ACPE Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE)
Covenant Health System offers ACPE Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) at Covenant Medical Center, Lubbock, TX. Our training program is accredited by the Association of Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE) for Level I, II, and Certified Educator CPE.
As defined by the Association of Clinical Pastoral Education:
“Clinical Pastoral Education is interfaith professional education for ministry. It brings theological students and ministers of all faiths (pastors, priests, rabbis, imams and others) into supervised encounter with persons in crisis. Out of an intense involvement with people in need, and the feedback from peers and teachers, students develop new awareness of themselves as persons and of the needs of those to whom they minister. From theological reflection on specific human situations, they gain a new understanding of ministry. Within the interdisciplinary team process of helping persons, they develop skills in interpersonal and interprofessional relationships.”
In other words, CPE trains individuals not just to be chaplains in a clinical setting but prepares them to support others through critical and difficult moments in the lives of others, regardless of the environment. CPE asks that students take risks, try new approaches to ministry, reflect on their assumptions, and believe that every experience is an opportunity for learning.
Covenant Medical Center ACPE CPE Center offers both individual units of CPE (Extended CPE, Winter/Spring and Summer/Fall), as well as a 4-unit CPE residency.
Covenant Medical Center CPE Programs
The Covenant Medical Center ACPE Residency Program is a full-time four-unit program designed for theological students, clergy of all faiths, and qualified laypersons. The ACPE Residency program begins each year around the end of August or beginning of September and continues through August of the following year. The Residency program provides four units (1600 hours) of Level I and Level II CPE over 12 months. With only four positions available, the Residency program is highly competitive, rigorous, and demanding. It is designed for those who have clinical chaplaincy as a professional career path. CPE residents are salaried and benefited employees with all the rights, privileges, and responsibilities of employment at CMC. Upon successful completion of each unit, and on the recommendation of the ACPE Certified Educator, a student’s participation in the program will be registered with the ACPE. Units of ACPE CPE are recognized as graduate theological education by member seminaries of ACPE.
Education: Bachelor’s Degree is preferred. Master’s Degree (M.Div. or M.A. in Theology or an equivalent degree in other related disciplines) from an accredited college, university or theological seminary or institute. Completed or well in progress, is preferred. Check to see if your institution is accredited.
Licensure/Certification: Ordination and/or endorsement by an established faith tradition or religious superior is preferred as evidence of good standing within a faith group.
Other Qualifications:
- The CPE Resident will have a proven aptitude for interpersonal work, sound mental/emotional health, and the ability to minister in cross-cultural, interfaith settings. This includes the capacity to consistently establish and maintain relationships, to be open to learning, change and growth and an openness to developments in faith and theology, spiritual and personal growth, outreach through compassion and justice. It also includes the capacity to endure at least moderate amounts of organizational stress with a flexibility and openness to rapid change in acute care hospital-based ministry. Strong written and interpersonal skills are required as well as the abilities to actively listen and project an open, nonjudgmental attitude toward all people of diverse ethnic, social, cultural and spiritual traditions.
- Previous experience in ministry in pastoral care and/or health care settings is preferred.
- Completed ACPE application submitted with an application fee of $40. payable to Covenant Medical Center CPE Program.
- Applications are received after December 1 of each year for the following year’s program.
- Applications are due each year by March 31. For instance, if you are applying for the fall start of 2025, you must submit your application by March 31, 2025.
Upcoming residency class dates:
- August 25, 2025 – August 14, 2026
- August 24, 2026— August 20, 2027
- August 30, 2027— August 18, 2028
- August 28, 2028— August 17, 2027
Applications accepted from December 1, 2024, until program is filled. Electronic copies preferred; email to Ed.George@covhs.org
Application fee may be mailed to:
Covenant Medical Center
Spiritual Care Department
Attn: ACPE CPE Program
3615 19th Street
Lubbock, TX 79410
One unit of Clinical Pastoral Education consists of at least 100 hours of structured education and up to 300 hours of supervised clinical practice for a total of at least 400 hours. Currently, structured educational hours are Monday and Thursday, 8:00 am—12:00 noon with an additional hour for individual supervision/consultation each week. In order to receive credit for the unit, the student will be expected to spend an average of 25 hours per week in direct ministry to patients, families and staff, and 10 hours per week in structured educational activities. In addition to ministry on the assigned unit, residents participate at least twice monthly in the 11-hour in-house, including one hour for lunch, duty rotation, on Thursday and Friday nights (1700--0600), and one Saturday day rotation (0600—1700). Night and Saturday duty shifts are essential elements of supervised learning that provide opportunities for spiritual care in a variety of settings including ministry during trauma and code situations, supportive care to the dying, ministry at time of death, and grief support. Additionally, they provide spiritual care opportunities with staff members. The CPE Residency Program is normally designated for one year. Normal work hours are 8:00 am—5:00 pm with an hour for lunch.
