the comiss network

What the comiss network does

The COMISS Network is a national non-profit membership organization founded in June 1979 (originally as the Council on Ministry in Specialized Settings) that convenes stakeholders across the chaplaincy, pastoral care, and pastoral counseling professions. It serves 40+ member organizations grouped into five categories: Professional Accreditation/Certification Organizations, Religious Endorsing Bodies, Professional Pastoral Care Organizations, Chaplain/Pastoral Counselor Employing Organizations, and Academic/Educational Institutions, plus a 'Friends of COMISS' pathway for prospective members. Its core products are the Annual Forum (held in January, with both in-person at $250 and virtual Zoom attendance at $200), Spiritual Care Week (October 18-24, raising public awareness of pastoral/spiritual care), CCAPS accreditation of pastoral services, the COMISS Medal (its highest recognition, modeled on the Nobel Prize design), and annually revised COMISS Network Guidelines governing membership standards.

The organization operates with minimal infrastructure — only two paid positions, an Executive Administrator and a Bookkeeper — with all other governance handled by a volunteer Leadership Team of elected officers and at-large members rotating on staggered two-year terms. It is funded through annual membership dues, a $100 non-refundable application fee (credited toward first-year dues if accepted), Forum registration fees, and CCAPS accreditation fees. No proprietary technology platform, app, or API is operated; member-facing activity is delivered through the website (comissnetwork.org), email correspondence, the annual Forum, and partner-hosted venues (e.g., the 2026 Forum at the Seventh-day Adventist Church World Headquarters in Silver Spring, MD).

The network is positioned as the only national multi-stakeholder forum spanning certification, endorsement, employment, academia, and professional associations in pastoral care. Its value proposition is structural convening power and standards advocacy (via CCAPS) rather than technology or scale economics. Revenue is undisclosed and the operating footprint is small and stable, reflecting a mature non-profit association model rather than a venture-scalable enterprise.

Name

the comiss network

Legal name

COMISS Network

Website

https://comissnetwork.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The COMISS Network is a national non-profit membership organization founded in 1979 that convenes 40+ chaplaincy, pastoral care, and pastoral counseling stakeholder organizations across five categories. It operates the annual Forum, Spiritual Care Week observance, CCAPS accreditation program, and COMISS Medal award.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association and Pastoral Care Networking

NAICS

Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139), Religious Organizations (81311)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHAHACAA

Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies)

Travel & Hospitality/MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Exhibitions)/Professional Conference Organizers (PCOs) & Meeting Planners

Keywords

• Chaplaincy professional network
• Pastoral care membership organization
• Spiritual care accreditation
• Interfaith pastoral counseling
• Clergy endorsement forum

Headquarters

HQ city

Silver Spring

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership dues from five categories of member organizations including certification bodies, endorsing bodies, pastoral care organizations, employing organizations, and academic institutions.
2. Forum Registration Fees: In-Person attendance: $250; Virtual attendance via Zoom: $200. Annual Forum meeting provides education, networking, and business meeting for member organizations.
3. Membership Application Fee: Non-refundable application fee of $100, which is applied toward first year's membership dues if accepted.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The COMISS Network is a national nonprofit membership organization that convenes chaplaincy, pastoral care, pastoral counseling, religious endorsing, employing, and academic stakeholder organizations for networking, dialogue, and advocacy. It operates the annual COMISS Network Forum, houses the CCAPS accreditation commission for chaplaincy services, and coordinates the annual Spiritual Care Week observance to raise public awareness of pastoral and spiritual care.

Product overview

The COMISS Network is a national organization offering a portfolio of networking, advocacy, and accreditation services for the pastoral care and chaplaincy profession. The core offerings include the annual COMISS Network Forum for member education and business meetings, Spiritual Care Week for public awareness, and CCAPS accreditation for chaplaincy services. Additional offerings include the COMISS Medal as the highest honor in the field, membership services providing networking opportunities, and the COMISS Network Guidelines for governance. Together these services support multi-faith spiritual care through chaplaincy and pastoral counseling in specialized settings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CCAPS: The COMISS Commission for Accreditation of Pastoral Services, which establishes standards and assesses quality of chaplaincy services provided to patients, clients, families, visitors, and employees within organizations.
• Spiritual Care Week
• COMISS Medal

Products and services

• COMISS Network Annual Forum Annual member meeting providing education, networking, and information sharing for pastoral care and chaplaincy organizations, including business meetings for reports, budget adoption, and officer elections. In-person attendance is $250 and virtual attendance via Zoom is $200.
• Spiritual Care Week Annual public-awareness observance planned by COMISS Network to highlight the importance of pastoral and spiritual care, with themes, educational materials, and member outreach.
• CCAPS Accreditation (COMISS Commission for Accreditation of Pastoral Services) Voluntary accreditation program establishing standards and assessing the quality of chaplaincy services provided within healthcare, correctional, and other employing organizations, housed by the COMISS Network.
• COMISS Medal Highest honor given by the COMISS Network, recognizing individuals who have made significant contributions to the international spiritual and pastoral care and counseling movement.
• Organizational Membership Annual membership program providing organizations across five categories with networking, dialogue, advocacy, and relationship-building opportunities to empower and promote the profession of pastoral care and counseling in specialized settings. New members apply with a non-refundable $100 application fee applied toward the first year's dues if accepted.

Named customers10 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• World Headquarters of the Seventh-day Adventist ChurchcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 January 2026Hosting the 2026 Annual COMISS Network Forum on January 12, 2026 at their headquarters in Silver Spring, MD. The Forum theme is 'COMISS ABC's: Awareness, Balance, Collaboration' celebrating the 40th year of Spiritual Care Week.
• Chaplaincy Innovation Lab (Brandeis University)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResource partner providing research, teaching, and support for spiritual care in various settings. Listed as a resource on the COMISS Network website.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Association of Professional Chaplains: A COMISS member and the leading US professional association for certified chaplains; directly comparable as a membership-driven chaplaincy organization serving overlapping professional audiences.
• Association for Clinical Pastoral Education: A COMISS member and the primary accreditor of clinical pastoral education programs; directly comparable as an association at the intersection of chaplaincy training, certification, and standards.
• Health Care Chaplaincy Network: A COMISS member and a major nonprofit focused on chaplaincy research, education, and spiritual care in healthcare settings; directly comparable in mission and member category.
• National Association of Catholic Chaplains: A US association certifying Catholic chaplains; comparable as a faith-rooted professional chaplaincy organization with certification, advocacy, and member services.
• Spiritual Care Association: An interfaith, multidisciplinary membership organization for spiritual care providers; directly comparable as a broad chaplaincy membership body with credentialing offerings.
• College of Pastoral Supervision and Psychotherapy: A peer chaplaincy credentialing organization with accredited training programs; comparable as an alternative certification body serving pastoral counselors and chaplains.
• American Association of Pastoral Counselors: A national professional membership association for pastoral counselors; directly comparable in scope, member services, and pastoral-care mission.
• National Association of Jewish Chaplains: A faith-based professional chaplaincy association; comparable as a religious endorsing and member-services body within COMISS's stakeholder universe.

Emerging players

• Association of Certified Christian Chaplains: A faith-rooted chaplaincy credentialing organization with overlapping but narrower scope; comparable as a member of COMISS's broader certification ecosystem.
• Chaplaincy Innovation Lab (Brandeis University): A research and resource partner already listed on COMISS's website; comparable as an adjacent academic-driven organization supporting chaplaincy evidence base and field innovation.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/comiss-network

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about the comiss network