COMISS Network Guidelines
Revised January 2020 by the Annual Forum, Crystal City, VA.
Download COMISS Network Guidelines
COMISS Network Guidelines
Revised at the January 2020 Annual Forum in Crystal City, VA.
I. Name, Purpose, Mission and Objectives
a. The name of this group is COMISS Network; incorporated as a 501.c3 in
Atlanta, Georgia.
b. The Purpose of the COMISS Network is to provide its membership with a
unique forum for communication, networking, and advocacy.
c. The Mission of the COMISS Network is to serve as the pre-eminent
network of professional organizations, institutions, and faith communities
that promotes and supports collaboration among its member organizations
which are committed to the theological and clinical education and the
competent practice of interfaith spiritual care through chaplaincy and
pastoral counseling and research in specialized settings.
d. The Vision of the COMISS Network is to facilitate advocacy for
specialized ministry by developing and sharing evidenced based best
practices in chaplaincy and pastoral counseling and research.
e. The Objectives of the COMISS Network are:
i. To provide a forum for dialogue among its member organizations.
ii. To encourage shared programs/resources toward creating greater
collaboration among specialized ministries.
iii. To advocate professionalism in standards and in the provision of
interfaith-based care and counseling.
iv. To educate our constituency and various publics about the value of
professional interfaith-based spiritual care and counseling.
v. To propose and plan initiatives that further our mission, vision, and
purpose.
vi. To promote ongoing research in order to establish evidence-based
spiritual care and counseling.
II. Membership:
a. Membership is available to organizations which subscribe to the purpose,
mission, and objectives of COMISS. Organizations applying for
membership and those renewing current membership may self-select the
organization’s membership category. The characteristics of each category
are recommended guidelines for assisting the organizations in selecting
the most appropriate category for membership:
i. Professional Certifying or Accrediting Organization: These
organizations certify individuals for the practice of and or training
for professional spiritual care. They will demonstrate how
certified chaplains, pastoral counselors, or other pastoral care
professionals conform to a code of ethics that prohibits
proselytizing, conflicts of interest, and crossing of professional
boundaries. Or, organizations in this category accredit institutions,
facilities, centers, or systems for the practice, education, and
training of chaplains, pastoral counselors, and/or other spiritual
care professionals.
ii. Religious Endorsing Bodies: These organizations include faith
groups, denominations, or religious organizations which endorse
individuals of their respective group for chaplaincy, pastoral
counseling, and/or other professional spiritual care ministries. A
Religious Endorsing Body will be able to demonstrate a process of
endorsement which includes on-going accountability between the
endorser and the endorsed individual. Also, these organizations
will be able to demonstrate recognition as a religious endorsing
body. They will be able to demonstrate that they are recognized as
a 501 (C) (3) religious organization and have primarily a lay
constituency.
iii. Professional Membership Organizations: These organizations exist
as groups of chaplains and/or other pastoral care professionals
whose work focuses on ministry in specific specialized settings.
These organizations may be for profit or not for profit.
iv. Chaplain and Pastoral Counselor Employing Organizations or
Agencies: These organizations utilize the services of chaplains
and/or pastoral counselors who are certified by one of the
Certifying Organizations of the COMISS Network. These
organizations may be for profit or not for profit, but they must
demonstrate, via their mission statement and table of organization,
that they operate in accordance with the purpose, mission, and
objectives of the COMISS Network.
v. Academic and Educational Institutions: These institutions prepare
students for chaplaincy/ specialized ministry through academic
degree programs and/or conduct research related to ministry in
specialized settings. These institutions are accredited by an
accrediting organization recognized by the Council for Higher
Education Accreditation (CHEA) and/or the U.S. Department of
Education.
III. COMISS Network Forum
a. Membership
i. Members in good standing are current in membership dues and
have filed all reports required.
ii. Each member organization may be represented by up to three
participants.
iii. There will be one vote per member organization in good standing.
b. Annual Forum
i. The COMISS Network will gather for one or more meetings
annually in Forum.
ii. All Forum business will be presented for agenda approval to the
COMISS Network Leaders no later than 24 hours prior to the
opening of the Forum.
iii. The conduct of business at the Annual Forum will include
presentations, discussion and action on:
1. Annual reports
2. Financial report
3. Presentation of a budget and its adoption
4. Election of officers
5. Election of nominating committee
6. Presentation of new members
7. Proposed new initiatives
iv. All mailings pertaining to an upcoming Forum are to be sent to
the member organizations.
IV. COMISS Network Leadership (Officers and At-Large Members)
a. Network Leadership shall be members of one of the member organizations
of the COMISS Network in good standing.
b. The COMISS Network Leadership annual elections shall take place at the
Annual Forum.
c. New COMISS Network Leaders will begin their terms of office at the
conclusion of the Annual Forum.
d. The officers of COMISS Network will be:
i. Chair
1. Presides at all meetings of the COMISS Network Forum
and the COMISS Network Leadership.
2. Presents an annual report to the Forum.
ii. Chair-Elect
1. Assumes the duties of the Chair in absence or disability of
the Chair.
2. Serves as chair of Forum Program Planning Task Force.
iii. Treasurer
1. Is responsible for preparing a budget for review by the
COMISS Network Leadership and for approval by the
Forum Membership.
