In this Edition

Notes from the Chair
Regional Fall Conference
Leadership Development Report
Outreach to Educational Programs
Association 2011 Conference
Book Review
NW Region Member Update
Inspirational Quote

Notes from the Chair

I'm delighted that plans are moving along on the Regional Fall Conference. The April annual conference of the AAPC in Indianapolis on Embodying Justice: Pastoral Care and Counseling in an Intercultural World strongly emphasized multicultural competency, including a variety of speakers and "table talk" discussions, which, among other things, raised questions about how inclusive and how welcoming we (AAPC) are, in our various practices and in our involvement with AAPC. We raised more questions than we answered.

The Task Force on Governance and Structure is recommending that Regions not be required to mirror the structure of the Association, which could mean fewer or more committees, perhaps a different configuration of officers, maybe some local gatherings in addition to or instead of a single Regional conference. In other words, folks, use your imagination to provide us all with direction on how AAPC can be most useful to members, and how we can participate most effectively.

I'm not expecting answers, but would like to encourage lots of thought on subjects like multiculturalism and organizational structure, and sharing thoughts, in person, by e-mail, and through this newsletter. Thoughts may begin with "why do we?" or "why don't we?"

Thanks in advance for your thoughtful comments.

—Sally Wing, (soon to be past) Northwest Regional Chair

Regional Fall Conference

The AAPC Northwest Regional Fall Conference will take place October 1-2, 2010 at the University Place Hotel at Portland State University in Portland, Oregon. This year's theme will be Spirituality, Medicine, and Pastoral Counseling: Spiritual Assessment on some core areas in mental health.

On Saturday, we will have a presentation by David Arnold Harrison, M.D.,Ph.D., who is an Acting Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Washington Medical Center, as well as a Visiting Scholar with the Templeton Foundation in New York, New York. Dr. Harrison is developing educational curriculum on common psychiatric and neurological conditions seen in the hospital setting for chaplains. He is also involved in two collaborative research projects in spirituality/religion and psychiatry with the University of Washington.

Leadership Development Report

What makes AAPC NW Region go? People power — that's what it requires. 

At our Fall 2010 meeting, Vice-Chair Clint McNair will become our President.  Incumbents Margaret Pierce (Treasurer), Martha Callum (Secretary), Jon Nestor (Formation), Eddy Crouch (Webkeeper), and John Carr (LDC Co-Chair) will carry on.  So also will Penelope Guntermann and Jim Boyer on the Certification Committee.

We appreciate the service of the following persons who will reach the end of their term of service: Sally Wing (President), Fred Schramm & Gary Steeves (Certification Committee Co-Chairs), Jim Stumbo & Mark Lobitz (Certification Committee Members).  Mark has agreed to serve another term.

Under our Regional Guidelines, we need persons to serve in the following positions:

Vice-Chair (2010-2012)
Certification Committee Co-Chairs (2010-2013)
Certification Committee Members (2010-2013)
Theological & Social Concerns Co-Chairs (2010-2013)
Institutional Accreditation Chair (2010-2013)
Leadership Development Co-Chair (2010-2013)
Newsletter Editor (Appointment)
Public Relations Representative (Appointment)

John Landgraf has agreed to serve on the Certification Committee.  John Baumann has agreed to serve as Theological & Social Concerns Co-Chair.  Marcia Matthaei will take on the responsibility of Public Relations, particularly in relation to shepherding students and other persons new to our region. 

If you are being called to make a contribution to this important field, please look over the list of opportunities and contact John Carr for more information. You may email him at pthyanded@shaw.ca or phone him at 780-554-7678 (Cell) or Skype: John.C.Carr1.

Leadership Development at the Association Level

The Regional Leadership Development Chair serves on the Association LDC.  In addition to strategizing for ongoing development of leadership in the Association, the AAPC LDC develops a slate of nominees for offices in the Association.  Leading up to the election in early 2011, the AAPC LDC is developing a slate of nominees for the following offices: Secretary, Treasurer, 3 At-Large Members of the Board of Directors, and Certification Committee Chair.

Outreach to Regional Counselor Education Programs

We want to be able to attract counseling students to AAPC, so please help us grow our list.  If you can add to the list or provide us with the names of contact persons at these programs, please contact:

Clint McNair - mcnairc@seattleu.edu
John Carr – pthyanded@shaw.ca
Gary Steeves - garysteeves@hotmail.com

Eastern Washington University, Cheney, WA
George Fox University, Portland, OR
Gonzaga University, Spokane, WA
Living Systems Counselling, North Vancouver, BC (Randy Frost, AAPC Fellow)
Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, WA
Portland State University, Portland, OR
St. Stephen’s College, Edmonton, AB (John Carr, Lorraine Nicely, & Ray Seutter, AAPC Diplomates)
Seattle University, School of Theology & Ministry, Seattle, WA (Clinton McNair, AAPC Diplomates)
University of Portland, Portland, OR
University of Puget Sound, Tacoma, WA
Whitworth College, Spokane, WA

Association 2011 Conference

The theme of the 47th AAPC Annual Conference, "Embodying Justice," will be making a repeat appearance at the 48th Annual Conference. The continuity is by design. It takes more than one year to move into deeper embodiments of justice in ourselves, our work, and our world. In addition, oppressions that block justice intersect one another, keeping any embodiment of justice limited.

