ACRP was established in 2014 by a representative group of ministry practitioners, representing churches and church networks, other ministry institutions, faculties of theology, seminaries and other training institutions, and chaplaincies. The initiative to bring the parties together went out from the Centre for Contextual Ministry at the University of Pretoria and Bible Media in Wellington, South Africa, and from the then Southern African Association Pastoral Workers (SAAP).

The establishment of the organisation was partly in response to challenges related to ministry standards and ministry training, as experienced by many Christian churches and ministries in South and sub-Saharan Africa. The need of the pastoral care and counselling profession for professional recognition through an Act of Parliament also played a major role in the formation of ACRP.

Since its establishment in 2014, ACRP’s management led the process to prepare the application to be recognised by SAQA as professional body. The application was submitted in October 2016 and in 2017 ACRP was formally recognised and registered by SAQA as professional body for religious professionals, in terms of the NQF Act 67 of 2008.

Currently there are three Councils within ACRP, namely the Council for General Ministry Practitioners (CGMP), the Council for Pastoral and Spiritual Counsellors (CPSC, the former SAAP) and the Council for Ministry Training Practitioners (CMTP).

Read a short summary of the history of ACRP.