Diakonal Minister Credential

New Diakonal Ministers were consecrated at the 2008 Annual Meeting. Together with CHHSM President and CEO Bryan Sickbert, CHHSM Vice President for Operations Shirley Nelson, they are: (l-r) Shelia Helgerson, Hugh Meyers, Jill Terpstra, Marcella Schick, Sandra Platt, Gayle Mason Not pictured: Maureen Daniels, Zachary Schrantz

What is a Diakonal Minister?

Diakonal Ministers are senior staff leaders in CHHSM organizations who have completed the Faith-Based Leadership Institute, a collaborative effort of religiously-affiliated health and human service provider associations to provide theologically-grounded management and governance education.

The Diakonal Minister course of study augments managers' professional and subject-area job skills with study in eight areas that research has identified as essential to successful leadership of faith-based health and human service organizations:

• Passion for justice
• Spiritual integrity
• Change leadership
• Sense of vocation (call)
• Ethical reflection and action
• Covenant building skills
• Faith-values foundations
• Organizational skills.

How do Diakonal Ministers provide value to CHHSM organizations?

Evaluations of the program--now recruiting its twelfth class--show that Diakonal Ministers gain ability to integrate the faith heritage and values of their ministries into their leadership styles and the fabric of organizational life. Current program participants report that they value both the program's emphasis on combining leadership and management theory with Biblical and theological commitments as well as the collegial relationships they develop with executives in other faith-based health and human service ministries.

How is the Diakonal Minster program administered and taught?

The Diakonal Minister program will combine CHHSM-member executives with their peers from ministries affiliated with the Association of Brethren Caregivers, the American Baptist Homes and Hospitals Association, Lutheran Services in America, Mennonite Health Services, and the United Methodist Association of Health and Welfare Ministries. In addition, the program includes a pre-seminar designed exclusively for leaders of United Church of Christ (UCC)- sponsored organizations. This seminar will focus on the history and theology of the UCC and the relationship between the UCC and its health and human service agencies.

The Diakonal Minister program includes four sessions that utilize both face-to-face and electronic formats with highly-interactive learning. Program leaders include people with both academic and practitioner backgrounds; profiles of the 2009 leadership team are available here.

How does the Diakonal Minister program culminate?

Members of the FBLI Class of 2009 will be consecrated as Diakonal Ministers at the 2010 CHHSM Annual Meeting.

Application Deadline

The deadline for applications to the Class of 2009 is August 11, 2008.

Program Costs

Tuition for the entire Institute is $1,500.00 payable in full by October 15, 2008. In addition to the tuition, participants and/or their sponsoring organization are responsible for travel, meal and lodging costs for all three sessions.

Tuition Refund Policy

Participants who withdraw their application to the program prior to October 31, 2008 will receive a tuition refund of $1,400.00. No refunds will be issued for cancellations that occur at anytime after October 31, 2008. However, tuition is transferable to another participant upon approval by The Council for Health and Human Service Ministries. CHHSM will also apply paid tuition to enrollment of the withdrawing applicant in the subsequent year's Diakonal Minister program.

How do I get more information?

The entire information and nomination packet is available here. (PDF, 342K) Please call or email Shirley Nelson, CHHSM VP of Operations, at 866-822-8224 ext. 2254, email.