​WELCOME TO THE BUDDHIST CHAPLAINCY ENDORSEMENT (BCE)

BCE was established to endorse chaplains who self identify as Buddhist, regardless of your lineage or Buddhist practice or tradition. As a division of Five Mountain Zen Order (FMZO) we naturally endorse FMZO chaplains, but BCE was also founded to endorse Buddhist chaplains whose own Buddhist communities do not offer endorsement or are not structured to be able to support and endorse a chaplain.
​“Our profession is, after all, a hybrid of the clinical and pastoral, having these two designators as the very title of our training program. I believe that it is precisely in being such a hybrid that our profession finds both its distinct identity and its unique value to patients and the system.
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If the tension between these two poles is lost and one pole comes to dominate over the other, we lose our raison d’etre and cease being who we are. Existing as we do between two polarities will never be easy in that there will always be an attempt by one to usurp the other. It is, however, this tension that keeps us vital and alive!”
​For more information about our program click here.

WHAT IS ENDORSEMENT AND WHY GET ENDORSED?

Endorsement (sometimes called “Ecclesiastical Endorsement”) is an official declaration by a faith group or religious body that a person is in good standing with the group or body. Endorsement carries with it the implication that the person is accountable to the group or body, has a relationship with the group or body, and has agreed to adhere to the rules of conduct, ethical standards and competencies defined and required by that group or body. Being endorsed also means that a chaplain can represent the religious body or group in a pastoral or ministerial setting. Importantly, in practical terms, endorsement is a requirement of most major certifying bodies such as the Association of Professional Chaplains (APC), the College of Pastoral Supervision and Psychotherapy (CPSP), the Spiritual Care Association (SCA) and others. Endorsement is also required by the Military, certain Governmental agencies and prisons in order for a chaplain to serve in one of those institutions. Where a chaplain is seeking formal certification, endorsement is usually the first step in the process.