Abstract
The religion and health movement beginning at the turn of the twentieth century contributed to Clinical Pastoral Education and the specialized ministry of Pastoral Counseling. Until the early 1950s this educational opportunity and form of ministry was more accessible to white American clergypersons and their parishioners. The African-American Community lagged in gaining knowledge of this new phenomenon and its resulting benefits. Two elements were needed to facilitate this process: clergypersons educated and trained in the latest pastoral theory and methods, and an institution prepared to undergird and nurture the process for the Community. These conditions were met after newly established Interdenominational Theological Center (ITC) made Thomas Jefferson Pugh, a recent graduate of Boston University, a member of the faculty.