Background of Military Specialty Certification
The BCC in Military Chaplaincy (BCC-MC), certifies its holders as advanced professionals providing ministry in senior and supervisory settings. Among other criteria, chaplains seeking the BCC-MC must first have completed at least four units of CPE, be a certified APC BCC, and be a member of the Military Chaplains Association (MCA).
This partnership initiative between APC and the MCA reflects a new cooperative spirit to better serve chaplaincy within all aspects of military service. Until now, there has been no professional chaplaincy credential specifically for military chaplains. Nor was there any non-faith-based or non-governmental professional accountability for military chaplains. In parallel to other professionals serving in the military, an APC BCC certification is equivalent to a medical license issued by state authority or the passing of the bar. The professional credentials of chaplains do not replace the endorsement of the nation’s religious bodies. Rather, these professional competencies and capabilities address the non-faith based practice of chaplaincy which holds for all religious ministry professionals regardless of creed. The BCC-MC goes one step further signifying advanced achievement and capability within the special environment of chaplaincy in the military.
MCA leadership formulated the new specialty using grounded research theory, literature review, case studies, elite interviews, and focus groups. Senior and supervisory chaplains from all service branches and components, both actively serving and retired, were interviewed and involved in discussing and proposing the concept. After reviewing all relevant policy and guidance, competencies and application materials were suggested. These were reviewed by individuals involved in current education and training roles within the various services and made available to Faith Group Endorsers for comment. Focus groups were conducted for potential participants in the specialization to discern their responses and suggestions for relevancy and value added.
There may be some senior or retired BCCs who have “timed out” and don’t see the need or value for a further certification for themselves. If you are in this category, you may give to others by serving on initial BCC-MC committees until BCCI has a critical mass of BCC-MCs to proceed forward. Please contact BCCI at bcci@apchaplains.org with your APC and military status and your interest in either pursuing a BCC-MC or your willingness to serve on a BCC-MC committee.
