Office of Institutional Chaplaincies

The Office of Institutional Chaplaincies supports the ministry of full and part-time hospital, hospice, long-term care, prison, fire, police chaplains, and those in other settings. Institutional chaplains are theologically formed, clinically trained, formally endorsed, in many cases board certified, and serve in a variety of multi-faith institutional chaplaincy settings.

The Orthodox Church in America is a member of the Commission for Ministry in Specialized Settings (COMISS Network) and endorses chaplains to serve in specific institutional settings and toward certification with credentialing bodies including: the Association of Professional Chaplains (APC), the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE), and the College of Pastoral Supervision and Psychotherapy (CPSP).

Archpriest Steven Voytovich serves as the Office’s Director, supporting the formal endorsement process for institutional chaplains and facilitating dialogue among those ministering in a variety of institutional settings. Currently Fr. Steven represents the OCA as endorser and current chair (2023–2025) in COMISS Network and as a past-chair of the Association of Religious Endorsing Bodies (AREB), and is a board certified member with the above credentialing bodies.

His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon is the Orthodox Ecclesiastical Endorser for OCA clergy and laypersons who are clinically trained and serving as institutional chaplains.  Recommendations for endorsement are initiated by this office.

Membership in the Office includes those who have completed a Masters of Divinity Degree, 1600 hours of clinical training, and are endorsed institutional chaplains and/or CPE Supervisors.  Most members are also board certified by one or more of the above credentialing bodies. 

For further information and updates regarding institutional chaplaincy, please click on the resource website below.

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Resources

Website: www.orthinc.org