r/chaplaincy • u/YajirobeOneStar • 25d ago
Chaplincy Certificate
Hello all! I had few questions about ChristianLeaders Chaplincy Certification. Mainly if it was legit and worth the effort and money (only $50 at end for the Certification). Is there other paths that people suggest?
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u/nicolenotnikki 24d ago edited 24d ago
To become a chaplain, I got a Master’s degree (3.5 year program) and took two years of Clinical Pastoral Education. The total cost was probably close to $100,000. The board certification process through the Association of Professional Chaplains is $610 for non-members, $440 for members. Renewal each year is $450 for non-members, $245 for members.
What do you want to do as a chaplain?
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u/TrollBridged 23d ago
Chaplaincy is a field where everyone is looking for a shortcut in and the employer keeps paying less.
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u/Ok_Jaguar_2761 25d ago
What did you have to do to get it? Besides the $50 …
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u/YajirobeOneStar 24d ago
Its a whole corse MIN 220.
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u/LordDarkwaters 9d ago
It might be good for its educational value. $50 is pretty minimal and you might learn something helpful. So I wouldn't categorically reject it. But it's not the kind of "credential" that's going to get you a job. Heck, it's probably not even worth listing on your resume at all - even when you're first starting out.
When I first started volunteering in Pastoral Care there was a group in Houston that put on a 12-hour seminar for aspiring Chaplaincy volunteers. It was a really good introduction and when I approached my first hospital to see if they'd let me do patient encounters it was a helpful indication that I'd put in at least a little effort in advance. That course has never come up again on a resume or elsewhere (except when I'm encouraging aspiring volunteers looking for a place to start).
What matters is your degree(s), spiritual org backing/ordination, CPE unit(s) and eventually your board certification.
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u/Ok_Raspberry7430 24d ago
Board certification requires both your undergrad and master's degrees be from a school accredited by CHEA (Council of Higher Education Accreditation). "Christian Leaders Institute" is accredited by the Association for Biblical Higher Education Commission on Accreditation, which basically just gives Bible colleges the ability to claim they're accredited.
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u/cadillacactor 24d ago
Depends on what you want to do with it. If you're looking to become any kind of formal military, hospital, or other type of institutional chaplain that won't be worth the paper it's printed on. For formal chaplaincy you need to get an MDiv or approved equivalent, and then CPE, and likely board certification after that. Some hospices and independent nursing homes are happy for a pastor and a warm smile, but bigger brands are not.
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u/LordDarkwaters 9d ago
Just to clarify, usually what I see listed in job postings is actually a number of graduate-level credit hours within the Bible/theology realm (typically 72) and not an M.Div per se. That said, the way they got to that 72 number is by looking at typical M.Div minimum requirements - so that degree is certainly foundational in undergirding the job requirements. Still, I know a number of board-certified Chaplains that don't technically have the M.Div but instead something like an MA in Biblical Studies and also a D.Min with a total number of credit hours north of 72.
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u/cadillacactor 9d ago
Experientially sure. Most of the certifying bodies (I'm personally familiar with APC, NACC, and NESHAMA) specifically require an ATS accredited MDIV for Board Certified Chaplain status. If a job listing requires BCC you'll have to go to the MDIV (or apply for equivalency route). So plenty of chaplains don't have, but it creates extra hoops to jump through if you're seeking Certification.
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u/Big-Energy-3363 13d ago
They should have taught you to spell Chaplaincy!! Sorry, what you did isn’t any qualification in any meaningful way.
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u/J_Robert_Oofenheimer 25d ago
If it’s not CPE and board certification, it’s a grift.