for Those Who Serve Behind Walls, In the Hospital & On the Margins.

Breathtaking design for home living.

FCM supports and celebrates institutional chaplains, and their specialized ministries.

Nam aliquet ante porta, gravida elit interdum, luctus porta sapien justo, at fringilla felis suscipit vestibulum.

Why endorsement matters

Government and institutional chaplaincy runs on documented standing. The systems where you serve require a religious endorsing body they recognize and the bar is deliberately high.

FCM is recognized nationally as a religious endorsing body.
FCM is a proud member of networks that govern specialized ministries.
FCM has been an IRS-recognized convention of churches since 2013 and rooted in continuous ministry since 1968.
Your Regional Vice President, and Specialized Ministry Committee Contact, guide and advocate for you, so you’re not navigating institutional requirements alone.

Wherever people are, chaplains belong .

Institutional chaplaincy reaches people the rest of the world often overlooks. FCM ordains (and where appropriate, endorses) chaplains across all types of ministries, including but not limited to:

Department of Veterans Affairs

Medical centers and the veterans’ system

Prison Chaplaincy*

Prison and incarcerated related ministries

Recovery Chaplaincy*

Addiction and recovery chaplaincy

Community Ministries*

Community and street chaplaincy

Elder and End of Life Ministries

Assisted living, hospice and elder-care institutions

Spiritual Care Education

ACPE-certified educators within institutional settings

Step 1

Become a member & pursue Commissioning

Endorsement for specialized ministry is available to commissioned members in good standing. Commissioning authorizes your public ministry; endorsement extends specialized ministries.

Step 2

Apply for endorsement

Submit your endorsement application for specialized ministry. Your Regional Vice President guides and advocates for you throughout.

Step 3

Receive recognized endorsement

Once endorsed, your standing is documented and accepted by your institution and the networks that govern institutional ministry.

The Endorsement Process

You must be a commissioned member in good standing with FCM before you can begin the endorsement process. The general process for endorsement with FCM involves:

  • Connect with your regional vice president to discuss your intention to seek endorsement
  • Contact the regional endorsement liaison that serves your region (below)
  • Completion of the application form
  • Submission of required documentation
  • Meeting with a regional FCM interview committee (selected and organized by the candidate),
  • Submission of the interview committee’s report,
  • Recommendation by the FCM National Committee on Specialized Ministries, and final approval by The Circle of Directors

A recommendation is based on a thorough review of the candidate’s application materials, letters of recommendation, verifications, and the written report from the local/regional interview committee.

You can find the regional liaison for endorsement on this map.

Resources
Checklist of Requirements for Endorsement
Endorsement Polity Manual

Important upcoming dates for Endorsement materials submission:

  • October 5, 2026
  • January 19, 2027

Members should expect to hear from the Circle about the outcome of their application about one month after the deadline.

Yes, FCM is a VA-recognized religious endorsing body, and there are many members who serve in the VA hospital system.

Each system maintains its own endorsement standards and paperwork. We encourage members to reach out to their Regional Vice President to discuss pathways for endorsement that meet requirements and standards.


FCM is not currently an approved DoD endorsing body, however we work with ecclesiastical partners to support and celebrate Calls that include this type of ministry.

No. Many FCM members hold dual membership with FCM and a local faith community.

Commissioning (our term for Ordination) authorizes your public ministry generally; endorsement for specialized ministry recognizes you specifically for chaplaincy and institutional pastoral work.

Fully and without exception. Membership, Commissioning, and endorsement are open to all.

FCM is a member organization of the COMISS Network.

The COMISS Network: The Network on Ministry in Specialized Settings was founded as the Council on Ministry in Specialized Settings in June of 1979. It is a national organization of chaplaincy, pastoral care, and pastoral counseling stakeholders. The organization has been known as the Council, Congress, Coalition, and, now, Network on Ministry in Specialized Settings or less formally, or for short – The COMISS Network.

The names, logos, and marks of ACPE, APC, AAPC, CPSP, COMISS, AREB, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and other organizations shown or inferred on this site, are the property of their respective owners and are used for identification purposes only. Their appearance here does not imply endorsement, sponsorship, affiliation, or approval of FCM by these organizations, nor any partnership between them and FCM. FCM makes no claim to any authority, certification, or credential granted by these entities. Endorsement, certification, and recognition requirements are set solely by each organization and are subject to change; prospective chaplains are responsible for confirming current requirements directly with the relevant body. FCM is not a certifying agency, we do not certify individuals for chaplaincy.