Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist has offered Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) since the summer of 1947. In CPE, theological students, ordained clergy, members of religious orders and qualified laypersons provide spiritual care under supervision to people with a variety of spiritual needs. CPE proposes to study "the living human documents" of both self and other for more authentic and effective spiritual care. Through the practice and reflection of spiritual care with educator and peers, experiential learning takes place.
The mission of the Clinical Pastoral Education program at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist is to provide skillful and compassionate spiritual care to the patients, families, and staff of the Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist community, and to provide quality education to those persons seeking to develop their gifts for spiritual care and spiritual growth. We are committed to helping clergy and spiritual care providers develop their gifts and serve in a variety of positions in a variety of institutions. Our chaplain interns and residents engage in experiential learning, critical thinking, reflection, and self-actualization in small groups under supervision with a Certified Educator.
The Department of FaithHealth Chaplaincy and Education’s CPE Program is fully accredited to offer Level I, Level II and Certified Education CPE by ACPE: The Standard for Spiritual Care and Education.
Participants in this introductory CPE program are Chaplain Interns. Completion of the introductory CPE program meets the ordination requirements for various denominations and is one of the prerequisites for a CPE year-long residency. We offer two introductory CPE programs. Both programs have rolling admissions.
Admission decisions will be finalized by March 3, 2025.
The Summer Hospital-based CPE Program
- An introductory CPE program is a paid internship designed for participants to spend 40+ hours a week in comprehensive hospital ministry for 11 weeks. Chaplain interns engage in educational seminars, cover a specific clinical area of care and provide on-call coverage of the medical center. The 2025 program dates are May 27, 2025 to August 8, 2025.
The Fall/Spring Extended CPE Program
- An introductory, extended unit of CPE, from August 2025 to May 2026, that is designed for seminarians, community clergy, or community leaders seeking to develop and enhance spiritual care knowledge and skills. Educational seminars are held Monday afternoons and chaplain interns are required to provide 10 to 12 hours each week of spiritual care in the hospital or in their ministry setting, such as a church or agency. The 2024-2026 program dates are August 23, 2025 to May 1, 2026.
Please see Admissions Policy and Annual Notice of Students’ Rights and Privacy for more information.
The CPE Residency Program
- The CPE Residency program is year-long and offers eight residents up to three units of CPE in a trimester structure. Residents receive a competitive stipend with health care and other excellent benefits. The curriculum is designed to enhance students' theoretical knowledge and skills in spiritual care, support their formation as spiritual care practitioners, and develop their competency for interdisciplinary approach to care. Residents provide routine spiritual care and respond to calls on their assigned clinical unit, and they have opportunities to serve the entire medical center as on-call chaplain. Residents may apply for a second-year specialized fellowship. The residency positions begin the end of August each year. Applicants for this program should have a M.Div. or equivalent and have successfully completed an introductory CPE program. The program dates are August 25, 2025 to August 21, 2026. The deadline for submitting applications is December 2, 2024.
Certified Educator Candidate Residency
- We offer one three-year Certified Educator Candidate residency. Currently, we are not accepting applications for Certified Education Students.
Please see Admissions Policy and Annual Notice of Students’ Rights and Privacy for more information.
Deadlines for submission of applications:
| CPE Program | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Residency | December 2, 2024 |
| Summer Internship | Rolling admissions. Admission decisions finalized by March 3, 2025 |
| Extended Internship | Rolling admissions. Admission decisions finalized by March 3, 2025 |
Application and Admission Requirements:
Applicants for Internships:
- Completed ACPE application
- A $35 application fee payable to “FaithHealth Education”
- Admissions Interview
Applicants for Residency Positions:
- Completed ACPE application
- A $35 application fee payable to "FaithHealth Education"
- Completion of an introductory Level I CPE program
- Admissions Interview
- MDiv or equivalent degree
Applicants accepted into our programs may also be responsible for the following additional fees:
- Criminal background check
- Drug screening
- Immunizations
- Student Unit Fee $150, paid by center
- Non-refundable deposit (residents only) $200
2025-2026 Fees, Tuitions and Pay
| Fees | |
|---|---|
| Application fee for Intern and Resident Programs | $35 |
| Application fee for Certified Educator Program | $75 (local) $350 (national) |
| Onboarding fees | See above |
| Student Unit fee | See above |
| Non-refundable deposit | See above |
| Tuitions (per unit) | |
|---|---|
| Resident | $400 |
| Certified Educator Resident | $400 |
| Congregation-based Intern | $650 (if no clinical hours in hospital) |
| Hospital-based Intern | $400 |
| Annual Pay | |
|---|---|
| Resident 1 | $37,380 |
| Intern | Call for information |
Applications may be emailed to FaithHealthCPE@wakehealth.edu or sent through U.S Postal service to the attention of Angel Lee.
For more information and to submit your completed application, contact:
Angel F. Lee, Admissions Coordinator
FaithHealth Education
Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist
Medical Center Boulevard
Winston-Salem, NC 27157-1099
FaithHealthCPE@wakehealth.edu
336-716-0526
Accreditation
Our CPE programs are fully accredited by:
ACPE: The Standard for Spiritual Care and Education
1 Concourse Pkwy, Suite 800
Atlanta, GA 30328
404-320-1472
404-320-0849 (FAX)
acpe@acpe.edu
www.acpe.edu