School Chaplain

School Chaplain

Reports to Head of School

Status: Salaried, Exempt, 12-month

Saint Mary’s Hall (SMH) in San Antonio, Texas, a

coeducational school of nearly 800 Pre-K (3-years old)

through grade 12 students, seeks a School Chaplain who

will be a member of the faculty and serve as Chaplain,

pastor, and teacher for this preeminent college preparatory

educational institution in South Texas.

Saint Mary’s Hall seeks a student-centered, collaborative,

and transparent leader responsible for providing pastoral

care and spiritual leadership to the students, faculty, staff ,

and alumni. The Chaplain is to love and serve the people

of Saint Mary’s Hall, nourishing and strengthening them

for this life and the life to come. They will design and

coordinate a weekly Chapel program that engages students,

faculty, and staff and works to educate all community

members on major religions of the world and help create

a sense of belonging and an environment where diverse

perspectives help promote respect and open conversation.

The Chaplain will also teach one section based on

the School’s needs. The Chaplain plays a key role in

our students’ character development, in line with the

School’s core values. This individual will carry out their

responsibilities for all community members, regardless of

age, race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religious

preference, or any other non-merit based factors.

With new leadership ushering in a dynamic, ambitious,

and innovative new era, SMH aims to educate the whole

person with a rich, rigorous, liberal arts curriculum;

passionate, expert faculty; extensive fi ne arts;

and a competitive athletic program.

Primary Responsibilities

• Minister in a non-denominational setting in line with

Saint Mary’s Hall’s Statement of Religious Expression

and supervise the School’s spiritual life programs.

• Design and coordinate a weekly Chapel program

that engages students, faculty, and staff and works

to educate all community members on major religions

of the world.

• Preside and preach at non-denominational Chapel

services once per week for Lower, Middle, and

Upper School divisions.

• Engage students, faculty, and staff in the Chapel

program through their participation as guest speakers,

musicians, or other roles.

• Recruit and mentor students to serve on the

Spiritual Life Committee as an advisory group to the

Chaplain and to represent student viewpoints about

spiritual life at SMH.

• Organize and officiate the following annual services:

Christmas Lessons & Carols, Ash Wednesday,

Veterans Day, and Baccalaureate.

• Maintain an annual Chapel schedule for each division,

communicating upcoming events to students, faculty,

and staff in a timely manner.

• Conduct non-denominational morning, noon,

or after-school prayer for students and faculty on

weekdays as appropriate given the school calendar

and other duties.

• Provide prayers for All-School ceremonies and other

events as needed.

• Provide character formation lessons in Chapel or

classroom settings; team-teach character development

classes with counselors and other colleagues.

• Teach one class section depending upon the School’s

needs, including approximately once per month for

multiple class periods in the Upper School Social

Studies Department on the Survey of the

World’s Religions course.

• Support private worship by individuals and small

groups of faculty, staff, and/or students, regardless of

their faith/denomination, in line with the Statement of

Religious Expression.

• Maintain contacts with spiritual leaders who represent

the diversity of the school community to engage guest

speakers for religious holidays, celebrations, and to

speak on topics relevant to spiritual development.

• Visit students, faculty, staff, and other SMH

community members in local hospitals

as appropriate.

• Minister to pastoral emergencies in the lives of

individual students, in coordination with their

parent/guardian as appropriate, and in the lives of

faculty/staff, coordinating, as needed, with family

clergy or other spiritual advisers.

• Working, whenever possible, with the director of

wellness and division counselors, to provide pastoral

counseling for individual students and faculty.

• Provide leadership and appropriate pastoral response

to school events, including crisis management

situations and requests from the school nurse,

director of wellness, and division counselors.

• Coordinate with division heads and counselors

to ensure Chapel content is age-appropriate and

meets the needs of students.

• Coordinate with the director of wellness to ensure

Chapel’s integration with whole-school efforts to

develop and promote spiritual wellness.

• Meet weekly with the Wellness Team, which includes

the director of wellness and division counselors,

to coordinate and communicate regarding Chapel

planning/programming.

