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

Breathtaking design for home living.

FCM gives institutional chaplains the standing their agencies require.

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

The names, logos, and marks of ACPE, APC, AAPC, CPSP, COMISS, AREB, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and other organizations shown 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.

Why endorsement matters

Government and institutional chaplaincy runs on documented standing. The VA, the Bureau of Prisons, the Department of Defense, and the corrections and recovery systems where you serve each require a religious endorsing body they recognize and the bar is deliberately high.

Qualified, Called people are turned away every year, not for any failing of their ministry, but because no recognized body would put its name behind them. FCM does.

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 confined, deployed, or in recovery: chaplains belong

Institutional chaplaincy reaches people the rest of the world often overlooks. FCM endorses chaplains across the settings that demand recognized standing:

Department of Veterans Affairs

VA medical centers and the veterans’ system

Prison Chaplaincy

Federal and state corrections/prison chaplaincy

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 education 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 it into institutional and chaplaincy settings.

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 from this list:

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.

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 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.