HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 04021996 - C55 C.55
THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA
Adopted this Order on April 2, 1996 , by the following vote:
AYES: Supervisors Rogers, Bishop, DeSaulnier, Torlakson and Smith
NOES: None
ABSENT: None
ABSTAIN: None
SUBJECT: Correspondence
C.55 LETTER dated March 25, 1996, from Vernita Kennen, President, The Council of Churches of
Contra Costa County, 1543 Sunnyvale Avenue, Walnut Creek, CA 94596, advising that the
Committee has reviewed its Standards for Chaplains and amended Standard No. 3 to read,
"Ordination, and misisterial good standing, in a nationally recognized religious body."
***COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR TO ACKNOWLEDGE RECEIPT
IT IS SO ORDERED.
I hereby certify that this b a true andcorrect copyof
an action taken and entered on the minutes of the
Board of Sup�sthe date -shown.
ATTESTED: yq
PHIL BATCHELOR,clerk of the Board
f Supervisors and county Administrator
BY �.Deputy
c.c. Correspondent
County Administrator
. ini.st e rin
M g
v I awl�,d-0f&4rclws -5f(50lZeral astal aunt
The Rev. Machrina L. Blasdell
together Director
March 25, 1996
R
ECEIVED
Mr, Jeffery Smith 2 s 199
County Administration Building OF SUPERVtSt;65i Pine Street, Room 108A Cosra cc
Martinez, Ca 94553
Dear Supervisor Smith,
At the Board of Supervisors meeting January 16, the Supervisors voted to extend the
county contract for the chaplaincy at the county juvenile detention facilities. That
contract, as you know,,is awarded to the Council of Churches and we continue to
employ the Reverend Charles Tinsley to fill that.position.
At the time of discussion and comment regarding the Council and the chaplaincy
program, some of the Supervisors had questions about the willingness of the Council to
consider other than Christian applicants for chaplaincy positions. I assured the members
of the Board that I was quite certain the Council's Executive Committee would agree to
amend our "Standards for Chaplains."
Our Executive Committee has reviewed the Standards and voted, at their February
meeting, to amend them. Where the Standards had said "Denomination of the Christian
Church;"they now read"nationally recognized religious body." A copy of the
Standards,.as amended and currently in place, is enclosed.
The Council of Churches hopes that this answers any of the concerns that the Board
might have about the "openness" of our personnel policy. As you will note,the Council
has moved, intentionally, from an organization that was at first only Protestant, to one
that was only Christian, to one that is truly interfaith. We see this as the right direction
in which to move, a direction that not only represents the society in which we live today,
but also one.that we feel God intends.
We thank you for your continued support of the chaplaincy programs.
Sincerely,
Vernita Kennen, President
Enc.: Standards for Chaplains
1543 Sunnyvale Avenue • Walnut Creek, California 94596 • (510) 933-6030
w
COUNCIL OF CHURCHES OF CONTRA COSTA COUNTY
STANDARDS FOR CHAPLAINS
1. B.A. or B.S. degree from an accredited college or university.
2. A degree (a B.D. or M.Div. or equivalent)from a three-year theological school accredited
by the AATS.
*3. Ordination, and ministerial good standing, in a nationally recognized religious body.
4. Demonstrated initiative in program development.
5. Demonstrable knowledge of the characteristics or habits, attitudes, and interests of
persons confined to an institution of the type he/she is to serve.
6. Demonstrable knowledge of the problems of institutional living with regard to the type of
institution he/she will be serving.
7. Demonstrable ability to direct the spiritual development of residents of the institution to be
served.
8. Demonstrable ability to relate well with the residents' families and to establish harmonious
relations with officers and employees of the institution to be served.
*9. Some full-time church related or career specialty vocation experience.
10. Ecclesiastical endorsement by the person's own religious body for this specific position.
(Requirements for this vary from one religious body to another and may be stricter or more
flexible than the credential we adopt.)
11. Written, formal relationship with the Council of Churches, Contra Costa county, as a
supervisory and supportive ecumenical religious body.
*12. Minimum of two quarters of specialized Clinical Pastoral Education training required with
respect to the institution served, with continuing education expectation to fulfill the four quarters
and whatever is necessary for certification, or completion of one year of full-time, supervised,
clinical or field training in the setting of the type of institution served.
*Standards 3, 9, and 12 shall be negotiable for part-time chaplaincy work with the Council.
-- Approved Executive Committee 6/7/78
--Underlined addition approved Executive Committee 1/3/79
-- Asterisk added to #3, and word "Protestant" removed from#3, approved Executive Committee
1/21/88
-- #3 
 reworded to reflect our interfaith commitment, approved Executive Committee
2/8/96