• Write a monthly article about Chapel services for

inclusion in the school’s weekly e-newsletter and

special articles as required.

• Provide Marketing and Communications with

content and updates for the Spiritual Life

component of the school website.

• Solicit regular feedback from faculty, staff,

students, parents, and administration regarding the

quality, content, and efficacy of spiritual life programs.

• Fulfill denominational and professional accreditation

requirements for specialized training and

professional development.

• As appropriate, take part in the local denomination

and interfaith ministerial activities, Region 20

activities, and similar organizations.

Dynamic New Leadership

Len Miller joined Saint Mary’s Hall as the 25th head of school in July of 2020.

Len comes to San Antonio after a 25-year career in independent schools.

He served previously at some of our nation’s top schools including

The Hill School, The Lawrenceville School, and The Shipley School.

His tenure has been hallmarked by a deep commitment to the quality of the

academic program, the student experience, and the long-term sustainability

and growth of the institution. He has been at the forefront of developing

innovative academic programs and recruiting and retaining dynamic

teachers. Robust, intentional, student wellness programs are the result of his

collaborative leadership.

Len’s forward-thinking eff orts in strategic planning, enrollment, advancement,

and fiscal matters have underpinned the overall strength and quality of the

schools he has served. As a leader, he strives to empower his leadership team

to build programs, effect change, and make significant and meaningful

impacts on the students, faculty, staff , and School culture. Len is committed to

educating the whole student with a deep focus on connection and belonging

among the student body.

Curriculum

Taught by a dedicated, diverse faculty who have deep passion for learning

and teaching, students are able to reach their full potential in all subject areas

through a vertically aligned curriculum in Lower, Middle, and Upper School.

The leadership of the School’s curriculum and instructional programs is

provided by the Curriculum Council, composed of the department chairs

(SMH department chairs are responsible for Pre K-grade 12 curriculum in their

subject area), division heads, chief technology officer, divisional librarians,

and the head of school. In place since 2005, this coordinating body does an

exceptional job of providing direction and alignment for the curriculum and

instruction of the entire academic program.

Physical Requirements and Work Environment

• Work in a rigorous academic environment dealing with a wide variety

of physical and intellectual challenges, deadlines, and a varied and

diverse array of contacts.

• Must be able to communicate effectively with a diverse community.
• Regular walking and standing, some light stooping and bending.
• Work is performed in an office and classroom setting with occasional

exposure to outside weather conditions.

Qualifications

• Pastoral and/or chaplaincy experience, or relevant

equivalent, of three years

• Teaching experience (or relevant equivalent)

of two years

• Ordained minister or lay member of a

Protestant denomination with whom they

maintain ties and are in good standing preferred

• Student-centered, collaborative, and transparent

leader who is accessible to students, parents,

colleagues, and other key stakeholders and is

adept at building relationships

• Previous experience with leadership skills

training (preferred)

• Graduate professional degree from an

accredited theological school or seminary

• Graduate of an accredited college or university
• One or more units of certified Clinical Pastoral

Education (CPE) through the Association

of Professional Chaplains, the Spiritual Care

Association, or ACPE, Inc.

• Demonstrable experience working with children

or adolescents for at least two years

• Able to function in an environment that is

religiously and culturally pluralistic

• Other skills and qualities necessary for this position:

expert verbal and written communication skills;

genuine willingness to work closely with students

and colleagues; high energy level, and a good sense

of humor

• Character above reproach and unparalleled integrity

This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required by the employees. Other duties , responsibilities, and activities may change or be assigned at any time with or without notice.

If your are interested in joining our dynamic professional and learning environment that encourages innovation , send us a cover letter, resume, and complete our SMH application.  Please email your documents to jobs@smhall.org.  You can download our employment application by visiting www.smhall.org/about/employment-opportunies.  Applications will be processed as received. 

Len Miller

Head of School

Saint Mary's Hall

9401 Starcrest Drive 

San Antonio, Texas 78217

www.smhall.org