Does Endorsement by BCE Mean I Have To Adopt FMZO's Specific Buddhist Practices?
No. In order for BCE to endorse you we will require that you self identify as a Buddhist and that if you are not a practicing member of FMZO then that you are an active practicing member of some Buddhist group or community. But while FMZO is rooted in Korean and Vietnamese Zen Buddhist traditions, in becoming endorsed by BCE you are not committing yourself to follow these particular Zen traditions or their practices per se.
What makes BCE unique, though, is that it will endorse any chaplain who meets our requirements regardless of the Buddhist tradition they are associate with or identify with. In this way, BCE is a true national (and international) endorsement body for all Buddhist Chaplains, particularly those chaplains whose own Buddhist groups do not support or offer endorsement.
What makes BCE unique, though, is that it will endorse any chaplain who meets our requirements regardless of the Buddhist tradition they are associate with or identify with. In this way, BCE is a true national (and international) endorsement body for all Buddhist Chaplains, particularly those chaplains whose own Buddhist groups do not support or offer endorsement.
Costs and Fees
BCE is committed to keeping costs and fees to a minimum. You may become a member of BCE even prior to gaining BCE endorsement: the fee is $50 per annum, and as a member you will have access to BCE resources. Application for endorsement is $50 and includes your first year's membership of BCE. If endorsed, then there is a $75 per annum fee to renew your endorsement each year, which includes renewal of your BCE membership, too. Once you achieve Board Certification, your fee will rise to $150 per annum for both annual endorsement renewal and BCE membership. In addition, when you apply for endorsement there is a $100 one-time fee for a background check.
