Program Overview

Contextual Education at Candler

Contextual Education is the heart of Candler’s Master of Divinity curriculum, integrating theological education with opportunities for formation in ministry and leadership in churches, social service agencies, hospitals, nonprofits, campus ministries, and other clinical and ecclesial settings. Our unique approach blends classroom learning, hands-on experience, and mentor-led critical reflection for the best possible preparation for ministry and transformational leadership.

Contextual Education Components

• Contextual Education I and II: A four-semester sequence, required of all MDiv students, and typically completed in the first two years of the MDiv program. Through Con Ed, students gain hands-on ministry experience and connect it to their classroom learning—the combination of the practical and the academic yields a truly comprehensive education for ministry.
• Teaching Parish: MDiv students can also fulfill their Contextual Education requirement through the Teaching Parish program, where students serve as pastors-in-charge of local churches or as assistant pastors of larger churches. Students gain ministerial experience and participate in a reflection group led by a seasoned pastor.
• Episcopal and Anglican Studies: Contextual Education for students in the Episcopal and Anglican Studies Program is designed to enhance priestly formation and is centered on real-life ministry that takes place in carefully supervised placements in Episcopal churches and social or clinical settings.
• Clinical Pastoral Education: CPE is a nationally certified program that provides supervised training in pastoral care and counseling. Typical placements are in hospitals, clinics, and community agencies. Candler students may receive academic credit for intensive pastoral care and counseling training completed through programs accredited by the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE).
• Internships: MDiv, MTS, MARL, and MRPL students can enrich their studies and earn academic credit—and sometimes a stipend—through an internship at a church, an agency, or an existing internship program. Students can tailor their internship to specific learning goals, gain more experience in a particular aspect of ministry, and be exposed to a broad range of professional opportunities.

Who’s Who in Con Ed

The faculty, staff, and site supervisors who bring Contextual Education to life for Candler students include a team of experienced professionals dedicated to providing mentorship and guidance throughout the program.

Student Testimonials

• “Glenn Memorial UMC gives me a space to take chances, make mistakes, and learn what it means to be in congregational ministry. My work in Family Ministries gives me a chance to gain hands-on experience in taking big theological concepts from the classroom and turning them into things that our 3rd graders can understand. Doing this work has given me a loving church community that seeks to learn from me as much I seek to learn from them.” - Chase McKoon, MDiv '23
• “By pushing you to reflect, explore, and investigate the intersection between vocation and your passions, skills, and gifts, Con Ed will transform and refine you so that when you leave this place, you are wiser, stronger, and kinder than you were when you entered. Thanks to my Con Ed experience, I am a more confident, good, and faithful servant with a clearer direction and a greater sense of what God has put me on this earth to do.” - Gabby Wilkinson, MDiv '24
• “I was profoundly changed by my experience in Con Ed I, where I served as a mentor at a refugee resettlement agency. I was paired with two Burmese teenage refugees as their after-school tutor, but this quickly grew into what I hope will be a lifelong relationship. Their impact on my worldview and vocational trajectory is immeasurable…I count myself lucky to be a part of their lives and to watch them grow into incredible, resilient young women.” - Gaby Guerrero, MDiv '24
• “Candler’s ConEd program is both spiritually nourishing and deeply rewarding...It’s a carefully crafted way to not just imagine yourself in various ministry contexts, but to actually inhabit those spaces and learn what it is truly like...Con Ed is like the perfect dressing room in a clothing store: You get to try on your favorite outfit to make sure it’s the right fit before you walk out the door.” - Co’Relous Bryant, MDiv '22
• “I am extremely grateful for my Con Ed experience. It was life-changing and not something I could have accomplished on my own. Teaching Parish has allowed me to test out ministry in a capacity that I could not have done without Candler.” - Jodi Christensen, MDiv '24

Candler School of Theology

Candler educates faithful and creative leaders for the church’s ministries throughout the world. The school is committed to providing a comprehensive education that integrates theological education with opportunities for formation in ministry and leadership.