Chaplain of the United States Senate

The chaplain of the United States Senate opens each session of the United States Senate with a prayer, and provides and coordinates religious programs and pastoral care support for senators, their staffs, and their families. The chaplain is appointed by a majority vote of the members of the Senate on a resolution nominating an individual for the position. The three most recent nominations have been submitted based on a bipartisan search committee although that procedure is not required. Chaplains are elected as individuals and not as representatives of any religious community, body, or organization. As of 2017, all Senate chaplains have belonged to various denominations of Christianity, though there are no restrictions against members of any religion or faith group. Guest chaplains, recommended by senators to deliver the session's opening prayer in place of the Senate chaplain, have represented "all the world's major religious faiths." The current chaplain is Barry C. Black, a retired Navy Rear Admiral and former Chief of Navy Chaplains. He is the first Seventh-day Adventist and the first African-American to hold the position. Duties The chaplain of the United States Senate is chosen to "perform ceremonial, symbolic, and pastoral duties." These responsibilities include opening Senate sessions with a prayer or coordinating the delivery of the prayer by guest chaplains recommended by members of the Senate. The chaplain's prayer is referred to as "one of the Senate's most enduring traditions" in the official Senate pamphlet "Traditions of the U.S. Senate."