It already takes a certain kind of person to perform the work of a chaplain, according to longtime police chaplain Millie Johnson, who said being a woman in the field lends its own challenges to the duties.

Johnson’s main work as a chaplain is with the Pittsburgh police, a department she used to be employed by. She said her prior experience as an officer helps her gain the trust of the people she works with as a chaplain, an element of the calling she said brings the most benefits to the people who meet with her.

“They have a lot of peer support groups within the department. A lot of times police will rely on their peers,” Johnson said of working with police officers. “It's almost like a fraternity. It's all about supporting and coming alongside your brother or sister.”

Marcia Jones-Washington, a bereavement coordinator with Good Samaritan Hospice, organized an online networking ministry specifically for women chaplains which meets monthly to discuss topics relating to their work.

Johnson has been a regular attendee since its founding in 2022.

Jones-Washington said the group allows women to share their experiences in chaplaincy to encourage and support other women with the same calling.

“This allows them to leave feeling more encouraged, or maybe more inspired, to be able to get back out there and provide ministry to other people,” Jones-Washington said.

After running the online support group for a few months, Jones-Washington took her planning to the real world and organized a conference for women chaplains that is now entering its fourth year.

The fourth-annual PA Women of Chaplaincy and Pastoral Care Conference will take place Saturday, Sept. 19, at Saint Sharbel Spiritual Life Center, 820 Crane Ave., Pittsburgh. Jones-Washington said the conference is an extension of the online group in that it is a place for women chaplains to gather, but it also features speakers who will share their own experiences with the attendees.

“This ministry work in itself can be challenging in that you're pouring into others,” Jones-Washington said. “This conference allows women to just come and relax and know that they are going to be poured into.”

Jones-Washington was a chaplain for five years before becoming a bereavement coordinator at Good Samaritan Hospice, which has an office in Middlesex Township where Jones-Washington works. She said about a dozen people regularly attend the online support group.

“Every month, there is a topic of discussion. I'm usually the one who comes up with the topic,” Jones-Washington said. “There was a meeting called what to wear... There was a conversation on technology. Is it there to enhance our work or is it a threat to our work?”

Justine Jones is another Pittsburgh-based chaplain who has attended the online meetings since the beginning. She said that even though people who attend have a variety of specialties, hearing those experiences helps her in her own field.

“It's good to hear other people's experiences. Hear how other people responded in situations that I may not have thought about,” Jones said. “Everybody in that group is not a hospice chaplain, but it's interesting to hear what they're doing at the jail or the hospital.”

Jones herself had mainly worked in hospice as a chaplain, which she said presented its own challenges relating to people’s thoughts in that situation. According to Jones, some people had a lot to share while in hospice.

“It varies from person to person in similarities but particularly people who have the capability of processing, they have a whole lifetime they are looking at and wanting to think of the people that love them along the way, the people they have hurt along the way,” Jones said.

Jones-Washington also said working in hospice care can be emotionally taxing and not every patient will be accepting of a woman chaplain.

“I know when I was a hospice chaplain, there were those patients, especially women, they preferred to see a woman chaplain. They were pleasantly surprised to see a woman chaplain,” Jones-Washington said. “I had an appointment to see a male patient and his loved one said he won't even talk to a woman chaplain.”

It’s not often a person refuses to see a chaplain if it is a woman, but Jones-Washington said she has gotten good responses when she sees a woman who has requested a chaplain.

“These kinds of situations do occur where it can be a benefit if you have a woman patient wants to see a woman chaplain,” Jones-Washington said.

Johnson said she enjoys hearing about the experiences of others in the virtual group meetings.

“We kind of get to relieve things that we might be going through,” Johnson said. “It was other like-minded women who were in ministry alongside of me, so it was just good to have a sisterhood.”

Jones said she has enjoyed the in-person conference because she gets to meet face-to-face with some of the people she usually sees on a screen. She added the speakers each year have offered encouragement she has found insightful.

“Even when you have a face on Zoom, it's not the same as meeting someone in person,” Jones said. “Every year it's grown to more people, speakers, more variety of speakers and so it continues to grow as the whole ministry grows.”

The conference will feature keynote speaker Marie Monville, who will share the story of how she turned her life around after being connected to a tragedy; Lindy Suchik, a certified chaplain who works with the nonprofit TurnAbout 180; and Alice Tremaine, advance care planning manager for Baptist Health in Kentucky and Indiana.

But as Jones-Washington explained, the speakers are just one element of the supportive event. She said one of the biggest benefits is connecting women chaplains with one another to hear each other out and work together to strengthen their understanding of their duties.

“As a chaplain, a lot of it is being a good listener and helping them deal with what they're going through right now,” Jones-Washington said. “There's also breakout sessions, so you'll hear from other women.”

Jones said the conference and the monthly meetings have been helpful to her and her work as a chaplain.

“Just hearing the different things people are doing under the umbrella of chaplaincy, I think, is very rewarding,” Jones said.

For more information on the PA Women of Chaplaincy and Pastoral Care or to register for its upcoming conference, visit pawomenchaplains.net. Jones-Washington said she encourages women who are interested to register to attend even if the deadline of Aug. 28 passes.