MPV offers ecclesiastical endorsement to hospital, hospice, community, and university chaplains and would-be chaplains seeking ecclesiastical endorsement. Currently, we are not able to offer endorsement to military or federal correctional chaplains. However, we welcome a dialogue and conversation with those individuals who share our values and seek ecclesiastical endorsement within specialized ministry settings outside of healthcare.
NB: Individuals interested in applying for ecclesiastical endorsement must submit a $100 endorsement fee. You may join pay your fee here.
Questions about the process may be directed to chaplain@mpvusa.org.
“Your identity as a Chaplain should flow from your theology and that theology should be expansive enough to embrace the needs of others both within and outside of your tradition.”
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
WHAT IS A CHAPLAIN?
A chaplain is a professional who represents a specific faith tradition operating often within a specialized ministry setting, which is usually a secular environment, with the intention to provide spiritual and emotional support to individuals supported by the setting.
WHAT IS AN ECCLESIASTICAL ENDORSEMENT?
An Ecclesiastical Endorsement is a legal document that states that the endorsed chaplain is spiritually, educationally, and professionally qualified to represent Muslims for Progressive Values in a specialized setting typically outside of the context of a local congregation. The endorsed needs to be able to minister to a diverse group of people, including people of other religions, no religions, different genders, sexual orientations, cultures, etc. An endorsement is a document that allows an individual "to be a chaplain."
WHAT IS A SPECIALIZED MINISTRY SETTING?
A specialized ministry setting is any location that employs chaplains to provide spiritual care either internally (i.e., fellow employees or staff members, patients and their families, etc.) or externally (staff, patients, families, etc. not directly connected to the setting). Some specialized ministry settings require an ecclesiastical endorsement by the chaplain's faith community to ensure the chaplain is qualified, and willing to function collegially in a spiritual and culturally pluralistic setting without prejudice, understanding that the ministry setting is not the place to evangelize.
APPLICATION PROCESS
Each applicant for Ecclesiastical Endorsement shall submit:
Spiritual Autobiography.
Transcripts (College and Graduate School or equivalent).
Documentation of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE).
Letters of Recommendation.
Background Check Report
Once the initial packet is received and reviewed, applicant will participate in a video-conference interview with MPV endorsing committee.
SPIRITUAL AUTOBIOGRAPHY
Each applicant shall submit an essay that addresses the following:
A thorough but succinct spiritual autobiography paying attention to one's journey either within Islam or towards Islam (in the case of converts).
Describe your vocational aspiration to be a chaplain. What compels you to serve in this capacity?
Describe how you handle conflict and provide an example.
Describe your personality and include your known strengths and areas for growth. How did you come to know this about yourself?
Throughout your essay attempt to illustrate your commitment to MPV's 10 Principles.
TRANSCRIPTS
Include all college and graduate school transcripts as well as documentation of any additional education applicable to one's application.
DOCUMENTATION OF CLINICAL PASTORAL EDUCATION (CPE)
Include all documentation of units of CPE from an accepted source such as ACPE or CPSP. We also require your last unit of evaluations, including your last written evaluation and your Certified Educator last evaluation. In the case of an equivalent experience please contact the MPV endorser for instructions on how to proceed.
LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION
All applicants for endorsement shall submit three letters of recommendation. All letters of recommendation should attest to either one's potential or competency as a chaplain able to function within diverse ministry settings. It is helpful if the letter also includes a testimony of the applicant's character and values. Each applicant shall submit three letters of recommendation from a professional colleague (nurse, social worker, physician, chaplain, etc.), professor/instructor and local congregational leaders (imam, congregational board member, etc.).
background check report
Muslims for Progressive Values requires each applicant to conduct a criminal background check and submit their results to MPV at the time of application. Please complete a volunteer background check using the Sterling Background Check system here. If you have another service that you would like to utilize please feel free to do so but it must include a Social Security Trace, Nationwide Criminal History Search, Department of Justice Sex Offender Search.