Religious and spiritual leaders are often an early point of contact for people who have had a near-death experience. They also must meet continuing education requirements. IANDS offers several resources that may be helpful.
- Interfaith Clergy Group – We offer an Interfaith Clergy Group that brings clergy from a variety of faiths together for mutual support as they serve people in need of counsel, support, and information.
- Christian Clergy Group – IANDS runs a private sharing group specifically for Christian clergy engaged in counseling, supporting, and educating people about near-death experiences. For information about the group, complete this interest form.
- Jewish Experience Group — IANDs runs a sharing group for those in or from a Jewish community who have had near-death or similar experiences or are interested in them. Non-Jewish people are also welcome to join us as well to learn about Jewish perspectives.
- Annual Conference – The IANDS Annual Conference offers clergy and other spiritual leaders the chance to learn, connect and feel supported and inspired.
- Continuing Education – According to Manuals of Spiritual Care, certified chaplains must document 50 hours of Professional Development (PD) per year (20 hours of Spiritual Growth, 20 hours of Continuing Education & Supervision, 10 hours of Research). Each professional body has a form to record these hours. Many churches also require continuing education to further develop present skills and knowledge, which can include near-death experience education through IANDS programming. More information on continuing education is available here.