Welcome to CPE at SFTS

As a faculty member at San Francisco Theological Seminary occupying the Shaw Family Chair for Clinical Pastoral Education, I have the charge to direct and supervisor the Clinical Pastoral Education program at SFTS.

The learning process CPE addresses is the integration of the classical disciplines of theological education with ministry practice. I believe it is important, as a CPE supervisor, to teach skills for ministry that enhance the integration of theology, social science, sacred text, history, spirituality, worship and ritual practice while in direct contact with those being served.

To state this in the context of reformed tradition in general and Presbyterianism specifically: John Calvin said in his “Institutes of the Christian Religion” that “nearly all the wisdom we possess, true and sound wisdom, consists of two parts: the knowledge of God and of ourselves.” Without knowledge of self there is no knowledge of God; without knowledge of God there is no knowledge of self. Calvin’s words resonate with me as a CPE supervisor.

Can CPE students become competent spiritual leaders who have a theological, psychological and pastoral conceptual framework informed by critical self-reflection that integrates knowledge of self, others, systems and God in their ministry praxis?

I believe, yes. The pedagogical method of CPE can be a catalyst for ordained and lay leaders to become competent pastoral care providers who are theologically disciplined, socially relevant, spiritually mature and able to make use of psychological and social science theory. I am also interested in CPE as a pedagogical method that leads to emancipation for the learner – learning that leads to liberation for the learner and those ministered to by emancipated leaders.

The hard work of CPE involves separating what is authentic from what is false in oneself, in one’s perceptions of others and conceptions of God. CPE provides the educational opportunity to gain insight into oneself, insight into God’s movement in our lives together, and a disciplined and applicable way to respond to God’s initiative in our lives, particularly through service.

As a CPE supervisor, I have witnessed the transformative results of process learning in CPE students. Liberation and transformation through education for persons, communities, institutes, leaders and service orientated people fuel my passion for serving SFTS as a CPE supervisor.

Welcome to CPE at SFTS!

Yours in life-long learning,

Laurie Garrett-Cobbina
The Shaw Family Chair for Clinical Pastoral Education

** The SFTS CPE program is a Satellite CPE Center to Alta Bates Summit Medical Center’s Department of Chaplaincy Services and Clinical Pastoral Education. ABSMC is fully accredited as an ACPE CPE Center with Association for Clinical Pastoral Education, Inc., 1549 Clairmont Road - Suite 103, Decatur, Georgia 30033 - 4635, (404) 320-0849, www.acpe.edu.