Jethro Guidance Center held it’s closing ceremony for it’s online CPE in August 29, 2022. Their Guest of Honor was Dr. Raymond Lawrence, the co-founder of CPSP. Dr. Lawrence was also instrumental in the founding of CPSP-Philippines.

A few weeks ago we congratulated Dr. Merlita (Lyn)Montecastro for passing her board for Diplomate Supervisor with CPSP-PH. And now there is more to celebrate.

Dr. Lyn has relocated to Cebu City. She will be teaching courses and serving as a Chaplain at a school there.

She is also hoping to establish a training center there— “ATIMAN Life Counseling Center.” Until it is established and accredited by CPSP-PHILIPPINES, she will be supervising CPE in partnership with Bukal Life. She plans to have an online CPE group starting the end of September.

On July 30, 2022, CPSP-Philippines held a Diplomate board for Chaplain Merlita (“Lyn”) Montecastro. Members of the board were Diplomates Dr. Larry Gusto, Dr. Paul Tabon, and Chaplain Vo Canoy, with Lyn’s supervisor Chaplain Celia Munson completing the panel.

Chaplain Lyn passed the board and is now only the 7th Diplomate of Pastoral Supervision with CPSP-Philippines.

Chaplain Lyn has had both Chaplain Celia and Dr. Cal Sodoy as supervisors. Chaplain Lyn has served with Bukal Life Care for several years, and has also earned her Doctor of Theology degree from Asia Baptist Graduate Theological Seminary. She will soon be relocating with her husband, Dr. Gilbert Montecastro, to Cebu City where she hopes to training in Pastoral Counseling and Supervision.

Several of our centers are active now. However, in this post we will focus on three.

1. Glocal Community— Headed by CPSP-PH President, Dr. Paul Tabon, and based in Baguio, has recently opened up a new training— Community Chaplain training. The course connects chaplain’s with PNP, barangay leaders, and municipalities to serve. While this course is an end to itself, those who complete are well-set to move into CPE. Dr. Tabon presently has 20 trainees in the program. He has also worked with trainees from Bukal Life Care in working with the police in Christian Life Coaching. Picture below.
2. The Chaplains Office. Based in Bocaue, Bulacan and headed by Chaplain Renato Eustaquio is starting a “hybrid” CPE program. It has different sub-disciplines… Hospital, Community, and Corporate chaplaincy, along with Pastoral Counseling.
3. Jethro Guidance Center, Inc. -Collegium of Pastoral Supervision and Psychotherapy (CPSP) servicing the need for Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) of students of Union Theological Seminary (UTS). Thank you Rev. Dr. Larry Paul B. Gusto, Rev. Ephraim Guerrero, Rev. Dr. Sim Dang-awan and Rev. Carmel Villar of the Dr. José Andrés Sotto Center for Spiritual and Pastoral Care-UTS. Pictures below.

As an added item—- Sadly we only found out about this a year late. We share sorrow with PACPE in the passing of Dr. Lucio Mutia in 2021. Dr. Mutia headed the program at Silliman University having a great impact on Clinical Pastoral Education in the Philippines. He will certainly be missed.

“Harry Stack Sullivan and Anton T. Boisen: Comrades and Revolutionaries in Psychotherapy” by Raymond J. Lawrence

Review by Robert H. Munson, Administrator, Bukal Life Care & Counseling Center

Review in Pastoral Report of CPSP. Link below:

https://cpsp.org//Web/Pastoral-Report-Articles/A%20Review%20by%20Robert%20H%20Munson.aspx

The weekend of the June 4th, The Chaplains Office, headed by Chaplain Renato Eustaquio, had a chaplain’s retreat in Baguio City.

At the event, four were certified as Clinically Trained Ministers. Dr. Paul Tabon, President of CPSP-Philippines, did the awarding. Those who earned CTM are…

1. Chaplain Agnes Barnedo
2. Chaplain Joy Pergis
3. Chaplain Marilyn Nitram
4. Chaplain Gina Ventura

Bukal Life Care presently has a CPE Group active as of this December. More groups will be announced as they come up.

Bukal Life Care and Hesed are also active with CPE groups. When a new group opens in these, or other training centers we will let you know.

As the pandemic settles out (a bit at least), CPE is becoming more active.

—Dr. Navarro’s is completing a unit at the Iligan Adventist Hospital. We congratulate him in heading this under CPSP-Philippines.

—Chaplain Eustaquio is in the middle of a unit at Dr. Yanga’s Hospital in Bulacan.

—Chaplains Vo and Lyn are each starting new CPE units with Bukal Life Care in mid-August. These are online units,.

—Jethro Guidance Center is very active with CPE this year. (Not sure when the next group is starting… but likely to be starting soon.

All of our centers are welcomed/encouraged to keep us updated as far as their training schedules. They can contact either Dr. Merlita Montecastro or Dr. Robert Munson.