Chaplains Commission Weekly Update
Saturday, February 9, 2008 at 6:05 pm
Choice Christian greetings!
In the recent Evangel issue, the ministries of Dr. Hugh Nelson, pastor of the East Flatbush Church of God, Brooklyn, New York was featured. Dr. Nelson has, for the past 15 years or so, been a great supporter of chaplaincy ministries. As pastor of one of our growing churches, with more than 1400 in Sunday worship services, Dr. Nelson truly caught the vision of ministry “beyond the gates.” In addition to sponsoring several chaplaincy courses, his trained “army” of chaplains manages a food bank, feeding and clothing distribution center which, just in one area, serves 4,800 meals each month to those of need within the surrounding community. Additionally, Dr. Nelson has been one of our partners in establishing chaplaincy ministries through the New York Theological Seminary and other critical areas in New York City. Dr. Nelson is a great example of how chaplaincy, evangelism, outreach and education become partners in reaching an entire community. In April, the Church of God Chaplains Commission, under the sponsorship of Dr. Nelson and the East Flatbush Church, will offer a Basic Community Service Chaplaincy Course and a Specialized Course in Drug and Alcohol Addiction. This partnership with chaplaincy ministries began when Dr. Nelson was pastoring in Canada; now, it is flourishing in one of the most significant churches found anywhere. The Chaplains Commission ministries are undergirded by these strong relationships. Such relationships are based on shared ministry vision, integrity and especially good training. If you would like to learn more about the way in which chaplaincy ministries thrive within the local church context, contact our office and we will put you in contact with individuals and chaplaincy partners of the caliber of Dr. Nelson.
SPECIAL PRAYER NEEDS:
1. Continue to pray for our military chaplains in Iraq, Afghanistan and other critical areas; also, for the military personnel they serve and the families left behind.
2. Hospital Chaplain Harold Sundgren, Dickinson, North Dakota, sends this prayer request: “With conviction, I am asking you to pray for female inmates throughout the country. Recently, a woman was released from one of our local prisons after being given a few dollars, even though she begged them not to release her alone to the streets. As you would suspect, in a drunken stupor, she called the police and begged them to take her back to prison. I felt touched and attempted to find a half-way house for this destitute individual. To my amazement, there was no one who wanted these people living next to them. This is a sad state; we need prayer!”
3. Chaplain Mark Allred, Fort Mill, South Carolina, reports: “Pray forDavid and Linda, a wonderful couple whose 18 year-old son was killed in an automobile accident, along with a 17 year-old friend. Eight years ago, my wife and I lost a son at the age of 21; so we understand the pain and loss this couple is experiencing. During their grief, they have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord.”
4. Airport Chaplain Fred Dettwiller, Nashville, Tennessee, sent this prayer request: “Pray for the family of Lieutenant Virgil Hubbow. Lieutenant Hubbow died suddenly from a heart attack.”
5. French Chaplain Michel Layes requests prayer for their son, Jonathan; who, as Chaplain Layes reports, “Is now paralyzed and immobile.” Chaplain Layes and his wife, Danielle, have been taking care of this adult son for many years. As a result of a difficult surgery, he was left in this handicapped state. Like other families with deep commitment and integrity, they see the care of their son as their primary ministry. Chaplain Layes is a long-term French Armed Forces chaplain; and will retire shortly with full honors.
6. Keersti, wife of Navy Chaplain (LT) Brian Jacobson, Joppa, Maryland, recently experienced a 5 ½ hour surgery. This is one of a dozen major surgeries Keersti has experienced over the past several years. In addition to recovering from surgery, this family has experienced separation due to deployments and sea duty; but they have not wavered from their faith. Brian states: “I want to thank my chaplaincy family for their phone calls, flowers and cards. It is so good to know that we have support for this and every crises.”
7. Chaplains Commission Board Member Tommy Powell, pastor of the Harvest Temple Church of God, Griffin, Georgia, requests that we pray for his brother, Donny Powell, who deployed to Iraq last week. Donny is retired from the military; but now works with the Marines at a logistics base. As you know, we have thousands of civilians in Iraq; and they, like the Soldiers, put their lives on the line every day.
8. Law Enforcement Chaplain Mitchell McClure, pastor of the Middle Valley Church of God in Hixson, Tennessee, reports: “Remember in prayer a family that recently lost a father in a tragic automobile accident. There are five children in the family, some very young. I was called to the accident to make the death notification. Shortly after I arrived on the scene, the wife and mother of the victim appeared. This is a family that is heavily involved in our community. Some of the family members belong to the Church of God. This illustrates how important it is for the Church of God to have law enforcement and other first responder chaplains.”
9. Law Enforcement Chaplain John Hudnall, Woodland, California, sends this prayer need: “Last week, I was called to minister to a woman who had recently been released from the hospital with a clean bill of health. Less than 24 hours later, she passed away to be with the Lord. I had the privilege of ministering to her husband and other family members as they kept asking, Why? Also, I ministered to the husband and 14 year-old son of a 52 year-old woman who collapsed suddenly and died. She wasn’t found for several hours because of the extreme darkness of the area at the side of their house where she collapsed. The husband kept blaming himself for not getting a flashlight and thoroughly searching for her sooner. The family did not seem to want a chaplain around; but they need our prayers.”
10. Community Service Chaplain Marlene Giordano, Bellevue, Nebraska, sends this report: “A father, in his 80s, was a healthy man until a few months ago when he was told he needed a hip replacement. For many complicated reasons, the surgery was put off time and again. He was in so much pain; he kept a daily journal with his last entry reading, I am sorry, I cannot take the pain any more. He committed suicide. I am ministering to the family by listening and holding them.”
