Introduction to the Religious Program Specialist Rating

INTRODUCTION TO THE RELIGIOUS PROGRAM SPECIALIST RATING The Religious Program Specialist (RP) rating was established to support the Navy’s chaplains. RPs are professional support personnel who are skilled in religious programming and administration. Personnel selected for the RP rating are not clergy and are, therefore, not expected to perform functions reserved for members of the clergy. Basically, the RPs are combatants who help the Navy’s chaplains administer to the needs of persons of all faith groups by performing the administrative or religious programming tasks that do not require ordination or licensing. In combat areas, the RPs also provide physical protection to Navy chaplains, allowing them to carry out their duties and responsibilities as safely as possible. Whether assigned to a ship or a shore activity, the RP must be able to perform a variety of duties in support of the command religious program (CRP). In fact, the RP will directly affect the CRP through programming the religious needs and rights of sea service personnel and their families and by helping the assigned chaplain in the delivery of ministry. Some typical duties and responsibilities might include the following actions: l l l l l l l l l l Conducting rehearsals Making referrals Rigging and unrigging for religious services and CRP events Recruiting, training, and supervising CRP volunteers who help in worship, religious education, library, lay reader, religious offering fund, and other programs Publicizing the CRP and its events Organizing, coordinating, and supporting religious education programs Serving as bookkeepers and custodians of the religious offering fund Providing library services on board ships Managing and administratively elements Determining, requisitioning, logistics support for the CRP supporting CRP and managing l l Managing, maintaining, and supporting the design of and determining the requirements for a religious ministry facility (RMF) afloat or ashore Providing physical security for chaplains in combat Although RPs work directly for chaplains in support of the Navy’s CRPs, they are not considered to be chaplains’ assistants or lay readers. Instead, they are program managers with a focus on their specific rating-related skills—skills that do not require ordination, preaching, teaching theology or faith, or counseling. As program managers, RPs will typically perform specific tasks that are designed to be action oriented and initiative challenging with an increased reliance on volunteers. As a Navy RP, you must be prepared to provide support for all faith groups. These faith groups primarily include (but will not be limited to) following major religions: B u d d h i s m will the Christianity (including Christian Science, Latter Day Saints, Orthodox, Protestant, and Roman Catholic) Judaism I s l a m As a member of the RP rating, you must be prepared to support all chaplains in the requirements of each chaplain’s faith group. You must also be prepared to support each chaplain’s personal practices and desires, an aspect of your job you will likely learn through your chaplain’s disclosure of his or her individual preferences and through individual on-the-job and collective onboard training programs. Now that you have a basic understanding of what an RP does, let’s step back and look at the history of the RP rating. Remember, you must first know where or how your rating began before you can know where it is or where it is going. ix