CMCS

Churches Ministerial Counselling Service

Eligibility Details

For details of who can receive subsidised counselling via CMCS, scroll down to see the categories for each denomination or Anglican diocese
    

Baptist Union of Great Britain

The Baptist Union of Great Britain (BUGB) offers up to 12 sessions of counselling if you are:

 

  • an Accredited minister
  • a recognised Minister-in-Training at a Baptist College
  • a Recognised Local Minister
  • a Nationally Recognised Pastor
  • a member of staff of a BUGB Specialist Team 

This is also available to adult members of your family who live at the same address.

 

If in exceptional circumstances a few more sessions are needed, this may be allowed, but only after approval by BUGB - this would be sought for you via the Area Co-ordinator, and nothing will be said to reveal your identity.


Occasionally the counselling undertaken through CMCS identifies longer term issues which may be addressed through private counselling arranged direct with your counsellor (outside CMCS). The cost of this counselling may be covered by your appointing body or you could consider applying to the Baptists Together Pastoral Fund. Details for applying for the fund can be found on the Baptists Together website 


Baptist Union of Wales

The Baptist Union of Wales (BUW) offers CMCS counselling to:

 

·       All BUW Accredited ministers,

·       All BUW students in Baptist theological colleges preparing for

BUW Accredited ministry, and

·       All staff of the Baptist Union of Wales 

 

BMS World Mission

BMS World Mission offers access to the services of CMCS to:

 

·       All members of UK staff

·       Mission personnel on home assignment or resettling in the UK

·       Mission personnel overseas (accessible via Zoom or similar)



Church of Pentecost UK

The Church of Pentecost UK offers CMCS counselling free of charge to:

 

·       Ministers and their spouses

·       Office staff and their spouses


 

Congregational Federation

The Congregational Federation offers CMCS counselling to:

Accredited Ministers and Chaplains, and those in training

 

Countess of Huntingdon's Connexion

The Countess of Huntingdon's Connexion offers CMCS counselling to:
Ministers and Lay Pastors in the Connexion

 


Diocese of Exeter

The Diocese of Exeter offers counselling through CMCS to:

 

  • Ordinands and Readers in training, licensed clergy and adult members of their family living at the same address, licensed Readers and lay workers, retired clergy (but only if licensed);
  • All employees of the Exeter Diocesan Board of Finance, and any Church Commissioner employees working for the Diocese of Exeter;
  • Widow/ers of clergy resident in the Diocese
  • Those going through the discernment process within the Diocese prior to becoming Ordinands

 

Diocese of Guildford

Guildford Diocesan Board of Finance will meet the full cost for up to 12 sessions of CMCS counselling for:

 

All stipendiary clergy in the Diocese, including curates and those working on a 'House for Duty' basis; family members are not included    


 

Diocese of Sheffield

The Diocese of Sheffield offers counselling through CMCS to:

all clergy and to Authorised Lay Ministers

 

 

Diocese of Southwark

The Diocese of Southwark offers CMCS counselling to:

 

All stipendiary clergy in the Diocese, and their spouses and other adult members of their family living at the same address

 

Clients from the diocese are not expected to make any contribution to the fees, but counselling is strictly limited to 12 sessions

 

 

Methodist Church

The Methodist Church offers CMCS Counselling to:

 

·       All ordained Methodist ministers

·       Members of the Methodist Diaconal Order

·       Probationers (both presbyteral and diaconal)  

·       Students for ordained ministry 

Also to spouses and other adult (aged 18 or over) family members
of any of the above, living at the same address


If counselling through CMCS identifies longer term issues to be
addressed through private counselling arranged direct with your
counsellor (outside CMCS)
, financial assistance may be available
from the Methodist Medical Benevolent Fund - information and an
application form can be found in the 'Ministerial Grants' section of
the Methodist Church website or by contacting the Wellbeing team

  

Moravian Church

The Moravian Church offers CMCS counselling to:

 

·       All ministers: stipendiary, non-stipendiary and retired

·       Student ministers

·       Accredited lay pastors

·       All staff of the Moravian Church



Old Baptist Union

The Old Baptist Union offers CMCS counselling to:

 

·       All ministers: stipendiary, non-stipendiary and retired;

·       student ministers and

·       accredited lay pastors

 



Racial Justice Unit of the Church of England

The C of E Racial Justice Unit (RJU) offers CMCS counselling to
Church of England clergy (and ordinands) who identify as GMH/UKME



Salvation Army

The Salvation Army offers CMCS Counselling to:

 

·       All active Salvation Army (UK) Officers and adult members of their immediate household

·       All Territorial Envoys and adult members of their immediate household

 

(This does not include: cadets, lay staff, or UK Officers serving at Salvation Army International HQ)

 


Seventh-Day Adventist Church

The Seventh-Day Adventist Church offers CMCS counselling to

people in these roles:

 

   • Ordained Minister

   • Commissioned Minister

   • Ministerial Licence

   • Commissioned Ministry of Teaching

   • Ministry of Teaching Licence

   • Senior Administrator

 

within the North England Conference or South England Conference,

or working directly for the British Union Conference in Watford;

 

also to all staff working for the Trans-European Division in St Albans

or based at the ADRA-UK office in Watford  

 

Unaffiliated Congregational Churches Charities

The UCCC will subsidise counselling through CMCS for:

Ministers, pastors and lay people who are in pastoral charge of a church on the UCCC list. Family members are not included



Union of Welsh Independents

The Union of Welsh Independents offers counselling through CMCS to:

Ministers acknowledged by the Union of Welsh Independents

 

 

United Reformed Church

The URC offers CMCS counselling to:

 

·       All ministers (stipendiary and non-stipendiary)

·       Church Related Community Workers

·       Those who have been formally accepted as students for ministry* of the United Reformed Church from the time of acceptance until ordination  

 

*Students for ministry are those who are accepted for, or are actively involved in, a recognised training course; or have competed training and are actively seeking a pastorate in which to minister.  Eligibility on these criteria may extend up to three years after the completion of initial training