A message of affirmation and support to American Baptist social workers, pastoral counselors, and licensed counselors
VALLEY FORGE, PA (12/12/2025)—What follows is a brief letter from the Office of the Ecclesiastical Endorser & Director of Spiritual Caregivers at ABHMS in response to the United States Department of Education’s recent policy statement revising its definition of “professional degrees” under federal student-aid regulations.
Dear beloved colleagues in ministry,
I greet you with the joy of the Lord!
In these days when administrative rulings and public statements are being made, you may feel uncertainty about your professional identity. Today, I want to speak to your heart with clarity and grace: You are seen. You are valued. You are professionals in every sense of the word.
Your healing ministry of presence, guiding, and advocacy, remain a sacred calling. No external determination can diminish the depth of your training, the integrity of your service, or the profound impact you have on the lives you touch.
As your Ecclesiastical Endorser & Director of Spiritual Caregivers at American Baptist Home Mission Societies on behalf of the American Baptist family, I honor the vital work you embody in hospitals, correctional facilities, clinics, schools, college campuses, seminaries, governmental agencies, fire departments, police stations, and numerous communities across the Nation.
Your work is a living testimony to this strength—renewed by God, sustained by calling, and lifted by the Spirit. Continue to hold fast to the empowering promise of Isaiah 40:31(NRSVus): “But those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not grow weary; they shall walk and not faint.”
In this spirit of affirmation, effective January 2, 2026, we are opening a formal process for the official recognition of social workers, pastoral counselors, and counselors through the Office of the Ecclesiastical Endorser and Director of Spiritual Caregivers. We believe this step will offer renewed support, validation, and clarity for those serving in these essential roles.
For more information, please contact Rev. Dr. Patricia Murphy, BCCI, Ecclesiastical Endorser & Director of Spiritual Caregivers, American Baptist Home Mission Societies at Patricia.Murphy@abhms.org or 610-768-2050.
Grace and peace,
Rev. Dr. Patricia Murphy, BCCI
Ecclesiastical Endorser & Director of Spiritual Caregivers
American Baptist Home Mission Societies
Let Us Pray
Loving God, we lift before You these faithful servants who have dedicated their lives to the work of healing, guiding, and comforting Your people all over the world. Grant renewed strength, deep peace, and unwavering confidence in the calling that You have placed upon their hearts.
Lord, continue to surround us with Your Spirit, empower us with Your compassion, wisdom, and courage. Lord let our work be a bright light in weary places, a balm to the brokenhearted, and a witness to Your steadfast love.
Bless them, O Lord, in every setting where they labor. Uphold them when they feel discouraged, strengthen them when the journey is long, and remind them always that their ministry matters.
In the name of Jesus Christ, our healer and hope for today and the days to come, we pray.
Amen.
