The Mills County Sheriff’s Office Chaplain provides emotional, moral, and spiritual support to deputies, staff, their families, and inmates upon request. While a chaplain may represent a specific denomination or faith tradition, they serve and support all personnel regardless of belief system, including helping locate appropriate resources when needed.
Our chaplaincy program helps foster a culture where deputies and staff feel comfortable seeking support during both personal and professional challenges.
Duties and Responsibilities
The Chaplain may be called upon to perform a variety of duties, including:
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Ride-alongs with patrol deputies and attendance at roll call meetings
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Visiting sick or injured personnel at home or in the hospital
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Providing confidential counseling to deputies and staff upon request
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Offering spiritual guidance to inmates upon request
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Delivering invocations and benedictions at department functions
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Participating in in-service training classes
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Assisting with death notifications for members of the public
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Responding to major disasters, accidents, or crime scenes when requested
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Assisting with notifications to families of department members who have been seriously injured or killed
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Officiating funerals when requested
Qualifications
Applicants must meet the following requirements:
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Be ecclesiastically certified and in good standing with a recognized religious body.
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Demonstrate compassion, understanding, and a genuine love for others.
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Be tactful and respectful toward all individuals, regardless of race, sex, creed, or religion.
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Be emotionally stable and spiritually mature.
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Maintain high moral and ethical standards.
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Be willing and available to respond when a chaplain’s presence is requested.
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Have no criminal convictions or offenses involving moral turpitude.
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Submit an application for review by the Sheriff, including a criminal history and background check.
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Commit to serving in this voluntary position for a minimum of two years.
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Be willing to minister to deputies, jailers, dispatchers, their families, and inmates requesting spiritual guidance.
We are seeking serious applicants who feel genuinely called to serve in this ministry. Due to the sensitive and demanding nature of law enforcement work, thorough background checks are required, and only qualified individuals will be accepted.
The Chaplain is first and foremost a person of faith, duly ordained, who serves as a representative of their denomination while providing ecumenical support to all.