Master of
Ministry
Rev. Greta Wagner retired in April as director of pastoral care and Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) at United Church Homes’ Trinity Community. Her innovative spirit lives on in the vibrant life of Trinity Community in Beavercreek, Ohio.
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ev. Greta is among 600 pastoral educators certified by the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE). She was brought on board with UCH in September 2013 to implement the vision of Rev. Kenneth Daniel, United Church Homes president and CEO, for CPE in Trinity’s life plan community. Experiencing Trinity’s wise residents, the organizational vision of creating abundant life for those served and the collaborative Trinity team led by Laura Farrell, LHNA, she knew that Trinity was poised to nurture a robust CPE program in a nontraditional CPE setting.
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Rev. Greta received a President’s Award of Distinction for her leadership and innovation from Rev. Daniel during a retirement celebration April 5. “Greta Wagner was the right person at the right time to develop and launch our Clinical Pastoral Education program,” Rev. Daniel said. “She has the dedication and passion for the mission of CPE. Many of our students have stated that this program literally changed the direction of their lives personally and professionally.” Under Rev. Greta’s leadership, in December 2013, ACPE granted Trinity CPE status as a satellite of the Sisters of Charity Health System. Trinity attained status as an ACPE Center in its own right in May 2016.
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As CPE director and certified educator of eight CPE units at Trinity, Rev. Greta supervised 33 CPE graduates. A creative CPE curriculum to develop pastoral identity and authority included each student’s enactment of a pastoral image project. Rev. Greta identified her own pastoral image of a “midwife” as a CPE educator and instrumental presence with her students.
“ As a midwife, I am aware it is up to the student and God to decide what will be birthed,” Rev. Greta said.
