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Hi, everyone: Just wondering if there are any good resources online or elsewhere for someone to figure out what they're even qualified to do. I ask because I've reached burnout with adjuncting. I've got two terminal degrees with honors from good universities (not that that matters outside of academia) and 8 years experience in higher ed with a couple of years in government (doing human rights advocacy) and church. Because I haven't published a book yet and I don't have a PhD, I haven't had much luck finding a secure teaching job with a sustainable wage, and because I'm not ordained (yet--though I'd like to change that), I haven't had much luck finding a church positions. My plan for now is to move closer to home (I came far from family for my MFA) and work on seeing if I'm priest material/hopefully doing some chaplain-ing, but until then I need to figure out what sorts of jobs I'm eligible for that would pay the bills. My educational and professional backgrounds are in English/writing, religion/ministry and LGBTQ+ interests. Lots of teaching, lots of proofreading/editing/publishing, and ministry/activism. I used LinkedIn, Glassdoor, Indeed and various others but have not found them to be super helpful, but whether that's the platform or because my skills are not in high demand is another question. I went to the career center and spoke with a career advisor at both my master's programs' respected universities but did not find a great deal of specifics, though I received good "you're worth something and you can do it" pep talks. All ideas welcome and appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Hi, everyone: I had some questions (mostly pragmatics) regarding CPE for any of you who've gone through it. I finished my M.Div. in 2011. I moved back home--a couple states away--and fell into a vocational black hole. I moved halfway across the country after a couple of years when offered a job, and I've been teaching English up here since. I think I've been running from "the call" for a while now, and I'm feeling curious about chaplaincy. But I'm having a hard time navigating the ACPE site and understanding the requirements. Some chaplain friends of mine said that some programs require--for a year-long stipended residency--one or two units of CPE already under your belt. But they also said some don't. In divinity school, we had two units of ministerial internships in which we had weekly meetups with a group to share case studies and reflections, much in the way one does in CPE. I was a chaplain on the university's campus. I wasn't sure if that might count. I'm concerned that I'm not in a financially secure enough position to add CPE to my schedule if it's not stipended, but am wondering how others managed their situations. I certainly wish I were. One final question: do you have thoughts or suggestions re: the type of CPE program? I've heard that in addition to hospital/hospice positions, there are parish-based opportunities, opportunities to work with the aged/elderly, and opportunities to work with folks with disabilities. All of these sound especially appealing to me. Thanks in advance for your time and thoughts. Most grateful.

Hi everyone, I've recently graduated with my MDiv (Master of Divinity) from Vanderbilt and am considering options. Since undergrad, I've been drawn to the areas of English and religion (I majored in English, writing, philosophy and religion and minored in global studies). I feel deeply called to ordained ministry but am seeking to root myself in a progressive diocese for several years before starting the ordination process. Several of my theology professors encouraged me to enroll in an MFA or a PhD in English program in the meantime, so I thought I'd seek the advice of my peers. I would like a career that allows me a foot in the Church and a foot in the academy. I would also like to assist my future parishioners and audiences outside the Church in plumbing the depths of texts outside canonical scripture (i.e. Dante's Divine Comedy, the writings of C.S. Lewis, and even works that aren't overtly "Christian"). I want to write creatively from a space within the Episcopal Church. However, rather than writing dense theological essays, I find it much easier to lay down my theology by way of the fictional narrative. I want my writings to challenge the easy answers and dogma offered by much of today's Christian literature. I also admire the practices of lectio divina and scriptio divina and want them to make them more accessible for others. My areas of study include Christian social ethics, constructive Christian theology, LGBT issues and existentialism. Anyway, after all this rambling, here are some questions I have: * Considering my vocational goals, would an MFA, a PhD in English literature or a joint MFA/PhD program (I know Cornell has one but am not sure how common this is) be more suitable? * If a PhD program is best, should I seek one requiring a more academic dissertation or a creative dissertation? I would love to hone my creative writing skills but am also aware that one does not need a degree in creative writing in order to do this. * Are there any particular programs that would offer faculty with backgrounds in religious and philosophical literature? Or any in general that would be a good fit? * What programs would offer decent funding? I'd like a respectable program, but considering that I plan to primarily end up in ministry, do not want to get into too much debt. * Would my MDiv and interest in the intersection between religion and literature make me a unique candidate or prove problematic while applying? I know many schools are interested in students integrating disciplines but want to avoid any misconceptions.

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Hi everyone: As of last month I'm graduated with my MDiv--however, my vocational plans (as they are wont to do) got switched around a bit. I went to div school thinking I wanted to do PhD work and then got bitten by the ministry bug. This final year--after much discernment--I decided that I felt called to the Episcopal Church (instead of the UMC in which I grew up) and am in the confirmation process. This means that I will probably need to get a Certificate in Anglican Studies to place me on the ordination track. I'm thus looking for a job that can pay rent and put food on the table until I complete confirmation and get a glowing enough recommendation from my clergy to advance me into this certificate program. I have not had much luck thus far, despite that my degree comes from a top-ranked university in my field. Likely because a lot of my experience is in the area of LGBTQ rights and my degree is in ministry. I also have experience as an administrative assistant, working in a library and as a chaplain. Any thoughts or advice? Should I look for jobs on campus at my old university? What jobs can I make an MDiv look suited for? Are there any websites that are more helpful than others with job listings? I'm starting to feel the financial pull because--since I graduated in December--I'm on a month-to-month payment plan at my apartment complex and it is blood-pressure-raisingly expensive. You have no idea how grateful I am for whatever help you can provide.

Next year I will be applying to Ph.D/Th.D programs in the New Testament ballpark and was wondering if real life experience carries any weight in the admission process. My academic stats are decent. I have language education/experience in Spanish, Mandarin, Koine Greek, and Hebrew. I am completing a Masters program with a thesis. However, I also have 12 years experience in pastoral and cross-cultural ministry. I realize that we are not talking about an undergrad application which is spruced up by being president of the Mock U.N., but do admissions folks consider anything other than "fit", GPA, GRA, SOP, LoR?