Having Chaplains in Workplace May be Way to Prevent Violence

Veronica Neffinger | iBelieve Contributor | Updated: Sep 14, 2015

Having Chaplains in Workplace May be Way to Prevent Violence

Texas-based group Marketplace Chaplains brings chaplain services into the workplace in an effort to meet needs and deter workplace violence.

The group, which was started in 1984, is now one of the largest workplace chaplain organizations outside of the U.S. military, CBN News reports.

The organization aims to provide chaplains who are available to counsel employees and help them in ways that others in the workplace can’t. 

Those involved in the organization believe that having a chaplain present in the workplace is a valuable way to combat workplace violence, such as the on-camera shooting of WDBJ reporter Alison Parker and cameraman Adam Ward who were fatally shot by a former WDBJ employee.

"By having chaplains in the workplace, they [the employees] know that there's somebody that they can talk to confidentially, privately and that can help them," Chaplain Paul Shirley said. "Sometimes just talking about an issue really diffuses it for them and helps them get perspective."

James Cochrum, co owner of Venture Mechanical, one of the corporations that work with Marketplace Chaplains, said of the service, “It provides a sense of peace as you come to work and you know that they have that avenue if there is that need.”

Marketplace Chaplains employs non-denominational, confidential pastoral care to the companies they work with. The chaplains can be found in all 50 states and five different countries.

Although the chaplains' main purpose is not evangelism, Paul Shirley says he often ends up evangelizing, simply by the nature of his job.

“We are not trying to push anything. We are just there to serve the people, the employees and their families. And so it's, you know -- we're not trying to make anything happen spiritually, but it often does because they bring it up."

Photo courtesy: commons.wikimedia.org

Publication date: September 14, 2015



Having Chaplains in Workplace May be Way to Prevent Violence