In this Edition

Notes from the Chair
Regional Fall Conference Report
Message from Association VP
Association Incorporation & Bylaws
Leadership Development
2010 Annual Conference
Job Openings
NW Region Member Update
Inspirational Quote

Notes from the Chair

Halloween (Reformation Day, All Saints Day, etc.) was the occasion for the recent AAPC Northwest Region Fall conference.  It actually began with a meeting of the certification committee, which was actively involved throughout the weekend.

The first event on the calendar was a meeting of the Regional Council.  Because our spring meeting (on June 9) was a conference call, this was the first time some of the members attended an in-person meeting, and thus were able to attach names to faces.  There were eleven of us, including the AAPC vice-president, Doug Thorpe, who spent the entire weekend with us, to share with us information from both Fairfax, Virginia, and the rest of the AAPC world, and to learn from us what's happening in the Northwest. 

We took formal action to approve minutes of the conference call meeting and the budget presented by Clint McNair, and to accept results of the election of officers and committee chairs and members.  We had given Clint a very full slate of responsibilities, including hosting and chairing this conference, and serving as regional treasurer, all of which he accomplished very thoroughly and graciously.   And we've also elected him as incoming vice-president.

John Carr, who provided us with reports from the leadership development committee, had ably shepherded an election that resulted in the participants of the council meeting and also installed officers at the forum following the meeting. He also developed a travel pool policy, to provide for vast differences in distance traveled to regional conferences, and a job description of the leadership development committee.

Representing the certification committee are Gary Steeves and Fred Schramm, who are providing a process of mutual formation for members to attain levels of certification. The NW Certification Committee has prepared itself to have consultations at the local level of the candidate anytime during the year. In the next few months the NW Region will be having five consultations welcoming new members to the Certified Pastoral Counselor category. Gary and Fred hosted a workshop following the conference for persons who want to know more about AAPC and/or certification. 

Another active committee is theological and social concerns, jointly led by Joseph Roy and Cheryl Short Morin, who promoted advocacy for Congressional action on health care reform (in which we are involved as both recipients and providers).  They directed our attention to what I view as an essential component of AAPC, the integration of spirituality and mental health. 

Jon Nestor, who represented the formation committee, participated in a discussion of mentoring.  It was suggested that retirees stay engaged with the AAPC by sharing their experience as mentors to new members.

Bert Kae-Je, who currently lacks a co-chair for the institutional accreditation committee, noted that our region is one which has a very small number of institutions seeking accreditation, and which the committee continues to monitor. 

As you know, Eddy Crouch, as newsletter editor / web keeper, continues to keep us informed and welcomes your contributions to the maintenance of communication.

And we thanked Martha Callum, who as secretary provided us with minutes and was busily providing her computer with notes of the weekend's proceedings.

The next meeting of the council will probably be a conference call in mid-March of 2010; and the next conference is tentatively planned for the Portland area in mid-October (send your comments and suggestions to Clint McNair, mcnairc@seattleu.edu).

I'm very grateful for all the support I received for my first (live, in-person) regional meeting.  If I did not know what to do next, there was always someone to steer me in the right direction, and there were also many people who took care of details. I was pleasantly surprised at how smoothly it all happened.  We certainly had excellent food service and plenty of spaces to hold our various meetings.

—Sally Wing, Northwest Region Chair

Regional Fall Conference Report

Message from Association VP

Association Incorporation & Bylaws

A task force chaired by AAPC President Joretta Marshall, which included Association Board Member Fred Schramm, reviewed the Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws. According to Joretta Marshall, "Our goal was not to change any intent or purpose of the organization, but to move us toward 21st century language in our references." The task force agreed to move ahead with the revision of the Articles, which must be filed with the State of Missouri.

Regarding the Bylaw changes, Joretta states: "It seemed wise to consider separating the policies that are embedded in the bylaws from the more general understanding of bylaws. . .The bylaws are the most basic working document for our membership organization and it is important that we hear from you about some of the alternative suggestions we are proposing."  Members are asked to email feedback to Joretta before the Association Action Council meets in mid-January. The current bylaws are here and the proposed changes can be found here.

