I Look Forward to the Merger with APC

It seems like yesterday that members of the American Association of Pastoral Counselors were beginning a process of discerning whether or not to consolidate with The Association of Clinical Pastoral Educators. Deciding to merge with an organization of professionals from a related but different discipline was challenging, and we weighed the possible advantages of coming together. I had the privilege of participating in a summit of AAPC members who considered our needs as an organization, and what it might be like to join with another association.

While I was not involved in the nuts and bolts of bringing AAPC and ACPE together, I was part of the group that worked on the vision of how AAPC would move into our new professional home.  In our first months as members, we were welcomed by the caring professionals of ACPE, who did everything in their power to make sure that the pastoral counselors of AAPC felt supported in ACPE.

Since the merger, I have served as both the Interim Psychotherapy Chair and the Psychotherapy Chair of our organization.  It has been an honor to work with the many gifted people who share a vision of AAPC members in ACPE.

Why did I become involved in this process of consolidation?  The most important reason is my belief that shared strengths of diverse professionals create a rich, vibrant organization that is greater than the sum of its parts.  AAPC and ACPE share a deep commitment to spiritual care and professional excellence.  Though we represent two different disciplines (psychotherapists and chaplain educators) our common devotion to spiritual care was enough to bridge the differences that we had.

The joining of these two organizations has created a new association that draws on the strengths of many talented individuals.  Have we had our challenges, the ups and downs that come from any new venture?  Without a doubt.  Are we stronger together than we were apart?  Absolutely.

As we contemplate another merger, this time between ACPE and the Association of Professional Chaplains, I believe that our joining will create an even stronger organization to support and serve the needs of spiritual care professionals. In a time when too many want to minimize the role of the transcendent in the world, our organizations highlight the significance of the spiritual in a variety of settings. I am happy to give my wholehearted support to the consolidation of our organizations and plan to vote “yes.”

Here are some of the reasons I plan to support the proposed merger.  

• The new association will be a home for all professional spiritual care providers and will draw from the resources of both organizations to serve the needs of the membership of ACPE and APC.

   

• The merger of these two organizations will take place through the hard work and dedication of a newly appointed board of directors, who will represent equally the members of ACPE and APC.

   

• The board will propose a new governance structure, a new name, articles of incorporation, and bylaws. It also will conduct a national CEO search.

   

• Current ACPE and APC memberships will be transferred to the new organization, and all members will continue to be served by existing commissions.  This means that members should not experience any changes in their certification or accreditation.

   

• The new organization will have greater resources to promote the work of professional spiritual care providers and aspiring spiritual caregivers of all faith traditions. Our hope is that together, we will be better able to meet the needs of a changing world.

   

• The newly merged organization will be the leader in the field of spiritual care. As a more diverse group of professionals, we hope to build and enhance collegial relationships among spiritual care providers in a variety of settings.

There are so many reasons why the merger of these two venerable organizations in the field of professional spiritual care is a good decision.  Our shared resources will enhance the impact of spiritual care professionals into the next decades. I look forward to the day when I will have the chance to work more closely with our colleagues from APC.

Rev. Dr. Joann Heaney-Hunter, M.S., Ph.D., LMHC, NCC, ACPE Psychotherapist, from St. John's University, Department of Theology and Religious Studies, Jamaica, NY, servers as chair of the Psychotherapy Commission. She may be contacted at heaneyhj@stjohns.edu.