ICPCC Conference 2027: Call for Papers
ICPCC (International Council on Pastoral Care and Counselling Conference) CONFERENCE 2027
Theme: God as Maluapapa, our Shelter and Rock: Pastoral Care at the Frontiers of Climate Change and Global Transformation
Date: 22-26 August 2027
Venue: Malua, Samoa
Abstract submission email: conference@icpccnet.com
Abstract submission due date: 28 November 2026
Feedback on submitted abstracts: 28 February 2027
For more information, also use: conference@icpccnet.com
The International Council on Pastoral Care and Counselling invites proposals for ICPCC 2027 Samoa.
The conference will gather pastoral caregivers, counsellors, chaplains, theologians, educators, church
leaders, indigenous knowledge holders, climate researchers, digital education specialists and community
practitioners to reflect on pastoral care in a time of ecological, social, educational and spiritual
transformation.
The conference theme is grounded in the Samoan concept of Maluapapa. Maluapapa may be understood
through the words malu, meaning shelter, and papa, meaning rock, and is associated with Malua, the home
of Malua Theological College and the headquarters of the Congregational Christian Church Samoa. Here,
Maluapapa is received as a theological and pastoral image: God as Shelter and Rock for communities
facing climate change, ecological exploitation, human suffering, public anxiety and rapid global change.
Proposals are invited for scholarly papers, practice-based presentations, workshops, panels, community
storytelling, theological reflections, interfaith contributions and interdisciplinary dialogues. Presentations
should address one or more of the following streams.
Targeted presentation themes
| THEME | INDICATIVE PRESENTATION FOCUS |
| 1. Ecological pastoral care, climate grief and resilient communities | Presentations may address sea-level rise, cyclones, disaster recovery, climate mobility, food and water insecurity, ecological grief, youth climate anxiety, community resilience, climate lament and faith-based ecological care. |
| 2. Maluapapa, Pacific wisdom and indigenous theological resources | Presentations may explore God as Shelter and Rock, Malua as a place of theological formation, Fa‘aSamoa, land, ocean, language, ancestors, family, diaspora, indigenous knowledge, communal responsibility and Pacific contributions to global pastoral care. |
| 2. Maluapapa, Pacific wisdom and indigenous theological resources | Presentations may examine pastoral care in relation to governance transitions, constitutional questions, public trust, leadership pressure, reconciliation, civic dialogue, nonviolent communication, trauma-informed public care, churches in society and pastoral care that engages public life without partisanship. |
| 4. Teaching, AI and human dignity in Pacific education | Presentations may consider generative AI, human-centred education, academic integrity, digital equity, misinformation, deepfakes, teacher and student wellbeing, theological education, AI literacy and the protection of Pacific languages and knowledge systems. |
| 5. Fear, trauma, lament and hope amid global transformation | Presentations may focus on anxiety, grief fatigue, displacement fear, digital stress, family support, caregiver self-care, spiritual resilience, lament, meaning-making, intergenerational hope and practices of communal healing. |
The conference especially welcomes contributions that bring academic reflection into conversation with
practical pastoral care, counselling, chaplaincy, church leadership, education, community development,
climate resilience and indigenous or local knowledge. Presenters are encouraged to show how their work
contributes to pastoral care and counselling in Samoa, the Pacific and the wider world.
• Conference paper submissions: Proposal submissions should include a title, preferred stream, 250–
300-word abstract, proposed format, presenter name and affiliation, and a short biography of
approximately 100 words. Panel proposals should include a shared abstract and presenter details.
Workshop proposals should identify intended participants, learning objectives and practical outcomes.
• Submission email: conference@icpccnet.com
• Submission due date: 28 November 2026
• Feedback on submitted papers: 28 February 2027
Presentations should be designed for respectful intercultural, interdisciplinary and interfaith dialogue.
Contributors are encouraged to use language that is contextually sensitive and pastorally constructive,
especially when addressing governance, public life, trauma, climate vulnerability, indigenous knowledge
and community experience. The conference seeks to create a hospitable scholarly and spiritual space under
the image of Maluapapa: sheltered by God, grounded in place, and open to wisdom for a wounded world.
Submission details, deadlines and registration information will be circulated by the conference organising
committee. For planning purposes, presenters should indicate whether they intend to present a scholarly
paper, workshop, panel, community presentation, theological reflection or other format.
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