(Pictured from left) Suzanne Kinard, Wayne Maurer and Julie Yeargain were commissioned by the Community of Hope International for service as lay chaplains at ETMC Henderson during a ceremony August 21, 2011. The trio completed a three-month pastoral care training program through COHI. They join four other volunteers in providing pastoral care at the hospital. If you are interested in learning more about the lay chaplaincy program at ETMC Henderson or COHI, please contact The Rev. Patsy Barham at St. Matthew's Episcopal Church at 903-657-3154.
Here is an article from the East Texas Medical Center Newsletter, written by Deleisa Johnson:
Sometimes it takes more than medicine to help heal patients and a new ministry at ETMC Henderson has taken on the mission of providing spiritual avenues and a sympathetic ear.
The new lay chaplaincy ministry at ETMC consists of Mary Colombo, John and Lynn Tieken and organizer Patsy Barham. The group is on call around the clock, 365 days a year to provide a "listening presence" to people in need. Barham said she and the volunteers will aid anyone in need including patients with chronic illnesses, and families dealing with a death in the family.
In addition to organizing the lay chaplaincy ministry, Barham has been the Priest-in-Charge at St. Matthew's Episcopal Church in Henderson for three years. In her time there, Barham discovered the need for more than just medical care.
"Most hospitals usually have individuals who care for those needs," Barham said. "I discovered there was no professional pastoral care at ETMC Henderson."
Although it has taken quite awhile to get the ball rolling, Barham believes the time was well spent.
"It did take two years, because the hospital was changing hands, but in the meantime the volunteers were training, and helping out in their communities," Barham said.
The ministry in Henderson is a local chapter of the Community of Hope International that concentrates on training lay caregivers. The training takes 16 weeks and not only concentrates on how to be a good lay chaplain, but also how to take care of themselves.
"You have to take care of yourself too, so you don't burn out," Barham said. The lay chaplains are not ordained ministers, and do not give spiritual guidance, but the help they provide will be noticeable, Barham said.
"My prediction and my hope is that the overall quality of care report will be higher, because they are also being taken care of not just on a medical level, but also a holistic level," Barham said. The team visits patients and families, and prays with them and reads scripture.
"We do what we are led to do," John Tieken said in a new release. "We always ask the patients if they want a visit or if we can pray for them. I've always flet welcome."
Barham said she doesn't believe there will be any trouble meeting all the needs of Henderson patients, but they are always looking for new volunteers.
"As long as we have people who want ministry, we will minister," Barham said.
Northwest Houston
There is a group of COH in the Northwest Area of Houston, Texas, that gets together every other month on a Monday. They meet in the morning at their various churches and have a coffee. Following the gathering time, they get into Lectio Divina for an hour or so. It causes deep reflection on the scripture that is chosen and time for contemplation. Also, topics such as current training classes, new ideas for lectures in our training modules, and information on up coming events and conferences are discussed.
In Houston, the COH is invited once a quarter to the Ruah Center at Villa De Matel, for a silent day spent in prayer and thought. These are discussed for all to learn about and then they break for a pot luck luncheon. What a time of togetherness and spiritual rejuvenation.