16.5 years of age and must be at least 17 to join. The maximum age to join is 57 years.
You don’t need a driver’s licence for this role but if you have one, it can’t be suspended or cancelled.
All ADF members require a security clearance. As an ADF member, you’ll need to obtain the appropriate level of security clearance for your role. You’ll need a collection of relevant information including background checks and/or interviews so the Australian Government Security Vetting Agency (AGSVA) can make an informed assessment to ensure the protection of Government resources and information. Your Careers Coach will explain what level of clearance is required for the career you are considering.
For more information or to learn about how security clearance will apply to you, view the eligibility requirements page.
To be appointed as a Navy Chaplain, you’ll need to meet the following requirements.
- Be from an endorsed denomination or faith group represented within the current religious diversity of Navy personnel. See below for a list of approved faith groups.
- Provide documented evidence of a minimum of 3 years denominationally endorsed Bachelor of Theology or Ministry, or meet the educational requirements of your faith group prior to ordination or equivalent.
- Provide documented evidence of ordination or faith group equivalent.
- Have at least 2 years post-ordination/faith group equivalent pastoral ministry experience.
- Have documented endorsement and approval from your faith group, at the national level, that you are in good standing with your faith group and a suitable representative for Navy chaplaincy.
- Be deemed suitable by the Principal Chaplain and endorsed by the appropriate member of the Religious Advisory Committee to the Services (RACS).
Current approved denomination groups in the Navy include:
- Anglican Church
- Australian Christian Churches
- Baptist Union of Australia
- Catholic Church
- Churches of Christ
- Council of Australian Jewry
- Federation of Australian Buddhist Councils
- Hindu Council of Australia
- Islamic Council of Australia
- Lutheran Church of Australia
- Presbyterian Church
- Salvation Army
- Sikh Council of Australia
- Uniting Church.
To join the Navy, it's important that you meet the necessary medical and physical requirements. Regular exercise prior to joining will set you up for success as it is an important part of training and service life.
Once you join, Navy will support your physical conditioning to ensure you're prepared to serve. You'll also have access to chef-made meals, gyms, sports and fitness sessions run by physical training instructors. Throughout your Navy career, you’ll be expected to conduct an annual fitness test which includes a plank as well as either a beep test or run/walk or swim.
During the application process you’ll be assessed through a questionnaire about your medical history and a physical examination.
During Navy Military Training, whether heading to the New Entry Sailor Course (Recruit School) or the New Entry Officer Course, you'll need to pass a swim test wearing your uniform to graduate. This includes:
- safety jump off a 3m tower
- 10m underwater swim
- 50m swim using survival strokes
- treading water or floating for 15 minutes.
For further details on medical and physical fitness standards, refer to physical fitness standards for entry into the ADF and medical process for entry into the ADF.
You’ll be appointed for an Initial Minimum Period of Service (IMPS) of 3 years. Subsequent periods of service may be offered subject to the requirements of the ADF and your suitability for further service. You’ll have a Careers Coach who can advise on how IMPS will relate to your chosen occupation and personal situation.
You may request discharge at any time provided you do not have an outstanding IMPS obligation.
Course: New Entry Officers' Course (NEOC)
Duration: 18 weeks
Location: HMAS Creswell, Jervis Bay, NSW
You’ll begin your career by completing NEOC immediately upon entry into the Navy. NEOC is conducted in January and July each year at the Royal Australian Naval College. This is designed to teach the knowledge, skills and attributes required to be an effective junior naval officer.
NEOC course
- Physical fitness: General fitness, adventure training and the Navy swim test.
- Military life: Discipline, mannerisms, uniform procedures and Defence studies.
- Speciality skills: Small arms weapons training, first aid and survival at sea.
- Navy skills: Drill and ceremonial procedures, officer of the day duties, rank structure and Naval history.
- Leadership skills: High Functioning Teams Training and Military Resilience Training.
- Personal development: Leadership and management (including practical exercises), effective oral and written communication methods.
On completion of your NEOC course, you’ll proceed to your respective employment training.
Course: ADF Support Chaplaincy Course
Duration: 4 weeks
Location: Defence Force Chaplaincy College (DFCC), Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA), Canberra, ACT
This course is structured as a distance learning and residential course that consists of 4 parts.
- Part 1 Introduction to Defence Chaplaincy (this is conducted ‘on the job’ over a 6-month period) – includes conducting or facilitating religious and secular observances/activities and effective administration and management.
- Part 2 Pastoral Policy and Advocacy (one week at DFCC) – prepares you to provide support networks, pastoral care support and maintain pastoral care records.
- Part 3 Character, Ethics and Morality (one week at DFCC) – prepares you to provide timely and accurate advice on character development, personal morality, ethics, military ethical decision making and to develop and deliver educational programs.
- Part 4 Pastoral Counselling, Mental Health Literacy and Wellbeing (2 weeks at DFCC) – prepares you for mental health research, pastoral counselling, record-keeping, referral practices and the requirements for your own professional supervision, self-care and professional development.