More than one fourth of ministerial education at Meadville Lombard involves the action and reflection of learning through practice. There are three basic field education components: Praxis, Clinical Pastoral Education, and Ministerial Internship. They have four elements in common:
- They take place at a site away from the school — a church, hospital, agency or other institution.
- They provide ministry to a community — church members, patients, clients, prisoners, etc.
- The student’s work is supervised, generally, by an experienced minister. A well-qualified, skilled supervisor is the most important factor in a successful field education engagement.
- The student’s experience is opened to ongoing reflection — student and supervisor join in a process of regular review, interpretation, and discussion to clarify the student’s understanding of his or her identity, theology, responsibility, and skill as a minister.
In all of Meadville Lombard’s opportunities
for field education, ministry is provided by the student and appreciated
by the community served, but the primary purpose of the experience
is one of learning. Each student’s program, learning goals,
and professional interests will call for careful choices about
sites and supervisors. Nan Hobart, Meadville Lombard’s field
education coordinator, works with students to plan their placements
and provides support during their field education experiences. |
