Officials probe Sacramento Christian-only chaplaincy

A publicly funded program requiring chaplains to embrace Jesus has come under fire from Sacramento law enforcement agencies, public officials and religious leaders.

Law Enforcement Chaplaincy-Sacramento, a private group that has served the area's policing agencies for the past 25 years, was asked by the agencies, the Sacramento City Council and the county Board of Supervisors last week to change its Christian-only hiring policy.

The requests came after it was learned earlier this month that the program, which receives county and city funds, requires its aspiring chaplains to sign a statement saying they have "faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord," thereby excluding Jews and many other faiths from the chaplaincy.

Rabbi H. David Teitelbaum, executive director of the Board of Rabbis of Northern California, called this policy "morally reprehensible and possibly illegal."

Teitelbaum, who serves as the Jewish chaplain for the San Francisco Police Department, said he is unclear why "any government agency would utilize such a discriminatory chaplaincy group."

Public officials such as members of the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors say they are unclear how this issue slipped through the cracks for so long and are very concerned by the potential breach to the separation of church and state.

Dennis Rogers, chief of staff for the board chair, called it a "violation of our contracts for grantees," which is supposed to safeguard against discrimination.

"That's the law of the land within Sacramento County -- no ifs, ands or buts about it," said Rogers. "Our hope is that they will understand what they need to do to alter their practice. Otherwise it will be very difficult for our relationship to continue in the manner that it is now."

The Sacramento police and sheriff's departments, which send chaplains from the group to crime scenes to provide crisis intervention and counseling for grieving families and victims, are also concerned.

Though the chaplains' work is considered secular and they "don't go out and beat people over the head with religion," said Sacramento Police Department Sgt. Daniel Hahn, the hiring policy has to be more inclusive.

While the group has always done "an outstanding job," he said the police department would sever all ties if the organization does not begin allowing people of all religions to serve as chaplains.

"We're requiring this, not only because it's what we believe in, but because it's better for the community," said Hahn, a public information officer for the department. "There's all sorts of folks who we service in the community and we want to be open" to their needs.

The sheriff's department has not delivered such an ultimatum, but it is also calling for a modification to the group's hiring policy.

"We've asked them to review and change their policy to be more encompassing," said sheriff's spokesman Sgt. James Lewis. "We want to give them the opportunity to change rather than snap to quick conclusions."

Mindi Russell, the chaplaincy's executive director, was not immediately available for comment, but she did issue a press statement. It said the chaplaincy "will be reviewing its operation to examine what changes can be made to resolve any concerns and perceptions that have arisen."

However, some in the Jewish community, including the S.F.-based Anti-Defamation League, fear that a quick fix may not really get to the crux of the matter.

"I think this will end up being more complicated," said Jonathan Bernstein, executive director of the ADL's Central Pacific region. He likened the issue to trying "to fit a square peg into a round hole."

"First they need to recognize whether they are a religious organization or not," he said, noting that even the group's logo features a badge with a cross. "Obviously a religious organization can discriminate if it wants to. The problem here is they're getting state funding and access to law enforcement."

Also, he said it is unclear whether "they are even willing to turn themselves into a secular organization. A lot has to do with their own beliefs, backgrounds, hiring practices and on and on."

Bernstein hopes to set up a face-to-face meeting with Russell to discuss the ADL's concerns over the constitutional violations posed by the group's current structure.

"If they do want to make a change, we're happy to help them make [it]," he said.

Teitelbaum said he hopes this change will indeed happen, and that the city and county will make a point to enforce it.

"Then they would have to have standards -- professional standards -- for their chaplains," he said. "They couldn't just hire anyone off the street because he calls himself a chaplain."