The College of Pastoral Supervision & Psychotherapy is a theologically based covenant community, dedicated to "recovery of the soul" and promoting competency in the clinical pastoral field.
« ALERT! DATE FOR 2005 PLENARY CORRECTED | Main | FORMER CPSP TREASURER ANNOUNCES TRANSFER COMPLETION »
From the very conception of the CPSP, the Covenant served as a powerful and concise statement conveying the heart and soul of who we are and what we strive to become as a community dedicated to "recovery of soul". For many it is a sacred document. It is read aloud at every Plenary meeting. Many Chapters begin their meetings with its reading. I recall the late Dr. Don Gum, Past President of CPSP, often share how he would be moved to tears as it was being read aloud during our gatherings.
As CPSP has evolved, it has become clear for some years now that this "sacred" document no longer reflects many of the new creations the CPSP has become as we have grown and expanded. Credit is due to Roger Mace and the Asheville, NC Chapter for their willingness to update the CPSP Covenant. This they did in a very thoughtful and respectful manner. Their revisions were presented to the March 2004 meeting of the Governing council and were accepted.
The PR encourages you to download the PDF file containing the revised Covenant for your use as well as for distribution. -Perry Miller, Editor
THE COVENANT OF THE COLLEGE OF PASTORAL SUPERVISION AND PSYCHOTHERAPY
We, the CPSP members, see ourselves as spiritual pilgrims seeking a truly collegial professional community. Our calling and commitments are, therefore, first and last theological. We covenant to address one another and to be addressed by one another in a profound theological sense. We commit to being mutually responsible to one another for our professional work and direction.Matters that are typically dealt with in other certifying bodies by centralized governance will be dealt with primarily in Chapters. Thus, we organize ourselves in such a way that we each participate in a relatively small group called a Chapter consisting of approximately a dozen colleagues. Teaching or counseling programs directed by CPSP Diplomates are the primary responsibility of the chapter.
We commit ourselves to a galaxy of shared values that are as deeply held as they are difficult to communicate. Recovery of soul is a metaphor that points toward these values. We place a premium on the significance of the relationships among ourselves. We value personal authority and creativity. We believe we should make a space for one another and stand ready to midwife one another in our respective spiritual journeys. Because we believe that life is best lived by grace, we believe it essential to guard against becoming invasive, aggressive, or predatory toward each other. We believe that persons are always more important than institutions, and even the institution of CPSP itself must be carefully monitored lest it take on an idolatrous character.
We intend to travel light, to own no property, to accumulate no wealth, and to create no bureaucracy. We are invested in offering a living experience that reflects human life and faith within a milieu of a supportive and challenging community of fellow pilgrims.
_______________________
REVISED CPSP COVENANT
Download revised_cpsp_covenant.pdf
Posted by Perry Miller, Editor at May 20, 2004 7:11 PM
