HIU Alum Serves in Tyson Foods’ Groundbreaking In-House Chaplaincy

Tyson Foods’ corporate chaplaincy program, established nearly 25 years ago, continues to serve as a unique model for workplace-based care, supporting employees across the company’s nationwide operations. Among the chaplains advancing this effort is Taha El-Nil ’17, an alum of Hartford International University (HIU), who currently serves at a Tyson Foods meatpacking plant employing approximately 4,000 workers.

Founded in 2000, the Tyson chaplaincy program was initiated by John H. Tyson, grandson of the company’s founder. The program emerged from Tyson’s personal experience overcoming alcoholism through faith and community support. Recognizing that employees across a large workforce might face similar challenges, he envisioned an internal network of trained chaplains embedded directly within company facilities.

Today, Tyson Foods employs approximately 100 chaplains across more than 100 plants in about 13 states, serving a workforce of over 120,000 team members. Chaplains are assigned primarily to individual facilities, where they provide confidential, non-denominational support to employees dealing with personal, family, and workplace-related concerns.

At El-Nil’s plant, two chaplains serve a workforce of roughly 4,000 employees. According to El-Nil, “Each of those 4,000 people has their own individual and personal issues,” ranging from family conflict and workplace tension to substance abuse and isolation. Employees may seek chaplain support voluntarily or engage informally through daily interactions on the plant floor.

Tyson Foods provides specialized, in-house training for all chaplains. This training includes preparation for suicidal ideation, domestic violence, and critical incident stress management, as well as workplace safety response in industrial environments. Chaplains also complete an 11-week training program focused on counseling fundamentals, active listening, and human behavior.

“Our leadership has done something quite incredible,” El-Nil said. “We are a very well-equipped group to deal with the wide range of issues that arise in these settings.”

Chaplains are expected to remain visible and accessible throughout their facilities. They regularly work in common areas such as cafeterias and production lines, an approach El-Nil describes as a “ministry of presence” that allows employees to seek support in familiar, low-barrier settings.

The chaplaincy program operates within a workforce that is highly diverse. At El-Nil’s plant, more than 20 languages are spoken, with employees representing cultures from around the world. El-Nil said his interfaith education at HIU prepared him to work effectively in such an environment.

He completed the MA in Religious Studies and Certificate in Islamic Chaplaincy at HIU in 2017. “The interfaith and cultural exposure I had at Hartford directly reflects the work I do now,” he said, noting that his training emphasized engagement across religious and cultural differences.

According to El-Nil, the program aligns with Tyson Foods’ broader philosophy of “shared value,” which emphasizes caring for employees while strengthening organizational performance. “When people feel supported and safe at work, the company itself becomes more stable,” he said.

While corporate chaplaincy remains uncommon outside of healthcare, military, and educational settings, Tyson Foods’ embedded model stands out for its scale and longevity. El-Nil said he remains committed to the role and to the company’s approach.

“I’m pleased with where I am,” he said. “The company has been good to me, and I’m focused on giving my best in return.”