In light of this reasoning, the AAPC Program Planning Committee has extended the "Embodying Justice" theme to three years. Next year's Annual Conference, with the subtitle “Privilege, Power & Possibility”, will take place in Phoenix, Arizona - March 31 to April 3, 2011, at the Hyatt Regency.

Following the selection of the conference location came the passage of Arizona Senate Bill 1070. Rather than boycotting economic involvement in Arizona as a form of protest, the Planning Committee (with support of the AAPC Board of Directors) is looking at how we might collaborate with Latin American ministerial leaders in Phoenix. The conference will be designed in a way that AAPC members can support individuals, families and organizations most negatively affected by the new law.

The conference will begin earlier in the day on Thursday with direct action in the local community of Phoenix. CEU’s will be offered without pre-conference charges. This is an opportunity for AAPC to act in solidarity with the oppressed. The planning committee states, “We are committed to ensuring that our theme, Embodying Justice, is embodied in our presence.”

Presenters of the 2011 theme include a team of AAPC members who have in-depth working knowledge of the topic.

Duane Bidwell is a pastor, scholar, pastoral counselor and spiritual director whose current research focuses on the nurture of hope in children. He is an associate professor of Practical Theology, Spiritual Care & Counseling at Claremont School of Theology and serves as a senior staff clinician and supervisor at The Clinebell Institute for Pastoral Counseling and Psychotherapy. He serves on the board of the AAPC and is managing editor of The Journal of Pastoral Theology.

Emmanuel Lartey focuses on pastoral care, counseling, and theology in different cultural contexts, with particular reference to African, British, and American expressions. He is researching the theological implications and practical effects of pastoral care in a diversity of cultures. He teaches in Emory's Graduate Division of Religion in the Person, Community, and Religious Life Program. He is the author of In Living Colour: An Intercultural Approach to Pastoral Care and Counselling (2nd ed., 2003).

Leanne McCall Tigert is a Licensed Pastoral Psychotherapist with the New Hampshire Board of Mental Health Practice who has been in practice for more than 16 years. She is a Fellow in the AAPC, a Senior Lecturer in Pastoral Care and Counseling at Andover Newton Theological School in Newton Centre, MA. and an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ.

Book Review

Wilson, Shawn.  (2008)  Research Is Ceremony: Indigenous Research Methods.  Halifax & Winnipeg: Fernwood Publishing.

This is a wonderful little book about research – and also about a great deal more (so don’t stop reading just because I used the “R” word!).  The author, who holds a Ph.D. from Monash University in Australia, is an Opaskwayak Cree from northern Manitoba, Canada, currently living and teaching in the Northern Rivers area of New South Wales, Australia.  He also has a background in community counseling and development.  He writes out of his experience of struggling with learning and research methodologies grounded in Euro-North American worldviews. Cost: $30 (including S&H).  Try www.bookfinder.com.

Indigenous researchers are knowledge seekers who work to advance Indigenous ways of being, knowing, and doing in a modern and constantly evolving context.  This book describes a research paradigm shared by Indigenous scholars in Canada and Australia and demonstrates how this paradigm can be put into practice.

Relationships don’t just shape Indigenous reality.  They are Indigenous reality.  Indigenous researchers develop relationships with ideas in order to achieve enlightenment in the ceremony that is Indigenous research. Indigenous research is the ceremony of maintaining accountability to these relationships.  For researchers to be accountable to all our relations, they must make careful selection of topics, methods of data collection, forms of analysis, and the way they present information.

Apart from the contribution which this book makes to one’s understanding of qualitative research methodology, it also breaks new ground in terms of the way it is presented.  I hope you obtain a copy and enjoy it.  Our students at St. Stephen’s College did!

—John C. Carr, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

NW Region Members Update

Tyler Stahl, a graduate student in Pastoral Counseling at Seattle University, has been accepted as Certified Pastoral Counselor.

Jon Nestor, M.Div., has been accepted as Diplomate. Jon is the Executive Director at Olympic Pastoral Counseling in Newport, Oregon.

Fred Schramm, D.Min, will be leaving our region this summer and moving back to the East Coast. Fred has been a pivotal spokesperson in guiding our organization and enhancing enthusiasm for new members in our region.

John Landgraf, Ph.D., and his wife, Laura, provide 5-day private couples retreats near Post Falls Idaho. For referrals, contact John at 650-868-3947 or by email. John and Laura have released two CDs and enjoy making music together.

Inspirational Quote

There shall be eternal summer in the grateful heart.
—Celia Thaxter