Royal Air Force Chaplains Branch

The Royal Air Force Chaplains Branch provides military chaplains for the Royal Air Force of the United Kingdom.

Mission

 * See footnote

Training
RAF chaplains and candidates receive training at the Armed Forces Chaplaincy Centre, which is located at Amport House.

Endorsing authorities
To serve in the Chaplains Branch, chaplains and candidates must be endorsed by a religious body. RAF Commissioned Chaplains are accepted from the various Christian denominations. The British military forces are also served by "tri-service chaplains" from other world faiths, including Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, and Sikh.

Noncombatant status

 * See: Military chaplain

Chaplain-in-Chief

 * See also: International Military Chiefs of Chaplains Conference
 * Note: The RAF Chaplains Branch is led by a Chaplain-in-Chief.
 * Viener was the first Chaplain-in-Chief; when the Chaplain-in-Chief is an Anglican, he or she is also the Archdeacon for the Royal Air Force – otherwise, the most senior Anglican chaplain takes that title along with that of Principal Anglican Chaplain.


 * 11 October 1918–1926: Harry Viener
 * 25 October 1926–1930: Robert Hanson
 * 11 December 1930–11 December 1933: Sidney Clarke
 * 11 December 1933–10 April 1936: James Walkey
 * 10 April 1940–1944: Maurice Edwards
 * 1944–1949: John Jagoe
 * 31 March 1949–1953: Leslie Wright
 * 17 April 1953–1959: Alan Giles
 * 19 March 1959–1965: Francis Cocks (first Archdeacon for the RAF)
 * 13 March 1965–1969 Wilfred Payton
 * 14 March 1969–1973: Leonard Ashton
 * 3 June 1973–1980: Hewitt Wilson
 * 28 June 1980–1983 Herbert Stuart
 * 1983–1988: Glyndwr Renowden
 * 30 June 1988–1991: Brian Halfpenny
 * 26 July 1991–1995: Brian Lucas
 * 26 August 1995–1998: Robin Turner
 * 1998–2001: Peter Bishop
 * 21 September 2001–2006: Ron Hesketh
 * 2006–2009: Pete Mills (Church of Scotland)
 * Archdeacons for the Royal Air Force:
 * 2006 onwards: Ray Pentland
 * 1 October 2009–present: Ray Pentland

Central church
The central church of the Chaplains Branch is St Clement Danes Church.