UPCOMING CLASSES
REQUEST MORE INFORMATION
Program Requirements
Below is a list of minimum requirements. Additional preparation may be required or recommended on a case-by-case basis. Once candidates begin the program, they will fulfill the following:
Education
Attend agreed upon courses within the Interfaith Chaplaincy Certificate Program and complete all related homework and field studies.
Vocational/Psychological Assessment
Complete an assessment with an approved provider. Documentation of successful completion of a previous assessment will be accepted in lieu of this requirement if that assessment has taken place within the previous five years.
Core Competencies Discernment
Reading & Reflection Assignments
Read and then write reflection papers on:
Practicum
Complete a practicum of field service, determined on a case-by-case basis, in an area of interest that relates to one’s call to ministry. If you have completed one or more units of Clinical Pastoral Education and/or your current employment represents the ministry you intend to pursue, it will serve as your practicum. This requirement is intended to provide a broader preparation for ministry and is intended to “stretch” the candidate. So you may be asked to pursue something other than your current employment if your work history/experience is somewhat limited. We will work with you on this requirement to make it the most productive and meaningful it can be.
Spiritual Directions Sessions
Meet a minimum of 6 times with a spiritual director or a therapist/counselor with a spiritual focus, who is hired independently and compensated for their services directly by the candidate.
Secondary Faith Tradition
Choose a faith tradition other than your primary faith tradition into which you will delve deeply through:
Spiritual Site Visits
In addition to spiritual site visits that take place while attending ChI courses, it is also important that a student become familiar with the interfaith landscape in his or her own community. The spiritual site visits requirement is to visit local worship services/spiritual centers for three traditions other than the student’s primary faith tradition and other than the secondary faith tradition he or she is studying.
Commitment to Community
Those who engage in either the Transfer of Ministerial Standing or the Dual Ministerial Standing process do so with the understanding and intention that they will become active in the life of our community, which includes giving and receiving support from fellow clergy and the larger ChI Interfaith Community, participation in community events (either in person or virtual), filling volunteer roles, furthering the cause of Interfaith understanding both locally and globally, and supporting The Chaplaincy Institute’s ongoing mission through prayer, volunteer efforts, and financial support.
Proof of Ministerial Standing if Pursuing Dual Standing
If pursuing Dual Ministerial Standing, the candidate must also provide written proof that he or she has Ministerial Standing with his or her original/current ordaining faith group and provide confirmation from the original/current faith group that they support the minister’s desire to hold Dual Ministerial Standing. This will help ensure transparency between the candidate’s original/current faith group and The ChI Interfaith Community.