Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, and Peace Officer Ministries will host “Christian Law Enforcement Chaplaincy — Theology and Practice” May 26-29 on the seminary campus.
The workshop will offer accredited training for chaplains, peace officers, and pastors, focusing on “effective Christian ministry to — and through — law enforcement.”
Topics to be covered include adopting a sound biblical theology; understanding law enforcement as vocation; distinguishing and properly applying Law an
d Gospel and God’s “Two Kingdoms” within a law enforcement context; addressing practice, legal, historical, cultural, and missiological considerations; employing Christian stress-management and officer spiritual-survival strategies; and identifying characteristics of a competent Christian chaplain.
Main presenters for the workshop will be Rev. Steve Lee, executive director of Peace Officer Ministries Inc., a nonprofit law enforcement chaplaincy he founded in 1996, and Mike Dahmer, a former law enforcement officer and current licensed engineer with expertise in national security and counter-terrorism. Concordia Seminary faculty presenter will be Dr. Robert Kolb, mission professor of systematic theology and director of the Institute for Mission Studies.
Other presenters include William J. Becker Jr., an attorney for Becker Law Firm, Los Angeles; Dr. Dennis L. Conroy, a police psychologist and a 30-year police veteran; William G. Jones, assistant chief of the Perryville (Mo.) Police Department; Rev. Glen F. Merritt, director of disaster response with LCMS World Relief and Human Care; Dr. Tomas C. Mijares, professor of criminal justice, Texas State University, Austin; Frank Ruffatto, former detective and current chaplain with Peace Officer Ministries; and Steve Ruffatto (Frank’s brother), retired detective and adjunct professor in criminal justice, Elizabethtown College, University of Phoenix, York, Pa.
Registration for the four-day workshop is $295 and includes three breakfasts, four lunches, and two dinners. Housing is not included. LCMS World Relief and Human Care is offering scholarships to seminary students and professional church workers.
A total of three CEUs are available for full participation.
For more information, contact the seminary’s Office of Continuing Education and Parish Services at 314-505-7486 or ce@csl.edu. Or visit the seminary’s Web site at www.csl.edu.
Posted March 18, 2009
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