The Evangelical Board of Certified Chaplains (EBCC) provides a clinical chaplain certification for evangelicals serving in health care settings. Membership in the Evangelical Board of Certified Chaplains is open to anyone who aligns with the Statement of Faith of the National Association of Evangelicals and meets the required qualifications and competencies.
The Steps to Becoming Certified by the EBCC
1. Qualifications for Board Certification
Undergraduate Degree
Bachelor’s degree from a college or university accredited by a member of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation: CHEA.org.
Master of Divinity Degree
Master of Divinity degree (or minimally 72 Biblical/theological/pastoral credits) from a theological seminary accredited by a member of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation: CHEA.org.
Faith Group Endorsement
Faith group endorsement from an evangelical denomination, network or church.
Clinical Pastoral Education
Four units of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) from a Department of Education (DoE) CPE Program.
Work Experience
Minimum of 2,000 hours of work or volunteer experience as a chaplain after the completion of the four units of CPE. Provisional Board Certification can be granted to an individual who does not have the 2,000 hours of work or volunteer experience completed. After completion of these 2,000 hours, the person then is fully Board Certified.
Competency Responses
New chaplains seeking Board Certification for first time should complete written responses of 1200 to 3200 characters for each of the 34 Evangelical Board for Certified Chaplains (EBCC) Competencies on this fillable form. If you are a Board-Certified Chaplain (BCC) that abides by the Common Standards for Professional Chaplaincy and are seeking to transfer, please answer the 5 Evangelical Specific Competencies in this fillable form and upload this form to your application.
2. Application
Application to transfer Board Certification from another organization that abides by the Common Standards for Professional Chaplaincy
If you have reviewed the qualifications and believe you are qualified for EBCC certification, we welcome your application. Upon completing the application, you will be charged a $75 application fee. If you are approved for EBCC certification, someone from our team will contact you to set up annual payments of $200 for your certification.
Application for Board Certification with no current certification
If you have reviewed the qualifications and believe you are qualified for EBCC certification, we welcome your application. Upon completing the application, new chaplains will be charged a $175 application fee. If you are approved for board certification, someone from our team will contact you to set up annual payments of $200 for your certification.
Application to serve as a member on the Board-Certified Chaplain panel
If you are a Board-Certified Chaplain, you are invited to serve on a three-member BBC Panel to evaluate chaplains pursuing board certification. Please complete the application below.
3. Board-Certified Chaplain Review Meeting
After your application and payment is received, your information will be reviewed. Within 60 days of submitting your application, you will be contacted to schedule a virtual Board-Certified Chaplain Review Meeting. If you successfully pass the Board-Certified Chaplain Review Meeting, you will electronically receive a Board-Certified Chaplain Certificate. If you fail to pass the Board-Certified Chaplain Review Meeting, you will be instructed on areas to improve to hopefully pass a future Board-Certified Chaplain Review Meeting.
4. Start Serving!
As an Evangelical Board-Certified Chaplain, you have access to the Chaplains Resource Center — full of resources created by and for chaplains. We provide personalized support by phone, video conference, and in person visits when possible.