Opinion: I’m a Chaplain. Here’s Why I Oppose Replacing School Counselors With Chaplains.

As a mother, I volunteer in my children's elementary school. I have served as a room parent, listened to children read, hosted classroom celebrations, and volunteered at a PTA fundraiser and in the classroom. I'm free to volunteer, just as other community leaders and parents do regardless of their profession.

As a board-certified chaplain and a pastor at First Baptist Church of Austin, I care deeply about spiritual discernment and flourishing faith communities. Our houses of worship and other religious institutions are free to serve the needs of families in all spiritual matters.

As both a parent volunteer and a chaplain, I urge our area school districts to keep these two roles separate. It's best for our students. It protects our parental rights.

This is an issue that we all must educate ourselves about now that the Texas Legislature passed Senate Bill 763. The law forces school districts to decide whether or not to employ chaplains or accept volunteer chaplains. Rejecting the chaplain program is the only ethical and safe choice for our children.

Some school boards are under the impression that they must approve of chaplains as volunteers in reaction to SB 763 because chaplains were not previously barred from volunteering based on their profession. This is false. No policy change is needed to allow me or any other person who happens to be a chaplain to participate in existing volunteer opportunities. Approving this new, undefined volunteer opportunity that is only for chaplains will create confusion for school leadership, embolden those who seek to misuse the authority of chaplains to promote only one faith among public school families, and will ultimately invite lawsuits over chaplains in our schools.

Having completed three years of education for my Master of Divinity degree and an extensive internship followed by a year of residency in clinical pastoral education, having received ordination by a local church and endorsement by a national ecclesial body within my faith tradition, having been through a rigorous certification process, and having to maintain board certification with 50 hours of continuing education each year, I am equipped and trained to serve individuals seeking spiritual care without imposing my own faith traditions upon them. A chaplain program in public schools that does not require such training, qualifications, or ethical safeguards is a danger to children and their spiritual well-being.

For these reasons and others, I joined more than 170 Texas chaplains in signing this letter opposing the creation of chaplain employment or volunteer opportunities under SB 763.

A chaplain program in public schools is unethical. It's not a safe response to the shortage of school counselors or concerns over school safety. It violates the right of parents and guardians to choose the religious leaders who influence their child's spiritual journey. Please urge school districts to reject the chaplain program.

The Rev. Deborah Reeves, M.Div., BCC, serves as pastor to children and their families at First Baptist Church of Austin.