About your CMC internship

Now that you have earned your Community Ministry Certificate you are qualified to apply for ordination by Cherry Hill Seminary if you complete this 20-hour supervised volunteer internship. The purpose of the internship is for you to apply the skills you have learned with direct service in a real-life situation, with a supervisor who can vouch for your successful completion.

Where will I carry out my internship?
You will investigate needs in your own community and inquire about the possibility of interning. Here are suggested categories for you to explore:

Ministerial work with a group of at least 5 participants.
Presentation of workshops, sermons, rituals or services.
Social advocacy work, client assistance at a community nonprofit.
Counseling or pastoral care services, social services work.
Emergency/disaster relief work.
Hospital, hospice or nursing home visits.

Do I need CHS approval?
Yes. Contact your CMC faculty-mentor by email with information about the work you wish to do, the organization that is involved, and who will supervise you and give you feedback. Once they approve it, go to the next step below.

What is the cost?
$100 for the one month module.

What if I need to take more than a month to complete my internship?
Talk about it with your faculty-mentor first. If you need more time, you will be charged for another month (as with the CMC).

Is there a CHS form to turn in at the beginning of my internship?
You must submit this form to initiate your internship BEFORE YOU START.

Does my internship supervisor have to turn in anything?
Yes. Ask your supervisor to turn in this form BEFORE YOU START.

How do I document my internship?
When you have completed your 20 hours of volunteer service, ask your supervisor to submit this evaluation of your internship.

When you are finished, and your internship supervisor has turned in the final evaluation, we will attach it to your ordination application for consideration by the Clergy Review Committee during their next round of applicant reviews.

Register for CMC internship

Certificate Programs at Cherry Hill Seminary

Community Ministry Certificate

13-month non-professional self-study with assigned faculty mentor

You are doing the hard work of serving your community – now earn your Community Ministry Certificate to fill in learning gaps and receive guidance towards your ministry goals.

13 month-long program introduces: Ethics; Pagan history and theology basics; Creating and leading ritual; Diversity & cultural understanding; Personal spiritual development; Serving people at various life stages; Group leadership; Family dynamics; Addictions; Domestic violence issues; Teaching and presenting; Developing your allies & more.

No live class meetings – all readings, web resource links and written assignments in our online classroom, periodic meetings with an assigned Seminary faculty mentor. With good internet access you can do this from anywhere in the world, any time of the day, 24/7.

Want More Information?

The Frequently Asked Questions page covers cost, learning format, what to expect and how to get started.

Read the reflections of students who have completed the course to gain more insight.

More questions? Contact Us

Ready to get started?

Apply to the Community Ministry Certificate Program

Student Testimony:

Rewilding the Soul Ecospirituality Certificate

March to February certificate, live meetings

The ReWilding the Soul EcoSpirituality Certificate guides participants in rediscovering their sacred connection with the living Earth and developing earth-based spiritual practices that transform both personal life and community engagement. Through seasonal modules aligned with nature’s rhythms, participants cultivate deep ecological relationship, embody earth wisdom, and emerge as grounded spiritual practitioners capable of guiding others into reverent relationship with the more-than-human world.

This transformative journey moves participants from disconnection to deep belonging, from spiritual seeking to embodied earth practice, and from personal healing to community service—all while honoring the ancient wisdom that we are not separate from nature, but intimately woven into the sacred web of all life.

Want More Information?

The Frequently Asked Questions page covers cost, learning format, what to expect and how to get started.

More questions? Contact Us

Ready to get started?

Apply to the Rewilding the Soul Ecospirituality Certificate

Spiritual Direction (SpiDir) Certificate

24-month professional certificate, live meetings

Spiritual direction is a process which has been offered within faith traditions as a part of formation for religious professionals and selected lay leaders.

During the last fifteen years training has shifted from small, independent programs to comprehensive programs housed in or affiliated with learning institutions such as Cherry Hill Seminary. Our program equips students to practice with seekers of a variety of (and no) spiritual identities. This CHS program is an opportunity to deepen and grow as a human, expand and clarify your faith formation, and level up as a spiritual care provider.

Participants receive their Spiritual Direction Certificate upon successful fulfillment of the requirements of the 24-month program. Upon completion of the program, participants will be credentialed Spiritual Companions, able to ‘hang out a shingle’ as a qualified and professionally recognized spiritual director/companion. Participants can list themselves on the Spiritual Directors International directory and upon completion of the program, participants with UU affiliation (UUSCM or other) also meet the criteria for becoming a part of the UU Spiritual Direction Network.

The Frequently Asked Questions page covers cost, learning format, what to expect and how to get started.

More questions? Contact Us

Ready to get started?

Apply to the Spiritual Direction Certificate Program

Writing as a Spiritual Practice Certificate

12-month non-professional, live meetings

Is writing your chosen creative expression? Want to explore how it can also be your spiritual expression?

