Calling

Why are you a chaplain? Besides the obvious, I mean—the prestige, the pay, and the praise. 

For me, it started with a little reflection on who & where I am. Law enforcement runs in our family: my brother is a retired city cop, one brother-in-law is a Colorado state trooper, and another is a town cop in southern Colorado. Add to that my desire to make a difference in the town where God called me to pastor, and police chaplaincy seemed a natural fit. 

That was enough to get me started. But after a few months of actually trying to provide spiritual care for cops, I soon realized my primary motivation was sourced in something deeper. It had to be. 

God called me to this. I don’t mean anything super mystical by that—simply that police chaplains must be driven by a deep sense of inner compulsion, a feeling of being summoned, the awareness that you really can’t not do this. God gave you this duty. Yes, you love cops and want to make a difference in their lives. But ultimately you do this for Him.  

Why do you do what you do? There’s no substitute for being called.

By Josh Waltz. Lead Chaplain, Parker Police Department