- Annual stipend of $30,000 subject to federal and/or other taxes.
- Ability to enroll in the Providence Health Insurance Plan at the same rate as other employees, Paid Time Off, and earned Extended Illness Benefit.
- Residents are considered temporary employees of Covenant Medical Center. The position ends after one year.
- Application fee: $40.
- Non-refundable down payment fee at acceptance: $100.
- Tuition: $350 per unit of CPE residency (less down payment) is due the first day of the unit.
The CMC ACPE CPE Extended Unit Program is a part-time 21-week program especially designed for persons employed in a ministry/service setting (church, hospital, hospice, prison, etc.) who can only attend CPE structured individual and group supervision and education on a part-time basis. CPE Extended students are not salaried or benefited employees of CMC.
Two extended units may be offered each year: a winter/spring unit beginning in January and ending in June and a summer/fall unit beginning in July and ending in December. CPE extended unit interns may take up to four consecutive units over the course of two years. However, students must apply for admission to each consecutive unit and there is no guarantee that a student will be accepted into consecutive units. Upon successful completion of each unit, and on the recommendation of the ACPE Certified Educator, a student’s participation in the program will be registered with the ACPE. Units of ACPE CPE are recognized as graduate theological education by member seminaries of ACPE.
Education: Bachelor’s Degree is preferred. Master’s Degree (M.Div. or M.A. in Theology; or an equivalent degree in other related disciplines) from an accredited college, university or theological seminary or institute. Completed or well in progress is preferred. Check to see if your institution is accredited.
Licensure/Certification: Ordination and/or endorsement by an established faith tradition or religious superior is preferred as evidence of good standing within a faith group.
Other Qualifications:
- Previous experience in ministry in pastoral care and/or health care settings is preferred.
- Completed ACPE application submitted with an application fee of $40 payable to Covenant Medical Center CPE Program.
One unit of CPE consists of at least 100 hours of structured education and up to 300 hours of supervised clinical practice for a total of at least 400 hours. Currently, structured educational hours are Friday, 8:00 am—12:00 noon with an additional hour for individual supervision/consultation each week. In order to receive credit for the unit, students spend an average 15 hours per week in direct ministry to persons in their clinical setting (patients, families and staff, inmates, guards, church members, etc.) and at least 5 hours per week in structured educational activities. Each student must secure a Clinical Placement Site Agreement to substantiate their clinical ministry. The blank “agreement’ will be supplied to the student during the admissions process and must be completed prior to the start of the training unit.
Applications are due each unit two months before the program is scheduled to start. For instance, if you are applying for the Winter/Spring 2025 unit, you must submit your application by November 6, 2024; if you are applying for the Summer/Fall 2025 unit, you must submit your application by May 18, 2025, etc.
Applications accepted until program is filled. Electronic copies preferred; email to Ed.George@covhs.org.
Application fee may be mailed to:
Covenant Medical Center
Spiritual Care Department
Attn: ACPE CPE Program
3615 19th Street
Lubbock, TX 79410
Upcoming Extended CPE class dates:
- January 6 – May 30, 2025: Winter/Spring 2025
- July 14 – December 5, 2025: Summer/Fall 2025
- January 12 – June 5, 2026: Winter/Spring 2026
- July 13 – December 4, 2026: Summer/Fall 2026
- January 11 – June 4, 2027: Winter/Spring 2027
- July 12 – December 3, 2027: Summer/Fall 2027
- January 10 – June 2, 2028: Winter/Spring 2028
- July 10 – December 1, 2028: Summer/Fall 2028
- Application fee: $40.
- Non-refundable down payment fee at acceptance: $100.
- Tuition: $500 per unit of CPE (less down payment) is due the first day of the unit.