How do I join TCMA???

Membership of the Association is open to all persons, lay or ordained, who have the formal endorsement of their Religious Authority and are accredited by their tertiary institution and also those who are employed by a University or College as Chaplain. Other people who support the ideals of the Association may be accepted as associate members by the Annual General Meeting. Ordinary membership is $30 and associate membership is $20. Those wishing to join should download the membership nomination form as either a Word (44 KB), or .pdf (35 KB) file, complete it and return it to the Secretary. If you do not know a member of the TCMA who can nominate you, the Secretary will be able help you to find a suitable person. The National Executive of the TCMA (Australia) approves membership applications.

As chaplains usually work in a secular environment, TCMA trusts that they will work co-operatively, across faith boundaries, and try to meet the spiritual needs of the students or staff in their institution. They do not engage in proselytising, or any behaviour likely to cause difficulties for the community they serve, nor attack the sincere beliefs of others working in that community. The chaplain should offer an interactive and proactive service to the whole university community. The qualifications expected in those undertaking this work would normally be:

  • A degree or equivalent from a recognised institution
  • Pastoral experience in an industrial or educational setting
  • Meeting the religious requirements of their faith group
  • A sound knowledge of their institution and its practices
  • A willingness to work ecumenically and with people of all faiths for the benefit of their educational institution

How do I renew membership in the TCMA???

  • Simply complete the Membership Renewal form and send it with your cheque to the Secretary. ($30 for full membership, $20 for associate membership).

How do I join the e-mail list???

The TCMA sponsors an email discussion list called TCMA-L. The aim of the list is to allow tertiary chaplains and those associated with tertiary chaplaincy around Australia to communicate with each other. List members will receive emails announcing activities and initiatives of the TCMA and also information which chaplains think might be of interest or use to their colleagues. Sometimes these notices generate some discussion. List members are also encouraged to ask for help and advice when they encounter problems in their chaplaincy. The list is for members of the TCMA and is extended as a courtesy to all those involved in higher education chaplaincy in Australia. There are also members from Aotearoa/New Zealand. It is a low volume list which would average less than one message a day, but these messages tend to come in batches surrounding items or activities of special interest, so you might receive several messages a day for a week or two and then none at all for several weeks.

To join the list, send a blank email to tcma-l-request@pobox.une.edu.au. You will be asked to confirm that you want to subscribe. Follow the instructions in the email. You can also join the list at https://mail.une.edu.au/lists/cgi-bin/listinfo/tcma-l/. There are quite a number of ways in which you can vary your subscription. You will receive some information about this in your welcome email, but the help file for the list is not always easy to understand. You can download an explanation from this site.

The listowner is Rev Judy Redman - Uniting Church Chaplain to the University of New England, Armidale, NSW, email: jredman@une.edu.au and she is happy to help anyone who is experiencing difficulty with any aspect of list membership.