The International Conference of Police Chaplains (ICPC) was founded in 1973. Its objectives as an organization are to support and train police Chaplains and assist law enforcement agencies to develop chaplaincy programmes. It serves all the law enforcement chaplains in their diverse backgrounds.


The ICPC strongly believe that not all ordained people can be chaplains and even those who can, need to be trained to be effective and efficient in their work.


The first ICPC Africa Police Chaplains Training Seminar was successfully arranged and held in Nairobi, Kenya from 25 April to 1 May 2004. The objectives of the Nairobi Training Seminar was to expose African Police Chaplains to the ICPC programmes and to equip them through these programmes ,and to help them understand the difference between pastoral and chaplaincy ministries. The South African Police Service was represented by the Section Head: Spiritual Services Director (Rev) TD Mokoena and Superintendent (Rev) NM Raphahlela.


The 31st Annual Training Seminar of the ICPC was held from 12 to 16 July 2004 at the Millenium Hotel in St Louis, Missouri, USA. Once again the South African Police Service was represented by the Section Head: Spiritual Services Director (Rev) TD Mokoena and Superintendent (Rev) NM Raphahlela. The seminar was designed to present three levels of training i.e. Basic Track, Enrichment Track and the Advanced Track including the conference business session. The conference business session resolved that the ICPC should be regionalized. We might end up with four ICPC regions in Africa, South Africa being part of the Southern Region.


Since 2003, Spiritual Services in the South African Police Services already started to play an important role in the development of Chaplaincies in African Countries.

 

1.           From 10 to 13 August 2003 Spiritual Services hosted a study visit of chaplains and Personnel from the Malawi Police Service.

 

2.           From 18 to 21 April 2005 Spiritual Services hosted a study visit of chaplains and Personnel from the Royal Swaziland Police Service