Specialized Pastoral Ministry

Through LCMS' Specialized Pastoral Ministry programs, nearly 400 men and women receive training to serve as chaplains, pastoral counselors and clinical educators. These professional church workers offer a comprehensive ministry that includes Word and Sacrament, counseling, compassionate care and contextual education for specialized pastoral ministries.

Chaplains work in institutions such as:

• hospitals
• prisons
• hospices
• retirement homes
• homes for people who are physically and mentally challenged

Pastoral counselors work one-on-one or in small groups in:

• clinics
• private practices
• counseling centers
• congregations

Specialized Pastoral Ministry programs address human concerns in multiple settings:

• Self-worth in later years (long-term care facilities)
• Lifestyle changes (general health care facilities)
• Values and meaning in life (mental health care centers)
• Justice, forgiveness and interpreting God's love (correctional institutions)
• Direction for life renewal (pastoral counseling settings)
• Quality of life at life's end (hospices)
• Spiritual renewal (substance abuse and counseling centers)
• Maximum spiritual potential for individuals (people with disabilities)
• Crisis response (workplace/police headquarters)
• Disaster trauma services (through congregations or other institutions following an emergency)

Training and equipping ministers to serve in various, specialized settings, clinical educators:

• assist students in applying their theology clearly and meaningfully
• teach skills which equip ministers to provide counseling and pastoral care to people who are suffering and/or are in crisis
• help students become aware of the grace and strength they have by the power and mercy of the Holy Spirit to keep themselves out of God's healing way