The Southern African Association for Pastoral Work (SAAP), which functioned from 30 May 1991 to 6 October 2017, has been transformed into the Council for Pastoral and Spiritual Counsellors (CPSC). CPSC is a specialist council of the Association of Christian Religious Practitioners (ACRP), now recognised by to the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) as a professional body.

The lengthy approval process entailed an assessment of the ACRP application, a SAQA site visit to the ACRP head office in Pretoria, a submission to the SAQA Quality and Standards Committee and, finally, submission to the SAQA Executive Committee.

It is with great joy and deep gratitude that we can report that the ACRP application for the professionalisation of Christian Religious Practitioners was approved on 6 October 2017.

In addition to CPSC, the Council for General Ministry Practitioners (CGMP) and Council for Ministry Training Practitioners (CMTP) also function under the ACRP umbrella.

All SAAP members in good standing, have been transferred to the new professional body and to our specialist pastoral counselling council and will be referred to as "affiliates" in the future.