| dc.description.abstract | The observation indicates that there has never been a professional/trained
chaplain at Mbeya Adventist Secondary School (MASS) since its inception in 2014. It
seems that the Southern Highland Conference (SHC) assumes that a Pastor who has
received theological training is qualified to be a school chaplain. Due to a lack of
formal training in chaplaincy, the pastor performs typical pastoral duties, such as
preaching, supervising the school worship schedule, serving as a member of the
school discipline Committee, and organizing and supervising the school choir. The
core chaplain responsibilities—providing spiritual and emotional care through the
ministry of presence (journeying with students and staff through their problem),
empathetic listening, counseling, managing crisis, and dealing with big events of
human life like death and divorce remain unattended. Also, the lack of a trained
chaplain at MASS seems to leave the school in crisis. Anecdotally, MASS students seem to be increasingly involved in risky behaviors such as truancy and sexual
immorality.
This case study project adopted a qualitative research design. Both the
interview and focus group approaches were used. An in-depth interview was
conducted to understand the current state of chaplaincy ministry at MASS; while a
seminar was conducted to disseminate information regarding the core chaplain
qualifications and responsibilities. A focus group approach was used to elicit
information regarding the impact of the seminar and develop a strategy on ways to
improve chaplaincy at MASS. The study population comprised of MASS board
members, administration, school pastor, students’ leaders, and SHC officers.
The overall outcome of the study showed the need to improve chaplaincy at
MASS. The participants were of the view that SHC should hire professional a
chaplain or the current school chaplain should undergo chaplaincy training to the
necessary roles professionally, and that the SHC needs to hire a Pastor to deal with
church programs and teach Bible knowledge to reduce the workload of the chaplain. | en_US |
