After months of working with others to try and halt or at least slow down CPSP’s descent over the past year, I’ve decided to hang it up. The organization is hemorrhaging members, and I’ve talked to many who aren’t renewing their membership after this year, which is what I’m doing. I’ve stepped down from my leadership roles and have gone from trying to steer the Titanic away from the iceberg to getting people to lifeboats.

Rather than rehash a bunch of stuff, I’m going to simply include the text of my resignation letter which I sent to Raymond Lawrence and the Governing Council of CPSP this past weekend, July 20, 2023.

To The Executive Chapter and Governing Council of CPSP,

Colleagues,

I have been a member of the College of Pastoral Supervision and Psychotherapy for several years. Since initially joining, I have served as a member, a Chapter Convener, an alternate Representative for Region 2, and served as Co-Convener for the Chapter of Chapters alongside Rita Bakr. I have been a certified Clinical Chaplain and Pastoral Counselor since 2016. I have seen and experienced amazing growth personally and professionally, and have come to treasure and appreciate my fellow chapter members who have shepherded me through so much, as well as the tireless leaders I’ve worked alongside in the Chapter of Chapters and Chapter of Diplomates.

However, I feel I must now vacate my position and resign from CPSP. This has not been a hasty decision and has been made through consultation with my chapter and other members of CPSP. My reason for this is that CPSP is no longer a viable, healthy and functioning organization. Therefore, I will be vacating my position effective July 23, 2023 and will not be renewing my membership any further.

Problems within CPSP have always been present, as they are with any major organization. However significant issues were raised in 2022 regarding the behavior of Raymond Lawrence towards members of the community. Two very important members of the organization resigned in November of 2022 because these issues were not addressed. Since that time, efforts by members of the Chapter of Chapters and the Chapter of Diplomates as well as key committee members to address these issues and others, specifically whether the current General Secretary should continue in his position, have been intentionally sidelined by members of the Executive Chapter and Raymond Lawrence. This avoidance of responsibility and accountability continues to this day. Yet this is not the only reason why I believe CPSP is not a functioning organization.

There has been no actual vote regarding current roles as set out clearly in the CPSP By-Laws (i.e., Article V, Section 5.02). The fact that the General Secretary has in effect ignored what the currently ratified and approved By-Laws state in favor of an autocratic style of governance is a significant concern and sign of dysfunction at the highest levels. Efforts to follow the By-Laws at Governing Council meetings in order to approve leaders have been subverted on multiple occasions.

CPSP’s financial standing and current balances are speculative at best. The issue of CPSP’s financial standing was raised in a March 5^th, 2023 town hall, and it has not sufficiently been addressed as of this date. Members of the Governing Council are uncertain about our finances, how much we have and where those funds are. Meanwhile, requests from Raymond Lawrence for members to pay dues have continued, in spite of folks being unable to find out how to do so or if they are paid up in a timely manner.

The current web site is still barely useable. It is impossible to find other members’ contact information, and what information is available is at times outdated or incorrect. This poses a major problem not only for our leaders and members to be in touch with one another, but to those on the outside looking for chapter information. It also has hindered the work of the Chapter Certification committee and CPSP’s own communications efforts. To have a non-functioning, out-of-date and inaccurate web site tells the world that you are not to be taken seriously. Members have reached out to Raymond Lawrence offering to fix the site, but the problems remain. Current efforts to solve the web site problem by the Executive Chapter come too little and far too late.

The current Communications Chair has not had access to the means of communication through CPSP’s email services. As a result, she has not been able to pass along important information to the CPSP body in a timely manner. Emails to the CPSP body have had to go through alternate channels such as personal email lists, other than those coming directly from Raymond Lawrence.

The General Secretary has not implemented recommendations from committees, including the Succession Committee and By-Laws committee. This has caused confusion regarding roles and authority in critical situations, including who is even on these committees, and has led to stagnation and lack of direction.

There has been a significant lack of accountability and transparency on the part of the General Secretary to the overall body of CPSP. There have been months of listening sessions, letters demanding accountability and the raising of significant concerns regarding the viability of CPSP in the future. All of these have been met with no accountability and no real action.

This organizational breakdown, as well as current and former actions of the General Secretary, have significantly impeded the work of CPSP among other professional groups. It is becoming a second-rate body when compared to newer groups such as SCA and CPEI. Many members have left CPSP entirely, or have detached from the larger body while remaining with their chapter. Others have sought dual credentialing in an effort to ensure that they can maintain certification and, in some cases, their jobs.

To summarize, the College of Pastoral Supervision and Psychotherapy is not able to follow its own system of governance, the By-Laws, and its spiritual foundational document, the Covenant. It is not a healthy, functioning organization. I can no longer recommend membership or certification within CPSP to members of my community and to those looking at professional training and certification as long as the status quo remains the status quo.

The College of Pastoral Supervision and Psychotherapy runs on the blood, sweat and tears of its volunteer leaders. I have come to know many during my time in CPSP, and their commitment to this organization and to its members is beyond anything that I have seen in other organizations. Over the past several months we have spent valuable time over weekends and evenings to try and right the ship and bail the water out as fast we can. I commend all of them in their ongoing efforts to make CPSP a healthy and relevant organization. They have tried to foster accountability and address the many needs that have been brought up by its members around the country and around the world. Unfortunately, the failures of a few at our highest levels of leadership have hindered any resolution to these concerns. Right now, for my own emotional and spiritual health, CPSP is not an organization I can continue to be a part of. I’m deeply saddened in that others must now shoulder what had been my responsibilities, and I ask for their forgiveness.

Sincerely,

Samuel Blair