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Ministries in Chaplaincy, Pastoral Counseling and Clinical Education reach directly into the primary social structures and institutions of our world. As they encounter people in the midst of these everyday settings, those who serve in specialized pastoral care seek to extend the love of God in Jesus Christ to persons at the point of their deepest need. Over 800 rostered people -- associates in ministry, clergy, deaconesses and diaconal ministers -- are currently serving in these ministries across the 65 synods of this church.

An Introduction to the Work of Ministries in Chaplaincy, Pastoral Counseling, and Clinical Education
Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep... (Romans 12:15)
Ministries in Chaplaincy, Pastoral Counseling, and Clinical Education (MCPCCE) ministries reach directly into the primary social structures and institutions of our world. As they encounter people in the midst of these everyday settings, those who serve in specialized pastoral care seek to extend the love of God in Jesus Christ to persons -- any and all people -- at the point of their deepest need. We are seeking to identify and nurture still more committed people for these ministries -- ordained, commissioned and consecrated -- leaders interested in exploring these meaningful and challenging expressions of the church’s mission.

Rooted in the Gospel
...as you have done it to one of the least of these.... (Matthew 25)
The focus of Ministries in Chaplaincy, Pastoral Counseling and Clinical Education (MCPCCE) begins with human need, addressed by God’s love in Jesus Christ. These ministries are missional by nature. MCPCCE embodies the church’s initiative to minister to the ill, the imprisoned, the elderly, the troubled, the conflicted, the afflicted.

Diverse, Scattered and Specialized
In touching so many lives at so many points of mission, ministries of chaplaincy, counseling and clinical education are diverse, specialized and geographically scattered. They extend into such settings as:

No doubt this list of specializations will continue to grow as other areas of human need and ministry are identified.
 

Prepared and Qualified
All rostered people are eligible to serve in MCPCCE ministries. Specialized care is shaped by ministry setting. The nature and design of ministry varies with the specialty and setting of human care. Individuals serving in specialized settings need to possess specific preparation and competencies related to the specialization and setting. All applicants must hold at least a baccalaureate degree and one graduate degree from an accredited institution. At least one of the degrees must be in theology. In addition, a minimum of 1600 hours of documented specialized education or supervised pastoral care or counseling experience relevant to the particular ministry is required.

Ecclesiastically Endorsed and Certified
Ecclesiastical MCPCCE Endorsement and eventual professional certification are normative and expected of those pursuing MCPCCE ministry. Ecclesiastical endorsement is different from other church body usages of the term "endorsement," particularly as it is used in the candidacy process.

Just as one would fully expect a physical therapist to have the clinical training, skills, qualifications/credentials to serve in their specialty, so too for those who engage in ministries in specialized settings. Ecclesiastical endorsement is a formal recognition by the church that an individual has met the required standards for theological and ministerial competence to serve in a specific ministry of specialized pastoral care. It attests to the church’s assessment that an individual possesses the readiness and competence to serve as its representative for particular needs in a particular ministry setting. It is the approved means for church bodies to provide the endorsement required by professional certifying organizations.

Extending the Mission of the Church
Specialized ministries among God’s people embody grace and hope to others in need, their families and the staff who serve them. In prisons, with those severely depressed and in high-tech intensive care environments, the church is present through its chaplains and counselors. This is part of the church’s outreach ministry in and for the world, seeking to foster spiritual wholeness and integrated into the total mission of the church.

Those in MCPCCE ministries need to maintain and upgrade their particular skills. They reflect sensitivity to a wide variety of religious expressions without compromising the integrity of their own faith stance. They adhere to a professional code of ethics and demonstrate awareness of ethical practice which relates to their area of service.