Leadership Development

Serving as an AAPC Northwest officer or committee member, is an opportunity to participate in the mainstream development and guidance of pastoral counseling as a field of religious ministry and mental health care. Pictured here are some of the current officers and committee members, who were part of the installation at the Fall Conference. They are joined by Doug Thorpe, AAPC Vice President, at bottom right.

Front row, left to right: Treasurer: Margaret Pierce (2009-2012); Certification Committee Member: Penelope Guntermann (2009-2012); Regional Chair: Sarah (Sally) Wing (2008-2010);  Regional Vice-Chair: Clinton McNair (2009-2010)

Back row, left to right: Formation Co-Chair: John Nestor (2009-2012); Certification Co-Chair: Fred Schramm; Certification Co-Chair: Gary Steeves; Leadership Development Co-Chair: John Carr (2009-2012)

We are grateful to these members who have agreed to be in service and provide leadership in our region.

With appreciation for their work, we note that Tim Bartlett has resigned from his position as Co-Chair Institutional Accreditation Committee (IAC) and Jim Stumbo has resigned from the Certification Committee.

The new electoral process for the Northwest Region will be implemented in 2010. The revision maximizes and simplifies participation of the membership in decision-making, maintaining a non-competitive approach to leadership appointments.

We are pleased to report that the Northwest Region is represented on all the major committees of the Association with Fred Schramm serving on the Board of Directors and John Carr serving as secretary of the Leadership Development Committee.

2010 Annual Conference

Ann Beattie and Steve Ivy, co-chairs of the local arrangements committee in Indianapolis invite us to the AAPC Conference, April 15-17, 2010. This conference will be an opportunity to continue our exploration of diversity. Ann Beattie, formerly an active leader in the Northwest Region, explains:

"It is so appropriate that Indianapolis is hosting this 2010 Conference with its theme of 'Embodying Justice in an Intercultural World'. The AAPC Opening Celebration will invite us into our time of considering how we meet the needs of the wider culture. Indianapolis has an expanding international presence (growing faster than Chicago) with residents arriving particularly from Mexico, China, South Asia (Sikh), Burma and Nigeria. Each summer, a remarkable African American community celebrates Black Expo, the largest ethnic cultural event held in the US. The Indiana Avenue area showcases this rich heritage with restored landmarks, a lush waterway and a university campus."

For more information on the conference, please see the Fall 2009 edition of "Currents." Mark your calendars for this important event.

Job Openings

The AAPC NW Region Website has a new Job Opportunities page. This page is dedicated to employment opportunities in the field of Pastoral Counseling within the AAPCNW Region. Any AAPC member may request that a position be posted here by emailing a job description to editor@aapcnwregion.org.

NW Region Member Update

Reverend Charles Helsabeck, M.Div, M.A., was welcomed into the Certified Pastoral Counselor membership category in the AAPC at the Fall 2009 Conference. He is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ and is employed at the Pastoral Counseling Center of the Mid Willamette Valley, Corvallis, OR.

Aileen MacLaren Loranger is a new Student Member of the Northwest Region. Aileen is from Lake Forest Park, WA, and is a full time student at Seattle University of Theology and Ministry, completing a Master of Arts degree in Pastoral Counseling. She is doing her internship at the Center for Human Services, Family Counseling Program in Shoreline, WA, and anticipates graduating in May, 2011. Aileen also has a M.S. in Nursing and a Doctorate in Public Health (behavioral sciences and health education).

William K. Clements, AAPC Member (Certified) died Sunday, August 30, 2009, in Mercer Island, Washington. He was born January 13, 1950, in Baltimore, MD and earned his Doctor of Ministry in Pastoral Counseling at Chicago Theological Seminary. An ordained minister of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod, he served two parishes in Illinois, Immanuel Lutheran Church in Puyallup, and since 1993, Redeemer Lutheran Church, Mercer Island. He was Lutheran Chaplain at Harborview Medical Center and Volunteer Senior Chaplain at the King County Jail, both through Lutheran Ministry Services Northwest. He is survived by his wife, Susan, two grown children and his mother.

Inspirational Quote

"Thanksgiving, after all, is a word of action."

-W.J. Cameron

This portion of the newsletter and the Reflection page on our regional website is intended for members to share their own poems or prose. You may email your reflection to be considered for posting on the website to John Carr and, in the newsletter to Eddy Crouch.