For your professional ethics edification in November

Once a month the ACPE Professional Ethics Commission (PEC) posts a couple of statements from our Code of Professional Ethics for ACPE Members.  Each posting is accompanied by a brief personal reflection from a member of the PEC discussing some ways this person lives these commitments*.  November statements are:

6.  In conducting business matters, ACPE members:

c. Distinguish private opinions from those of ACPE, their faith group or profession in all publicity, public announcements, or publications.

d. Accurately describe the ACPE center, pastoral services, and educational programs. All statements in advertising, catalogs, publications, recruiting, and academic calendars shall be accurate at the time of publication. Publications advertising a center’s programs shall include the type(s) and level(s) of education offered and the ACPE address, telephone number and website address.

e.  Accurately describe program expectations, including time requirements, in the admission process for CPE programs. 

Today’s world is fraught with division and partial truths.  It is therefore, an especially important time to distinguish between our personal, professional, and spiritual views and the views of the ACPE.  This keeps a clarity within our educational endeavors for our students and other stakeholders.  One could argue that the beginning of any solid supervisory relationship begins with the honest and complete description of the “ACPE center, pastoral services, and educational programs” as well as our “program expectations”.  From the potential students’ views, they have many wonderings about CPE generally including what this program is all about and whether they can trust it and the Educators.  Therefore, accurately describing the program and expectations is the beginning of the supervisory relationship.  It is miserable (as well as unfair) for the student and the Educator/program/ministry when the written statements about the CPE program/expectations are different from what the student experiences once in the program.  When this difference occurs, the student(s) can feel betrayed or lied to and believe that the program, including ACPE, is not trustworthy.  This experience is opposite the truth-telling and caring we teach in spiritual care.  It is incumbent on us all to set the stage for the student’s excellent experience and so continue our joy in educating.