Church of God Chaplains Commission

As most of you know, in addition to being the Director of our International Chaplains Commission, I serve as a Professor at our Seminary. Presently, I am serving in the John D. Nichols Chair of Care and Benevolence. As part of the Seminary faculty, I have the opportunity each Fall, and sometimes during the Spring semester, to teach a basic Foundations for Life and Ministry Course. This course gives focus to the fact that “you are the problem.” It rests on the premise that there will always be sinners, people with problems coming our way; but our primary responsibility is to make sure we are mature and holistic enough to handle these problems. Our best example is that of Jesus Christ. His spiritual persona was so clean and holy that, regardless of the problem processed through Him, His problems never got hung up with “their problems.” That is our model and hope. We would hope that we resolve hidden agendas of our life, whether a sexual struggle or something as simple as unresolved anger, so that when people come to us as chaplains, they will find a holistic person through which to process their struggles and difficulties. While our academic, professional and clinical training is important, it really comes down to this fact: what people need more than anything else is a mature, well-balanced and spiritually developed individual. They do not come to us simply for good advice or healing; they come to us seeking as the woman at the well, who said of Jesus, “Behold, I have found a man.” In her destitute state, she found someone who would not take advantage of her, use her and throw her away as other men had done. She found a “man” who, even in her unbelievably sinful state, treated her with dignity, listened to her story and offered her the “water of life.” We are not looking for chaplains who can run faster than speeding bullets, leap over tall buildings or tickle the ears of the masses; we are looking for chaplains who not only have genuine altar experiences, but whose lives demonstrate maturity, integrity and all the other attributes of holiness.

NO UPDATE NEXT WEEK:

Due to staff traveling, there will not be an Update next week. Be assured, we will be keeping all our chaplains and their families in our prayers.

NEWS FROM THE FIELD:

Hospital Chaplain Bob Rudichar, Gillette, Wyoming reports, “This past month, I have had occasion to deal with 168 patients in one-on-one sessions; teach suicide prevention, intervention and postvention training; and conduct a critical incident stress foundation class. I just had 10 of our lay leaders complete a 12-hour class on mentoring. This is part of our on-going training for volunteer chaplains. I also was a part of a critical incident stress management team to Montana to conduct debriefing with a forest service fire crew.” England Prison Chaplain Donald Williams sends this testimony: “This past Sunday, I was privileged to be part of a racial justice program that brought churches together from England and Ireland. The program was designed to make us aware of the injustices we sometimes display on each other, and to highlight the fact that God has made all of us equal. During the second day of the program, many of our Pentecostal churches came together to celebrate the Azusa Street revival. It was a memorable event.” Prison Chaplain Carol Johnson, Longview, Washington reports: “We have had three deaths in our family in the past few months, to include my daughter’s father-in-law, my step-mother and my daughter’s mother-in-law. Our grandchildren are overwhelmed with the grief of our daughter and son-in-law losing both his parents so closely together. The wonderful part is the fact that both his parents accepted the Lord as their Savior before they passed away.” New Zealand CPE Supervisor/Chaplain Ray Bloomfield reports: “I just attended the New Zealand Health Care Chaplains Association Conference. There were outstanding speakers, and the conference closed with a moving communion service. Also, this past month my mother-in-law went to be with the Lord. Keep us in your prayers.” Clinical Chaplain Jerald Smith, Melbourne, Florida writes: “What a week this has been! Monday, I distributed a house-wide reflection on the significance of September 11, 2001. That night, a beloved nurse was killed and her husband injured by a hit-and-run driver. I conducted her memorial last Wednesday. Also, last week a volunteer to our hospital died. In the early hours Sunday morning, two teenage girls died less than a mile from my home. Both their moms teach at the school where my wife works. I am doing grief support work at that school this week. Additionally, a co-worker in the business office who has been undergoing treatment for cancer was given a terminal 2-6 week diagnosis. She is in her 40’s and has three children. Our hospital needs your prayers. On a note of celebration, thank God my son-in-law, Chris Hatcher, with the 101st Airborne Division, arrived home from Iraq this week! My grandson, the 14 week early lad, is doing great as well. Now Chris, my daughter, Candace, and Christian (the new baby) will get the opportunity to be a real family for awhile.” Civil Air Patrol Chaplain John Gordy, Cleveland, Tennessee gives a report of his ministry: “I just returned from a three-day exercise where we scanned and photographed every airport runway in Tennessee, bridges/plants, highways, major structures and other facilities. This was an exercise put on by TEMA-FEMA in light of the possibility of an earthquake. As you know, this area sits on one of the major earthquake faults. During the exercise, I provided worship services for our cadets and 20 aircrew personnel. My truck camper became the critical incident stress management debrief location for our crews. Through the CAP, I have had the opportunity to both take CISM courses and to teach them. The ministry is growing and requires a lot of coordination with many different faith group chaplains. It is a service to those in need.” Chaplain Ismael Ponce, Chaplaincy Coordinator for Puerte Rico, notes: “This week, I was called out due to the shooting death of a young police officer. More than 50 police agents responded to the call for emergency care. It was my duty to work with these officers who were in deep grief and anger; and to do the death notification and follow-up counseling with the family. =

