ATLANTA (ABP) — Baptist agencies like the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship endorse hundreds of chaplains, most of which serve with the armed services or in healthcare facilities, but Alan Tyson is part of a select few: he works in corporate America.
Based at Tyson Foods Inc. in Glen Allen, Va., Tyson joins a group of roughly 1,300 chaplains nationwide who work with business professionals. The company employs 126 chaplains for 85,000 employees at 252 locations in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
And Tyson, who has no relation to the chicken-purveyor's founder, says corporate offices offer a unique setting for his ministry.
“One of the unique aspects of workplace chaplaincy is the incredible opportunity to get to know and minister to people that have no pastor and seldom darken the doors of a church,” Tyson said. “It is an opportunity to help Christians overcome the Sunday-to-Monday gap.”
According to Corporate Chaplains of America, large and small companies use chaplains, who are certified to enter emergency rooms, help with marriage counseling, offer stress management tips and perform wedding ceremonies.
Tyson Foods, which has employed chaplains since 1999, hires them to minister to all employees, regardless of faith or status within the company.
Some human resources specialists have expressed concern about the presence of a chaplain in a corporate setting; chaplains must work within the parameters described in the Guidelines for Religion in the Federal Workplace, a White House document produced in 1997. During the 60 years of workplace chaplaincy history, the Corporate Chaplains of America website says, no company offering a chaplain assistance program has been the target of litigation concerning chaplain care.
Tyson said he isn't exclusive about his work.
“We practice a ministry of presence and availability to all of our team members and their families,” Tyson said. “Many of the company's plant locations make accommodations for Muslim team members to pray.”
Besides relating to people of all faiths, Tyson said corporate chaplains should have some knowledge of the business world. He entered into corporate chaplaincy in 1993 with Hudson Foods Inc. in Rogers, Ark., and has served as a chaplain with the United States Army.
George Pickle, a CBF chaplain coordinator, said an effective corporate chaplain greatly impacts the life of a company as well as the lives of those the company employs.
“Research has shown that when a corporation has a chaplain who is a presence in the system, there is less conflict among employees, less sick time and more productivity,” Pickle said. “A chaplain serves with a focus of genuine care in life's celebrations, crises, and everyday experiences.”
One of Tyson's chaplains recently counseled a team member who gave birth to a still-born child. When chaplain Larry Petton received word, he immediately went to the hospital to pray with the young couple, who did not have a local pastor of their own. Petton was asked to conduct the funeral.
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