Department of Pastoral Care

In its 31st year, the Department of Pastoral Care provides 24-hour spiritual care through staff, trainees and volunteer chaplains. Our ACPE-accredited programs are innovative and collaborative.

  • Department offices are located adjacent to the chapel which is near the hospital's lobby in the Priscilla Payne Hurd Pavilion.
  • Pastoral Care Department serves as leader in hospital education on cultural and religious diversity, loss and bereavement, medical ethics and ethical decision making.
  • 24-hour on-call chaplaincy coverage provided by CPE trainees, chaplaincy staff and community clergy serving as associate chaplains. Daily weekday meetings of department, held at 8 am and 4 pm.
  • Department leadership team facilitates integration of chaplaincy coverage with CPE educational objectives. Bi-weekly department meetings promote teamwork through participation of chaplain residents.
  • Innovative CPE curriculum defines four dimensions of ministry formation learning: pastoral, personal, community and reflective practice.
  • Opportunity for close collaboration with community clergy in pastoral care for congregants and parishioners.
  • Department serves as community leader in developing faith community resources in the continuum of the health care delivery system.

Pastoral Care Staff

  • The Rev. Emily Jean Gilbert is Director of Pastoral Care and was certified Supervisor by the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education in 1976. An ordained minister of the United Church of Christ, she has extensive experience as a teaching chaplain in a variety of health care settings and as an interim parish minister.
  • The Rev. Sally L. Campbell is coordinator of Pastoral Education and also is an ACPE-certified CPE Supervisor. Ordained in the Presbyterian Church (USA), she has experience in mental health, hospital, parish, and seminary.
  • The Rev. Nancy Adams is Coordinator of Pastoral Care and a certified chaplain by the Association of Professional Chaplains. Ordained in the United Church of Christ, she is an integral staff resource and advisor with 20 years of pastoral specialization in acute care and HIV+/AIDS ministries.

CPE Programs

Chaplain Residency Program

September 2, 2008 to September 7, 2009
The full-time, 12-month program of three CPE units a year includes a weekly schedule of 28 hours pastoral ministry and 12 hours of seminar, group and individual supervision. Residents also share in the on-call schedule approximately once per week. Our curriculum fosters ministry formation through focus on four practice areas: pastoral, personal, community, and reflective. Residents will have access to patients, families and staff in a variety of clinical settings, leading to a specialty in ministry. Practicing ministry on assigned floors and doing independent study and research are the foci of three six-week integration periods between units. Tuition for the first unit is $150. Additional units will be underwritten by the Pastoral Care Department.

Renumeration

Annualized salary of $25,859 for first-year residents, plus employee benefits package with health insurance, holidays, vacation and other time off.

Criteria for Admission

First-Year Residency - at least one CPE unit or equivalent, readiness for learning, previous pastoral experience, ordination and/or ecclesiastical support, ability to minister in crises with diverse faiths and cultures.

Second-Year Residency - successful completion of first-year residency at any ACPE center. Open to clergy, laity, religious and students for the ministry.

CPE Programs

Summer CPE (May 27 - August 1, 2008)

This program is designed to integrate personal, interpersonal and professional learning in ministry formation through at least 100 hours of structured group and individual education and 300 hours of clinical practice in ministry. The clinical practice component includes professional and personal practice activities. Professional practice would include unit assignments, on-call ministry and time for department and CPE written materials. Personal practice focuses on wellness and self-care through the use of spiritual direction, journaling, meditation and exercise. The criteria for admission includes readiness for pastoral learning, previous professional or lay ministry experience, ecclesiastical support, openness to religious and cultural diversity and ability to minister in crises. Open to clergy, laity, religious and students for ministry. Reasonably priced housing is available. Tuition for the program is $400 plus a $25 application fee.

Extended CPE Unit

2008/2009: CPE is offered in extended part-time units on Thursday evenings from September 25, 2008 to May 7, 2009.

This seven-month program is 12 hours weekly plus two on-calls per month, one weeknight and one weekend. All groups will be held on Thursday evenings, allowing for negotiation of the additional hours of learning ministry. Tuition is $500 for the first unit; subsequent units will be $200 each. The curriculum focuses upon an individualized learning contract that introduces ministry formation competencies in pastoral, personal, community and reflective practice.

Criteria for Admission

Readiness for pastoral learning, previous professional or lay ministry experience, ecclesiastical support, openness to religious and cultural diversity, ability to minister in crises. Open to clergy, laity, religious and students for the ministry.

Application Steps

  1. Complete the ACPE application form and essays.
  2. Send to us with $25 application fee.
  3. Visit us for an interview and an assessment of our setting. We will process your application on a timely basis as arranged at your interview.
  4. If you are accepted, a $100 deposit secures your position. The deposit is your first payment towards the $400 unit tuition, the balance is due the first day of the program.

For more information, conversation, or to send your application, contact:

The Rev. Sally Campbell
Pastoral Care Department
St. Luke's Hospital
801 Ostrum Street
Bethlehem, PA 18015
610-954-4772
610-954-4336 (fax)