11. Army Chaplain (CPT) Everett Franklin, Fort Rucker, Alabama, tells us that their daughter, Lindsey, has recently been diagnosed with epilepsy. He is asking us to pray for her for complete healing.
12. Army Chaplain (CPT) Daniel Claypoole, Fort Campbell, Kentucky, requests we pray for his father and grandmother. They were injured in an automobile accident. He states that his dad also has diabetes. On another note, Chaplain Claypoole tells us that he recently led a marriage enrichment day for Soldiers in his battalion. The event was held at the Clarksville Church of God, with the assistance of Pastor Paul Nolan, Dr. Oliver McMahan and Chaplain (MAJ) Isaiah Gillette.
13. Chaplain (COL) Charles Howell, Walter Reed Medical Center, Washington, D.C., requests that we pray for Chaplain (CPT) Jeremiah Catlin, aged 32, married with two daughters. He has cancer with a life expectancy of only two years.
MILITARY CHAPLAINCY NEWS:
1. Air Force Chaplain (Capt) Jonathan Hurt, San Antonio, Texas, reports: “I had the great honor of leading our Martin Luther King, Jr. worship service. There were 165 in attendance. I also preach every week to 750 basic military training students in an interfaith service.”
2. Air Force Chaplain (Capt) Lance Giannone, San Antonio, Texas, has just been awarded the “Company Grade Officer of the Year” for the year 2007 for Headquarters Air Force Recruiting Service. We send our sincere congratulations to Chaplain Giannone and his family.
INSTITUTIONAL/INTERNATIONAL CHAPLAINCY NEWS (hospitals, prisons, college campuses, industry, etc:
1. Hospital Chaplain Timothy Cranfill, San Antonio, Texas, has recently been promoted from his current position to the Director of Pastoral Care at Southeast Baptist Hospital. We send our congratulations to Chaplain Cranfill and his family.
2. Chaplain Courtney Griffin, Newport News, Virginia, reports: “God recently led me to minister to a local salon where one young woman has rededicated her life to the Lord; prior to that meeting, two young women accepted Jesus as their Savior during a Bible study.”
3. Fire Department Chaplain David Shepherd, Horse Cave, Kentucky, was recently honored by his local fire department for completing more than 100 hours of fire training during the year 2007.
4. Jail and Prison Chaplain Lee James, Longview, Washington, sent this report: “On Super Bowl Sunday, I had a great day at the jail. During the worship service, 55 men came to the altar to give their hearts to the Lord!”
5. Veterans Affairs Chaplain Thomas Mills, Danville, Illinois, sends this testimony: “One of our Veterans has been struggling for a year with what the medical team calls Auditory Hallucinations. Voices keep telling him to commit suicide. I organized a meeting with other chaplains to pray for him. Our prayer group included a Catholic Priest, Assembly of God minister and me. We anointed him with oil and prayed for him. We each also prayed individually for him. As soon as the prayers ended, the patent looked up with clarity in his eyes and said, the voices are gone! We give God praise in that it has been a week and he continues to give the same testimony!”
6. Many of our chaplains have developed fantastic local church chaplaincy ministries. One of the most effective is Clinical Chaplain Joseph Schuck’s ministry called “Our Kingdom Ambassador Chaplaincy Program. He states, “I am amazed at how easily accepted some of our chaplains have been by the local institutions and area businesses. We now have chaplains at most of the local health institutions, to include nursing homes and assisted living centers. Several of our chaplains are serving in businesses. It seems our culture, which at times is so anti-religious, is spiritually hungry. It is our hope to spread these chaplaincy programs throughout Alabama through our State Chaplains Association.”
7. International Chaplain Paul Stockard, also missionary to Paraguay, sends this report: “Rhonda and I are continuing to enjoy the blessings of the Lord. We would ask you to continue to pray for the Children of the Dump Ministries. Through a recent foundation grant, we are able to expand these ministries, assuring these precious children will continue to get physical and spiritual needs met. Some of the children have been with us since they were three years old, now going into the upper grades. Satan would destroy these children; but God is their Savior! I recently taught a Community Service Chaplaincy Basic Course in Uruguay. We had 144 students complete the course; many of them police, military, nurses and other emergency service personnel. The response to our chaplaincy training in South America is overwhelming. We are currently planning three additional courses for Chile.”
FINALLY:
When the Chaplains Commission began in 1978, we had only a handful of chaplains, very few at the senior level. Today, Church of God chaplains are serving at the top levels of the military; director chaplaincy programs at hospitals and prisons; have their own private counseling centers; a number who lead medium sized and large foundations and chaplaincy regional endeavors, as well as a number of chaplains in specialized areas of alcohol and drug addiction, pediatrics, cancer treatment centers and other unique areas. If we were to receive a call for a chaplain trained in some most unusual, specialized area, most likely we could respond immediately with several contacts. One of our chaplains, Army Chaplain (COL) David Smartt, in his new assignment, will literally be responsible for hundreds of chaplains and millions of dollars of chaplaincy resources and facilities. In addition to being an outstanding, hands-on chaplain, Chaplain Smartt has M/Div, MBA and PhD degrees in specialized management and leadership areas. Across the world, we have many chaplains who have similar Doctorate Degrees in specialized ministries areas. God has blessed the Church of God with an outstanding team of professionals who are deeply committed to Pentecostal faith and practice. Two characteristics, among many, make this unique ministry group a valuable asset to the Church of God. First, they are thoroughly Pentecostal; secondly, they are 100% professional. They believe that those with the deepest needs, regardless of their status or place in life, deserve the best. May God continue to keep our chaplaincy ministries strong; they are gifts from the Lord for times such as these.
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
RDC/vja
Categories: Weekly Update
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