Structuring a Strategy to Provide Accredited Clinical Pastoral Education for Chaplains in Puerto Rico

Author(s)

• Ronald K. Williams-Garcia, Liberty UniversityFollow

Date

11-3-2026

Department

Rawlings School of Divinity

Degree

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

Chair

Mark Brown

Keywords

Clinical Pastoral Education, Chaplaincy, Spiritual Care

Disciplines

Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion

Recommended Citation

Williams-Garcia, Ronald K., "Structuring a Strategy to Provide Accredited Clinical Pastoral Education for Chaplains in Puerto Rico" (2026). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 9031.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/9031

Abstract

Chaplaincy is the fastest-growing ministry in the United States.¹ There are several reasons for this, including diverse settings, a broad ministry, and a variety of people served. As the ministry grows, so does the research on chaplaincy. The last several years have seen a surge in research on chaplaincy.² There has also been greater attention paid to how chaplains are trained.³ The training still requires a theology degree, most often the Master of Divinity degree. More importantly, the training includes Clinical Pastoral Education.

Clinical Pastoral Education is an experiential learning opportunity based on the action-reflection training model.⁴ Typically, the requirement is four units, or 1600 hours, of training. CPE is now offered in virtually every state of the United States. However, Puerto Rico does not have an accredited CPE Program. As the island continues to grow, the need for Clinical Pastoral Education grows.