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Ministry Formation

Focus on holistic healing

Students work as pastors to patients, families and staff in the hospital. The educational process requires active involvement in ministry and reflection. A primary goal is "ministry formation," the discovery and acceptance of one's own unique gifts and skills in pastoral care. This goal is facilitated through experiential learning, which combines ministering, the study of theoretical materials, feedback from peers and supervisors, personal reflection, theological reflection and the application of learning to subsequent ministry relationships.

Curriculum for summer and all extended CPE includes individual supervision, didactic seminars, group clinical seminars, inter-professional seminars, theological reflection seminars and interpersonal relationship seminars.

Prerequisites for admission:

  • Theological education or expertise sufficient to enable a student to benefit from this postgraduate educational experience
  • May include ministers, seminarians, and laypersons
  • Completion of the ACPE application form
  • A $50 application fee
  • Screening interview with a qualified interviewer
  • Tuition is $450 per unit. The tuition serves as an acceptance fee due upon invitation by the center

Day Extended Unit:

  • A 20-week unit for one day a week and two on-calls per month
  • Usually offered in the fall and spring

Residency Programs

Each residency program is 12 months (four consecutive CPE units). The program date begins and ends the last week of August.

1st Year Pastoral Care Residency

The first year residency program builds upon the previous CPE unit(s) through continued intensive involvement as a member of the health care team.

Curriculum for the residency year includes individual supervision plus didactic; multidisciplinary and interpersonal relationships; clinical; and theological reflection seminars. Throughout the residency year the program emphasizes the following: pastoral skill, pastoral identity formation, exploration of specialty areas, and a research project in a specialty area. The learning environment at Citizens Baptist Medical Centeroffers multicultural and multi-social dimensions to the curriculum and pastoral context.

Prerequisites for admission:

  • A completed ACPE application
  • Student's and supervisor's evaluation from previous units
  • A $50 application fee
  • A personal interview with the CPE staff
  • The Center requires one certified unit of ACPE CPE prior to the residency year
  • Upon acceptance, a student pays a $450 confirmation fee which serves as first unit’s tuition. Tuition is $450 per unit
  • Stipend is competitive with other CPE programs