The Certificate of Writing as a Spiritual Practice is a year of developing your writing in all the ways it is rooted in and reveals itself spiritually: Nature writing, short fiction, poetry and prayer, playwriting for ritual, and writing for children.

Students have weekly individual meetings with the instructor as well as group critique meetings. By the end of the course, each participant will produce at least one piece suitable for publication in a Cherry Hill Seminary Anthology of Spiritual Writing.

The Frequently Asked Questions page covers cost, learning format, what to expect and how to get started.

More questions? Contact Us

Ready to get started?

Apply to the Writing as a Spiritual Practice Certificate Program

Announcing Ordination for Cherry Hill Seminary Graduates

Posted on September 26, 2025November 3, 2025

Columbia, S.C. — Cherry Hill Seminary will accept applications for Seminary ordination its program graduates, by vote of the Board of Directors.

Board Chair Dana Doerksen said, “Cherry Hill Seminary is proud to establish a clear path to ordination, ensuring that our graduates’ rigorous education and formation are recognized in a way that reflects their study and preparation. This initiative affirms our commitment to preparing qualified Pagan clergy who will serve their communities with integrity and professional accountability.”

Cherry Hill Seminary students who have received their Master of Divinity degree, Community Ministry Certificate, or Spiritual Direction Certificate are eligible to apply for ordination by the Seminary. Ordination signifies a commitment to serving others using the knowledge and skills gained in these programs, as well as demonstration of personal integrity, and approval by the Clergy Review Committee.

The Clergy Review Committee is composed of experienced ministers from our faculty and is independent from Seminary administration. It will meet twice yearly, as needed, to review applicants. Applicants must be interviewed by the committee. Those accepted will be ordained in a virtual ceremony by the Seminary.

Applicants who have received their Community Ministry Certificate must also complete an additional month of supervised internship with a local organization. Their CMC faculty-mentor will guide them through placement in and completion of that internship. A key element of all applications is agreement with the Cherry Hill Seminary Clergy Ethical Code.

Rev. Dr. Robert Patrick, a faculty member who also serves on the Ordination Review Committee noted, “Pagan practitioners are very often solitary and not part of a highly organized community. They may be associated with international organizations without a local affiliate. For Cherry Hill Seminary to become an ordaining institution means that it embodies the needed spiritual community that stands behind the act and practice of ordained ministry.”

Those wishing to apply may find more detailed information at this link, including an application form. Applicants will be reviewed twice annually, and must apply for renewal every five years.

Cherry Hill Seminary serves Pagan and Nature-based communities by providing transformative education and empowering students to advance academically and lead spiritually. For more information contact CHS@cherryhillseminary.org, or leave a voice mail at 1-803-862-9088.

Ordination

The Ordination Review Committee is composed of experienced ministers from our faculty and is independent from Seminary administration. It will meet twice yearly, as needed, to review applicants. Applicants must be interviewed by the committee. Those accepted will be ordained in a virtual ceremony by the Seminary.

Applicants will provide, as part of their application:

Agreement with Cherry Hill Seminary Values and Clergy Ethical code.
Essay on why the desire to be ordained, how it will enhance the applicant’s ministry, and who the applicant anticipates serving.
Documentation of internship requirements.*
3 letters of recommendation (new, not from original student application; just provide email for your references on the application form and CHS will contact them).
$300 fee (which will include a full national criminal, state criminal and sex offender registries background check ordered by the Seminary).

Internship Requirements

Master of Divinity – Degree requirements include a semester-long supervised
Spiritual Direction Certificate – Year 2 of the program includes a required trial practice with formal supervision.
Community Ministry Certificate – Applicants who have received their Community Ministry Certificate must also complete an additional month of supervised internship with a local organization. Their CMC faculty-mentor will guide them through placement in and completion of that internship. The CMC applicant will be responsible for payment of regular CMC monthly tuition during the internship. more info here

To maintain ordained status, individuals must renew their application every five years. Note that ordination does not imply employment of any kind. Cherry Hill Seminary holds no liability for incidents involving a Seminary graduate following ordination, has a formal review process for complaints, and reserves the right to revoke an ordination.

Review the Cherry Hill Seminary Values and Clergy Ethical code

Apply for ordination

Calendar

Jun 30 Deadline for applicants for ordination in fall

Jul 1-Aug 30 Subcommittee review and interviews period

Sep 1 Deadline to submit recommended ordinands to CHS office

Sep 20 Virtual ordination ceremony around time of autumn equinox

Dec 31 Deadline for applicants for ordination in spring

Jan 1-Feb 28 Subcommittee review and interviews period

Mar 1 Deadline to submit recommended ordinands to CHS office

Mar 20 Virtual ordination ceremony around time of vernal equinox