The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United Kingdom is a member of the Multi-Faith Group for Healthcare Chaplaincy (MFGHC)
Chaplains are to be found in a growing number of settings
Hospitals, hospices, prisons, universities, colleges, courts, airports, and some neighbourhoods all have chaplains to care for the spiritual and religious needs of their patients, students, travellers, residents and staff.
The Bahá’í teachings do not include a concept of chaplaincy (just as there is no priesthood and no distinction between ‘lay’ and ‘ordained’ Bahá’ís) and the Bahá’í community itself does not have chaplains. Pastoral care of the community is primarily the responsibility of the local and National Spiritual Assemblies. However, Bahá’ís serve as chaplains in a number of the above-mentioned settings, mostly on a voluntary basis, in order to be able to offer spiritual support to Bahá’ís and those who are not Bahá’ís but who express the wish to see a Bahá’í chaplain.
Authorising Bahá’í chaplains
The National Spiritual Assembly is a member of the Multi-Faith Group for Healthcare Chaplaincy (MFGHC) and is recognised by both the MFGHC and the Department for Health as the official body that authorises Bahá’í healthcare chaplains who have satisfactorily completed their training.
Chaplaincy organisations & resources
Healthcare chaplains are supported by a number of organisations, including the MFGHC, the UK Board of Healthcare Chaplaincy, and the College of Healthcare Chaplains. There is a specialist Association for Hospice and Palliative Care Chaplains and chaplaincy organisations in each of Northern Ireland and Scotland.
Useful healthcare chaplaincy resources can be found on each of these sites.
Find out more
You can find out more about Bahá’ís in chaplaincy by emailing the National Spiritual Assembly’s Chaplaincy Team.
Chaplaincy experiences
Some of the Bahá’ís who are trained as healthcare chaplains share their experiences.
Sandra
We began the day in the Hospital Chapel where a handful of volunteers had a little service with one of the Hospital Chaplains lasting about 15 minutes.
The four patients I saw were all elderly people who had been in the hospital for a few weeks.
The first one was a regular churchgoer in his 80s. He was pleased to see me and we chatted for about 15 minutes about his health and the health of his wife who would have to look after him when he left the hospital, also about his wife's role as churchwarden in their local church, and about his role in the war. He asked me if I was Church of England too and I said 'No, I am a member of the Baha'i Faith'. I then offered to say a prayer and he grasped my hand. I said the short healing prayer and he held onto my hand in silence for several minutes afterwards and said thank you, thank you.
My next patient was an elderly lady who was quite angry and frustrated with the hospital. She was not religious but had been referred to the Chaplaincy because of her frustrations and her need to talk with someone. I stayed for about 10 or 15 minutes and promised to send someone to fix her TV.
The third patient was a very old man in a ward that had a 'Keep out - norovirus' notice on the door. The nurses said that the patient had suffered the norovirus but ‘was probably ok now’. He was very glad to see me and told me in graphic detail about his operation and his attack of norovirus. I think he had been alone in that room for a week or two, very bored and lonely. He was a regular church-goer and we talked about his church and various members of the congregation etc. I then suggested we say a prayer and offered to take his hand. He wouldn't take my hand until he had covered it with tissues to protect me from possible infection. I said the short healing prayer and tears ran down his face and he said 'Amen' about five times.
My last patient was an elderly lady who was terribly confused. It was heart-breaking to sit with her because she was nicely groomed and tidy, very intelligent, but appeared to have had a chunk of her memory no longer working. Her bags were neatly packed as if she was expecting to go home. She kept saying over and over again 'I don't know what has happened, this is a hospital isn't it, but I don't know why I'm here. I know I have a son and a daughter but I don't even know their names and I don't know why I can't remember. I can't even remember if my daughter is still alive. I've packed my bag as if I'm going home but I don't know whether I am really going home or not, and I don't even know where my home is. I know I was always very capable, but something has happened to my mind and I don't know what is going on anymore'.
At that point the dinner staff brought her lunch to her so I had to go. The dinner lady said to me that this lady has the same conversation every day, and packs her bags every day, and that she had been there for a few weeks. I felt very sad for her. She wasn't religious but I left a prayer with her from the little file that the Chaplaincy supplied me with. She cried when she read the prayer and said thank you, and left it on the table in front of her. I said I would pray for her in the Chapel and she said 'oh please do'.
I couldn't believe that two hours had already passed, but as it was twelve o'clock I legged it back to the Chapel just in time for the visiting volunteers’ closing service.
Dave
Friday 7th January was my first day as a bedside visiting chaplain.
My first visit was a lady in her mid 90's, not at all confused, in fact she was alert and very bright. During her working life she had run a pub a petrol station and kept pigs! She was even able to tell me how much a gallon of petrol was in the 1930's 1/7 (one shilling and seven pence) that's old money.
The next one that I stumbled on was a lady who had no one and was wishing that it was all over! I was not prepared for this and not sure that I handled it in the right way! However it has prepared me for the next time I am confronted with that situation as we all know we are still very much learning.
On my second Friday I returned to a patient I had visited on my first week. A return visit is much easier as you have some personal knowledge of the patient before you meet them. Another gentleman I visited was very concerned about his neighbour who looked as if he had recently returned from surgery. As this seemed to be the most important thing on his mind I asked him if he would like me to say a prayer for the gentleman and he said yes. I used the short healing prayer, this helped to calm my patient.
With most patients I visit I offer to say a prayer, if they accept I quote the short healing prayer to date all who have heard this say how nice it is. If they are of a particular religion I do tell them that it is not from their religion but all have been happy to hear it.