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Air Force Reserve Chaplain (LTC) Jerry Millwood, who is also the pastor of Hopewell Church of God, Cleveland, Tennessee will retire from Air Force Reserve Chaplaincy on September 28, 2006 at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. He will have another ceremony at the Hopewell Church of God on October 1, 2006. Chaplain Millwood has proven, in every assignment, to be an outstanding chaplain/pastor. He has received special commendations for working with the Air Force Chief of Chaplains Office in the preparation of multimedia presentations, conferencing with chaplains around the world and other technical events. If you would like to send a note of congratulations to Chaplain Millwood and his wife, Becky, you may do so at: jlmillwood@hotmail.com. Army Chaplain (Major) Jimmy Nichols, Ft Campbell, KY is expected to return to home base from Iraq this week after a one year deployment. We have also been notified that Chaplain Nichols has been selected next year for a Residency in Family Life Ministries. Send your welcome home to the Nichols at: jimmyandpatricia@yahoo.com We were just notified that Navy Chief of Chaplains Robert Burt has been diagnosed with “Multiple Myeloma”, a blood associated cancer. Admiral Burt was our key-note speaker at the Chaplains Honor Dinner at the General Assembly. Chaplain Burt was the first ever Military Chief of Chaplains from a Pentecostal denomination, the Open Bible Churches. We are asking all of our chaplaincy family to keep Chaplain Burt and his wife, Evelyn, in your prayers.

FINALLY:

I recently met with World Missions Department personnel concerning our joint effort in making chaplaincy a household word in those countries where we have Church of God ministry. Chaplaincy works best when it is the program of the Overseer, or in the case of military chaplains, a Commander. When a Commander, Overseer or some other leadership level person lays claim to chaplaincy as a primary goal, it flourishes. Recently, the newly appointed State Administrative Bishops met in Cleveland for a time of training and consultation. We had the opportunity, through Dr. Donnie Smith, Care Division Director, to emphasize to the Bishops the importance of chaplaincy ministries within their states/regions. For example, in Virginia, Dr. Mike Baker, State Administrative Bishop, has set a goal to train every one of his pastors in our Community Service Chaplains Basic Course. He believes that the health of the local church depends on the ability of the pastor to not only pastor “a church”, but “the community.” There has never been a better day for us to spread this “chaplaincy good news” throughout the Church. Pray for our chaplains and their family members.

Sincerely,

Dr. Robert Crick

Director, Chaplains Commission

Director’s e-mail: cricksot@worldnet.att.net

Office e-mail: chapcm@bellsouth.net

Web Site/Page: www.cogchaplains.com

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