Supervised Ministry
Supervised ministry grants you field experience in which you explore the richness of ministerial work in various contexts, deepen your pastoral and practical skills, and reflect on how your life experiences relate to your theological study.
With faculty guidance, students select placements based on their interests. Expert supervisors accompany you in your work, and on-campus meetings provide you with a forum to synthesize your experiences alongside other students. Our supervised ministry faculty co-directors will meet with you the year before your placement to help you discern your goals, and our entire supervised ministry team is available to support you.
Meet Our Team
Callid Keefe-Perry
Director, Contextual Education
M.A. Theology and Ministry
Joseph Weiss, S.J.
Director, Field Placement
M.Div. and Th.M. Programs
Marcia Ryan
Associate Director, Supervised Ministry/Global & Community Engagement
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The STM Approach
The Supervised Ministry program guides students in choosing ministry placements that reflect their personal and professional interests. Faculty directors and placement supervisors work with individual students to help them form, develop, cultivate, and deepen their pastoral skills.
“At the heart of contextual education is learning how to braid together theological reflection, vocational discernment, and professional growth. What we strive to do in our program is encourage students to ask how they are being called into service, what they need to be faithful in that work, and how to name -- with nuance! -- the parts of their journey they see as marked by God. We want students to be able to leave their time with us better able to explain their call, explore how to serve with skill, and excite others with their stories of God's work in their life.”
Clinical Pastoral Education
Each year, a number of students fulfill their supervised ministry requirement through Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE), an interfaith professional education for ministry. It brings theological students and ministers of all faiths into intense involvement with persons in need under the supervision of CPE supervisors who have undergone demanding professional training beyond hospital chaplaincy. Feedback from peers and supervisors along with daily theological reflection catalyze deeper understandings of ministry, while new skills are developed in interpersonal skills informing the student's ministerial identity. Email Marcia Ryan to learn more.