2. Provides financial reports to the COMISS Network
Leadership and to the Annual Forum.
3. Schedules an audit every three years with an outside
professional auditor.
iv. Secretary
1. Attends all sessions of the COMISS Network Leadership
and Annual Forum and records all votes and minutes.
e. The officers of the COMISS Network will serve as the officers of the
corporation and as such are responsible for its business and direction as
approved by the COMISS Network.
f. At-Large Members: There shall be two at-large members elected at the
Annual Forum by and from the membership groups to insure diversity.
g. Spiritual Care Week Committee Chair: The spiritual care week committee
chair will be the liaison between the COMISS Network Leadership and
the Spiritual Care Week Committee.
h. CCAPS Chair: The CCAPS Chair will be a member of the COMISS Leadership Team.
i. The COMISS Network Leadership will act on business responsibilities
between meetings of the Forum. They will:
i. Contract services
ii. Hire and annually evaluate staff
iii. Implement decisions of the Forum
iv. Be responsible for the budget
v. Engage the membership in strategic planning
vi. Establish and appoint Task Forces as needed to support the mission
and objectives.
vii. Financial Mgt
j. Terms of Service
i. The Chair and Chair-Elect will each serve one two-year term. The
Chair-Elect succeeds the Chair. If the chair position is vacated
before the end of the two year term the chair-elect will assume the
position and fill the unexpired term (and afterwards, fulfilling the
term to which s/he was elected.) An election will be held at the
next Forum to elect a succeeding chair-elect.
ii. In the interest of continuity, a nominee for Chair-Elect is selected
by the COMISS Network Leadership from the COMISS Network
Leadership or from former COMISS Network Leadership
members who have served within the last 5 years.
iii. The Secretary, Treasurer and two Members-at-Large of the
COMISS Network Leadership will serve a two-year term and may
be re-elected to one successive term.
iv. The Chair-Elect and Treasurer will be elected in odd-numbered
years; the Secretary and two At-Large members will be elected in
even-numbered years.
v. Spiritual Care Week Committee members will serve a four-year
term and may be reappointed to a second term. The Chair will serve
a four-year term and may be appointed to a second term.
vi. CCAPS Commissioners will serve three-year terms and may be
reappointed to one successive term.
vii. Individuals who are completing an unfulfilled term are eligible to
serve a two-year term and be re-elected to one successive term.
viii. The chair can appoint an individual for Secretary or Treasurer if
the position is vacated prior to the Forum.
V. COMISS Network Staff and/or Outside Services
a. The Executive Administrator
b. The Bookkeeper
VI. Standing Committees and Commissions
a. A Nominating Committee of four (4) will be nominated and elected
annually from the membership categories at the Annual Forum. They will
be responsible for the process of nominations and conducting the election.
i. Solicit names from each of the membership groups.
ii. Secure agreement to being nominated from the nominee.
iii. Prepare the slate to be mailed to the membership with registrations
packets for the Annual Forum.
iv. Conduct the election at the Annual Forum.
v. The Committee may receive nominations from the floor.
vi. They are administratively accountable to the COMISS Network
Leadership.
b. The COMISS Commission for Accreditation of Pastoral Services consists
of two members.
i. The Network Leadership will appoint two commissioners drawn
from the COMISS Network Membership, one of which will be Chair.
Network. When there is a commissioner vacancy, CCAPS will
receive applications from individuals representing the appropriate
membership group. CCAPS will then make their recommendation
to the National Leadership who will make the appointment.
ii. CCAPS will:
1. Propose and revise CCAPS standards
2. Conduct accreditation site visits of pastoral services
3. Represent the COMISS Network to external national
accrediting bodies
4. Submit an annual report to the Network
5. Recommend nominees to the Network Leadership for the
at-large commissioners from outside the Network.
iii. COMISS Network Leadership will:
1. Approve membership criteria for CCAPS
2. Appoint CCAPS commissioners. The commissioners will
elect their own chair from among themselves.
3. Approve policies, procedures, and standards of CCAPS.
4. Approve CCAPS accreditation recommendations for
pastoral services.
c. Spiritual Care Week Committee
i. The purpose of the committee is to plan and implement the annual
observance of Spiritual Care Week. A committee will be
appointed by the COMISS Network Leadership from among the
membership categories. The Spiritual Care Week observance is
intended to raise awareness of the importance of pastoral/spiritual
care. This includes, but is not limited to:
1. Determination of a theme for a three-year cycle in advance.
2. Promote and manage an opportunity for constituents to
design and submit a graphic promoting a theme.
3. Produce publicity and educational materials to support the
theme.
4. May contract with and supervise a manufacturer to supply
materials
5. May supervise sale and distribution of materials
ii. The committee will nominate its own chair with approval by the
COMISS Network Leadership.
iii. The committee will present an annual report to the Annual Forum.
VII. Amendments and revisions to the Guidelines
a. Will be developed as needed by the COMISS Network Leadership
b. Will be sent to the voting member of record of each member organization
60 days prior to the Forum.
c. Changes to the Guidelines shall be ratified by a simple majority of the
voting members present at the annual Forum.
VIII. Required Quorum
a. At the COMISS Network Leadership meetings, a simple majority (one
more than half of the Network Leadership) is sufficient to take action.
b. At the Annual Forum a simple majority of the voting members present is
sufficient to take action.