Adventist Chaplaincy Institute seeks to inspire and develop called, competent, and caring chaplains who use their skills to perform or provide a compassionate and holistic ministry of grace, hope, and healing to all those in their circles of influence. Chaplaincies provide a unique opportunity for Seventh-day Adventist ministers to both fulfill their call from God and serve in places the church cannot easily enter.
Adventist Chaplaincy Institute (ACI) oversees collaborative denominational training programs for chaplaincy, assists Seventh-day Adventists seeking to enter the chaplaincies, and helps chaplains attain the highest professional standards.
ACI training programs are developed in collaboration with a variety of denominational entities, including education, health, and ministerial departments. This integrate approach provides an array of educational opportunities to develop specialized ministry for denominational, public, and private organizations.
ACI is committed to the following core values of holistic training for ministry:
• Compassionate Care
• Commitment to Excellence
• Courage to Uphold Spiritual Values
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[acchead id=”ACI” tab_id=”ACI0″ class=””]Chaplaincy Institute[/acchead]
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ACI will promote a graduate curriculum in each world church division to train Adventist ministers who are called to the chaplaincies or desire to advance their chaplaincy and pastoral proficiencies.
Adventist Chaplaincy Ministries and the Adventist Chaplaincy Institute seek to have professionally trained and qualified Adventist chaplains in:
• each denominational secondary school and college/university
• public and other private educational institutions
• every denominational hospital/health care facility
• public and other private hospitals/health care facilities
• correctional facilities
• military services of all nations
• other public/community agencies
Adventist Chaplaincy Institute will:
• grant board certification to endorsed chaplains who fulfill requirements for the designation Board Certified Adventist Chaplain.
• will certify Adventist CPE Instructor-trainers.
• evaluate and grant accreditation to Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) training centers and other chaplaincy training programs. These training programs will be reviewed on a minimum of every five (5) years to re-certify compliance with accreditation standards, relevancy, and quality.
• establish quality controls that will insure standards of excellence at the same level or higher than accepted and required by secular, government, or professional organizations.
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[acchead id=”ACI” tab_id=”ACI1″ class=””]Board Certification[/acchead]
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Requirements for ACI Board Certification
- Earned graduate theological degree consisting of a minimum 72 hours or 108-quarters hours of credit from an accredited seminary. The Board of Adventist Chaplaincy Certification fully expects that this graduate theological training will be from a Seventh-day Adventist university. If alternatives are presented, they must be accompanied by a written statement documenting the reason for obtaining this training in a non-Adventist setting.
- Four (4) or more units of Clinical Pastoral Education that are approved by Adventist Chaplaincy Ministries-General Conference.
- Fulfilled the ACI-established competencies.
- Documentation of 2,000 hours of chaplaincy employment.
- Current conference-issued ministerial credentials
- Letter of support from the chaplain’s home division.
- Letter of support from the president of the church organization that issues the chaplain’s ministerial credentials
- Letter of support from the chaplain’s employer.
- Two additional recommendation letters.
- Autobiography.
- Competency essay.
- Interview with a committee appointed by ACI.
How Do I Apply for ACI Board Certification?
The certification process is initiated by the endorsed chaplain and is administered by ACI. Confirmation of completion of academic, clinical, and experiential requirements for board certification will be conducted by ACI.
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[thcol] [heading size=”h3″ extra=””] Continuing Education [/heading][/thcol]
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In the book, Child Guidance, Ellen White wrote, “We need men well trained, well-educated, to work in the interests of the churches…religious training shall not be neglected.” Adventist Chaplaincy Ministries believes that a “well-educated” chaplain corps provides the best in ministry and spiritual care to those within our sphere of influence.
As chaplains progress through each level of education, they are exposed to new educational material.
Chaplains in all settings should have the necessary skills and training to work with a designated population in counseling and critical stress management, leadership, religious education, and active community outreach.
As a specialized ministry, chaplaincy not only requires theological education, but specific insights from the behavioral sciences, as well. If chaplains have not received a combination of these courses, they should pursue training in order to function properly in a variety of chaplaincy settings. Balanced study in these areas empowers chaplains in pastoral care and counseling.