APC Forum

APC Forum: News and Ideas in Chaplaincy Care is the publication of the association that keeps members abreast of news, resources, events and topics of interest to professional chaplains. It also includes essays, reflections, articles, media reviews and poetry on professional chaplaincy related topics. It is a scholarly forum to discuss, debate, share and pursue all topics related to professional chaplaincy and the practice of spiritual care.

APC Forum is the successor publication to APC e-News and is published eight times a year: February, March, May, June, July, September, November and December.



Article Submission Guidelines

APC Forum: News and Ideas in Chaplaincy Care invites members of the association and others connected to the chaplaincy field to submit original content for publication, including:

  • Reflections (800-1,000 words): Writing that deals with any aspect along the illness/healing/caregiving continuum, as well as any chaplaincy practice or theory which the author wishes to engage other chaplains. Photos and artwork are also considered. This section may contain diverse forms of writing. 
  • Poetry (500 words): Poems related to chaplaincy, healing, caregiving; submissions of up to three poems will be considered.
  • Ethics (800-1,000 words): Articles that present facts or opinions on professional or medical ethics as they relate to chaplaincy.
  • Idea Box (500-800 words): Articles about creative ideas and solutions that have helped chaplains in their day-to-day work.
  • Advocacy (500-1,000 words): Articles regarding the promotion of spiritual care and professional chaplaincy.
  • Student Life (500-800 words): Articles written by students entering the chaplain field featuring the journey, challenges, successes and professional relationships built along the way. Writing may also include tips for peers entering the field.
  • Member Achievements (300-500 words): Articles about members receiving awards and recognition for their work.
  • Resource Reviews (500 words): Books and media may be considered for inclusion in our Resource Reviews column. There are two ways to contribute:
    • Send a 500-word synopsis of the book/media, along with the author and date of publication, (not the actual item) to APC’s Resource Editor at tamara.flinchum@gmail.com.
    • E-mail tamara.flinchum@gmail.com with your interest and she will assign a book/media for you to review.
  • Letters to the Editor (500 words): Brief opinion pieces in response to a topic, article or news item.

To be considered for publication: Work must align with APC’s mission, vision and values; however, ideas and opinions expressed by authors do not necessarily represent the position of APC. Promotional/marketing articles featuring a specific product, program or service are not accepted. APC Forum conforms to The Chicago Manual of Style, 16th edition (The University of Chicago Press). You can access the APC Publications Style Guide here.

To submit: Please e-mail your article, poem, essay or resource review as a Word attachment – along with this completed copyright form – to info@apchaplains.org. Please include the following with your submission:

  • Your complete mailing address and telephone number
  • A brief author biography (two to three sentences)
  • A statement that your content has not been submitted simultaneously for publication elsewhere. If any of the content has appeared in another publication, written permission must be obtained to reproduce this material and included, along with appropriate credit lines, with the submission to APC Forum.
  • Please list up to five key words or short phrases that indicate the major focus of the manuscript for indexing purposes.

Review process: The APC Forum Editorial Board and publications staff reviews, edits and accepts or rejects content. Submissions are reviewed approximately 1-2 months prior to publication. You may be asked to make edits to your submission before publication. 

If a word processing program other than Microsoft Word is used, please send the manuscript in RTF (rich text format). Do not embed tables, charts or other illustrations in the text. Submit as separate attachments.

APC Forum conforms to The Chicago Manual of Style, 16th edition, (The University of Chicago Press,). In addition, a link to the APC Publications Style Guide appears below.

APC Publications Style Guide

APC Forum Copyright Release



Contact The Editor

Letters to the Editor may be sent to info@apchaplains.org.