This is the abstract of an article to be published in Practical Theology in late 2008

"ARE THEY REFUGEES?”  Why Church of England male clergy enter health care chaplaincy.

ABSTRACT:  This article reports on the results from a recent research project that sought to identify the most influential factors leading Church of England clergy to enter employment in health care chaplaincy. Areas of enquiry included positive or negative experiences towards parish and sector ministry; personal circumstances; attitudes towards ministry and the church/health care provider; preferences for work/personal boundaries and the sense of being valued or rejected by the employing body. This article looks at male chaplain's experience of the church and health care chaplaincy. It concludes that though many clergy may have had a good experience of ministry prior to entering chaplaincy, their experience of the institutional church was notably negative. It also identifies that liberal, catholic clergy, clergy in same sex relationships, clergy with partners in ministry and clergy comfortable working on the edge of both ecclesiastical and secular institutions and  found  in high concentration in health care chaplaincy.

KEYWORDS:  Health care chaplains; Church of England; Ministry; Recruitment; Motivation

AUTHORS:  Revd Graeme Hancocks, Trust Chaplain, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust; 

Revd Dr Chris Swift, Head of Chaplaincy at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust ;  Mr John Sherbourne, chaplaincy volunteer