Clinical Pastoral Education: What COMs Need to Know – September 2025 Featured COMma Article

Clinical Pastoral Education: What COMs Need to Know

Many Committees on Ministry have seen the value of Members in Discernment (MIDs) receiving at least one unit of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) as part of their preparation for congregational ministry. For those MIDs who are entering ministries in specialized settings, their path after ordination often includes multiple additional units of CPE to accomplish board certification. The primary (although not only) organization for board certification has been the Board of Chaplaincy Certification Inc. (BCCI), an affiliate of the Association of Professional Chaplains (APC). More than 95% of our Board-Certified Chaplains (BCCs) in the UCC have their Certification through APC/BCCI. 

Historically, BCCI has worked closely with the Association of Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE) as their primary partner in preparation for chaplaincy. For consideration for board certification, three units of the four required for board certification were required to be completed at an ACPE certified site. ACPE is still considered by many to be the gold standard of Clinical Pastoral Education. A vast majority of the CPE programs in this country are aligned with ACPE.  

However, recently there have been some big changes in the connections between Clinical Pastoral Education and board certification with APC. This may directly affect your ministers in specialized settings as they pursue their professional goals in ministry, and it is therefore important for COMs to know about these changes.  

BCCI and APC have expanded (and will likely continue expanding) their relationships with other organizational providers of CPE. Each organization has its own unique approach to Clinical Pastoral Education and way it is provided. As of the end of August, BCCI and APC will welcome any number of units of CPE from any of the following organizations:  

1. ACPE – Association of Clinical Pastoral Education – acpe.edu 
2. CPSP – College of Pastoral Supervision and Psychotherapy – cpsp.org 
3. CPEI – Clinical Pastoral Education International – cpei.org 

It is MESA’s expectation that you may be hearing more about these other organizations with which you may not currently be familiar. All these organizations now offer distance education as a possibility for a learning environment, expanding the opportunities for our Members in Discernment to access quality Clinical Pastoral Education.  

Some questions for further reflection:

1. Will your COM accept CPE units from all these providers for MID training and Ecclesiastical Endorsement or is there a preferred provider? Are your MIDs clear about what their options are?
2. Which educational model/setting would be the most beneficial for the MID/clergy in question? 
3. How can we work with our candidates to provide support and encouragement as they discern the model of education and path forward to meet their spiritual growth and professional commitments?