Revised CEC Competencies are Here!
Contemplation is to see, and ministry is to make visible. -- Henri Nouwen, Clowning in Rome
Our much-appreciated outgoing Chair, Christine Davies recently shared:
“The Certification Commission spent countless hours revising the CEC competencies over the past year and a half. Our intent behind the revisions was to make the competencies clearer, more concise, and consistent within and across Phases. We also included feedback from the ACPE Antibias Workgroup to incorporate our values and make the CEC Competencies more inclusive and accessible…. I am hoping this gift will bring joy and not woe, especially as the total number of Competencies for each Phase has been significantly reduced!”
On January 1st, the revised Competencies became available for use and are now in the ACPE Certification Manual. CECs may opt to immediately use the revised Competencies or continue to use the outgoing Competencies until they complete their current phase. CECs will be assessed in their next phase using the revised Competencies. January 1st, 2026, all will use the revised Competencies.
Note the link in this article and the Certification SharePoint homepage to review this new content. Note also that revised Phase II now has new paths to address learning related to accreditation and leadership.
We have four Introduction to the Revised Competencies sessions coming up very soon, this and next Thursday and Friday at 12:00 pm-1:15 pm EST
- January 9
- January 10
- January 16
- January 17
Please attend one or more of these sessions to learn more.
Certification Commission Reviewers (CCRs) assigned to individual CECs are also available to exchange updates and questions about a CEC’s particular process as we all work to provide timely communication with one another.
I love the above phrase from Henri Nouwen. I find it a remarkably simple yet very helpful framework for preparing for board certification as a chaplain and as an ACPE educator in the many versions of our training processes over the decades. What helps you recognize your unique, knowledgeable, skilled ministry? What helps you describe, show, and share that particularity so others see you and your unique ministry style, growing skills, and clinical pastoral education offerings that facilitate growth for your students and help them provide their own emerging, uniquely gifted spiritual care? This is the stuff reviewers love to see, and they also need to see it to be able to say yes, they can see it and celebrate seeing it with you.
Blessings for whatever is your next learning, work and discovery this New Year!