Frequently Asked Questions
About our hospital chaplains
A hospital chaplain is a trained professional who provides pastoral, emotional, and spiritual support to people in hospital settings. Our hospital chaplains work alongside hospital staff and the wider healthcare teams. They support patients, whānau, and staff, respond to referrals, and help ensure spiritual wellbeing is part of a person's overall care.
You don't have to be religious to see a hospital chaplain. Whilst Hospital Chaplaincy Aotearoa is a Christian charity, our chaplains support individuals of all faiths and beliefs, including those who do not identify with any religion. A hospital chaplain's role is not to tell people what to believe, but to listen and support them, helping them draw on what gives them hope, strength, and meaning.
Hospital chaplains care for the spiritual, emotional, and pastoral wellbeing of patients, whānau, and hospital staff. They walk alongside people in times of illness, uncertainty, grief, crisis, and more. Their work goes far beyond faith-based support and focuses on helping people find comfort, meaning, hope, and connection.
Hospital chaplains pray with patients, whānau, and staff when requested. They can also facilitate spiritual rituals, blessings, communion, and help connect people with leaders from their own faith tradition or spiritual community if desired. You can also become a Hospital Chaplaincy Aotearoa Prayer Partner to help uplift chaplains as they minister to people in crisis.
Hospital chaplains provide spiritual support to people of all faiths and beliefs, including those who do not identify as religious. Spiritual support is an important part of what we do, but it’s not the only support we offer. Hospital chaplains also provide pastoral and emotional care, offering support during times of illness, uncertainty, loss, or significant life events. Hospital Chaplaincy Aotearoa's kaupapa is to provide holistic spiritual and pastoral care for all, regardless of who they are, what they believe, or where they come from.
About Hospital Chaplaincy Aotearoa
Hospital Chaplaincy Aotearoa adopted its new operating name in October 2024. However, the Interchurch Council for Hospital Chaplaincy (ICHC) remains the organisation’s legal name. When the organisation was first established in 1972, Hospital Chaplaincy Aotearoa was known as The Interchurch Advisory Committee on Hospital Chaplaincy (ICAC). In 1993, the name changed to Interchurch Council for Hospital Chaplaincy (ICHC). Hospital Chaplaincy Aotearoa is now the public-facing name used to better reflect the organisation’s role and mission across Aotearoa New Zealand.
Te Whare Tapa Whā is a holistic model of health developed by Tā Mason Durie in 1984. It offers a Māori perspective on wellbeing, describing it as a wharenui supported by four interconnected pillars of health. Hospital Chaplaincy Aotearoa embraces the Te Whare Tapa Whā model of health, offering the spiritual support required to complete the holistic picture of care.
Get involved
You can support Hospital Chaplaincy Aotearoa through regular giving, one-off donations, volunteering, prayer, sharing your story, or leaving a gift in your Will. Every contribution helps ensure patients, whānau, and staff receive compassionate spiritual and pastoral care when they need it most.
You can volunteer with Hospital Chaplaincy Aotearoa by becoming a Volunteer Chaplaincy Assistant. To register your interest, complete our volunteer registration form and one of our team will get back to you. Hospital Chaplaincy Aotearoa is often looking for volunteers, so if it is something you'd like to know more about then we would love to hear from you.
You can become a hospital chaplain by applying for an advertised position on the Hospital Chaplaincy Aotearoa careers page. Hospital chaplains come from a wide range of backgrounds. Most have completed theological training and bring some form of pastoral experience, although requirements vary by role. What's essential is a strong foundation in pastoral care, compassion, and a genuine desire to support and care for people during some of life’s most challenging moments.
Still have questions?