Preaching? Evangelism? What is your concept of workplace chaplaincy?
"Salt and light" is how Jesus himself describes the role of believers in the world we live in. Sure we can be salt and light to a certain degree within the church but these characteristics are clearly in reference to our lives outside the four walls of what many call the church.
I have personally been "working" as a chaplain for 4 years in the secular world. During that time I have come to the conclusion, rightly or wrongly, that church leaders have very little appreciation for this work. This then filters down to church members who probably aren't even aware that there is such work going on in the marketplace. Let me be clear that we are not talking about police, hospital or military chaplains: we are talking about chaplains in the workplace where companies build windows and cars and where employees have issues that require more than a few days off or a visit to the psychiatrist. The question I have been asking and continue to ask (and one that nobody has the courage to address) is why Christian businessmen refuse to invite this type of chaplaincy into their companies? Along with this: why do pastors ignore such an open door for men and women to be salt and light in a secular world? I think Jesus Christ would ask the same question.
I have worked as a chaplain with a police service. It was a wonderful experience which I hope to do again one day. I did so as a volunteer while I was pastoring. I can now tell everyone that I enjoyed it more than pastoring. I discovered it was my calling in life.
I eventually found myself in a place as I reached the other side of 55, where I needed to reinvent myself or more importantly, I needed the Lord to open doors to fulfill that calling. A man named Cyril Gowler gave me a call out of the blue one day as I was driving through a Tim Hortons drive-through in Milton. He was calling from Edmonton and asked if I would be interested in being a corporate chaplain for a window manufacturing company. I wasn't sure what it would look like but since I was traveling to Alberta a week later, I agreed to meet with him about the opportunity in their Mississauga manufacturing plant. Cyril was the senior chaplain for this company but he was also a chaplain with the RCMP in Edmonton. He had heard about my background as a police chaplain and pastor and a few months later I was a workplace chaplain.
A few years later I was working as a chaplain in a long-term care residence and eventually a second one as well. I was also working as a chaplain with PING Golf through my connection with Marketplace Chaplains Canada. On the side I spent a few hours each week at Toronto Pearson Airport as a chaplain. This is where the Lord has put me for this season in my life and make no mistake about it, it is in the middle of a secular world where Jesus has asked me to be salt and light. I believe people who don't know Jesus are seeing what He asked us to show: Matthew 5:16 says people need to see our good works. You will notice it does not say: and they will hear you preach at them while you carry a big Bible. As we know, most Christians don't have a problem in this area: being salt and light is a challenge at the best of times.
Yet for a chaplain, a door has been opened by the world for us to be a Christian presence in an often messy environment filled with broken marriages, addictions, health problems, family issues, death, weddings and so on. Imagine non-believers coming to Christian chaplains when they need help. Not us forcing our beliefs on anyone but because we are salt and light, those who would never set foot in a church building, are getting counsel from chaplains that have built trust.
So once again I ask the question: why has the church not embraced this work? You will notice I have not used the word "ministry" and I have done so intentionally. In a perfect world, I believe chaplains should be trained in churches the same way we train pastors in seminaries. I believe in fact, that chaplains should be on staff at churches that can afford them: to train believers and not to get paid for proselytizing at work to grow the local church. One of the greatest weaknesses in the church has always been the need to grow the church we call home and with that have terrible motivation for "witnessing" to non-believers. Church growth is one of the biggest hindrances to Kingdom growth.
Let me expand on that point. If church leaders were more interested in the lost than filling their church with new converts, perhaps there would be closer ties between church communities than there is today. Competing for souls is something almost every pastor strives for because job security is fleeting in many denominations. Burn-out among pastors is a very real issue and if that doesn't get you, getting "voted out" is always an option. I would love to see pastors who are frustrated working within a church, get the opportunity to explore the work of a chaplain. I would also love to see church members getting the same opportunity if they are gifted in that area. Too many still believe that pastoring or missionary work are the only options for those who feel called into ministry.
Before anyone (pastors) gets their shorts in a knot, consider this as an opportunity to release your members who have a call to ministry but not as pastors. They do exist!!!
Some may be asking: what are the qualifications for a chaplain? One side of that answer lies in the make-up of the individual. Are you good with people? Are you trustworthy? Are you a person of good character? In other words, is the Fruit of the Spirit evident in your life? It has very little at all to do with your "charisma" in a pulpit. It has very little to do with your ability to "evangelize the lost". If you approach chaplaincy with the idea that you are going to get people saved, you have almost no hope of being a good chaplain. A chaplain walks beside people, not in front of them. In other words, you are a friend who is there to serve regular people when things are going well and then be available when things fall apart. It is part of life and the opportunities to show Jesus will be there all the time. We call it the "ministry of presence".
Education wise, you will certainly require some training. There is one very liberal organization that train from a non-evangelical perspective. Hospitals and prisons often hire folks that have no evangelical background. Unfortunately that may be the result of previous "evangelists" posing as chaplains. Please do not misunderstand what I am saying with this blog. I and other like-minded friends are chaplains because we love Jesus. It is what distinguishes us from chaplains from other faith groups. The training you get will simply help you to understand the role of a chaplain and perhaps more of what you can't do rather than what you can. Proselytizing is never a part of chaplaincy. If you can't accept that fact, you should not be a chaplain. There are many experienced chaplains that could train others if the need was presented.
Thursday, August 13, 2015
Saturday, March 28, 2015
Germanwings and Confidentiality
The recent crash of a Lufthansa jet has caused many experts to question the aspect of confidentiality when it comes to the mental health of their pilots. As a chaplain I find this a very interesting and necessary discussion and one that has no easy answers.
The co-pilot of this flight that crashed into the French Alps, was by all reports, suffering from depression. He had been to doctors and presumably a psychiatrist as recently as this week. So the question that many are asking is a simple one: why did Lufthansa not know about this man's condition? The Hippocratic Oath taken by physicians, includes a section about confidentiality. These doctors who had been treating this pilot would appear to have taken this oath seriously and not divulged this information to the man's employer. There is speculation that the pilot might have lied about his profession and as such, the doctors had no idea of the danger he potentially posed to others.
For the sake of this argument, let's assume the doctors did know that this man was a pilot, flying 35, 000 feet in the air with as many as 150 passengers. Where does confidentially end and common sense take over?
As a chaplain, one of the most crucial aspects of our profession, is the ability to maintain confidentiality when someone confides in us. In that sense we are no different than physicians. As chaplains however, we make it clear that if we feel the individual confiding in us is a threat to others or himself, we will report it. It is sometimes a difficult decision to make if it may cost someone their job or even worse. As a chaplain I have another recourse and that is to refer the person to a medical professional, before deciding what actions to take. The idea being: more than one opinion.
I have dealt with individuals who seemed to be dealing with depression and found that the situation didn't meet the criteria for clinical depression. Some however, if I felt I could not help effectively, I passed on to someone who could based on their training. In this process however, confidentiality was maintained until it was determined if there was a risk to others. Of course, depression isn't the only condition that needs monitoring in a work place. As a chaplain the range of issues can range from marital problems to addiction to the potential of domestic violence. Each of these can affect the performance of an employee in the workplace and always has the potential of endangering the lives of those around them.
As the life of this pilot becomes clearer, there can be a danger of over reacting. PTSD is an issue that first responders and military personnel struggle with daily. The minute confidentiality is threatened, these individuals will be forced to continue to suffer in silence. All the efforts to make it easier for these folks to get the help they need, will be compromised should confidentiality be removed in the process. To me, common sense needs to come into play. Some will say that depression is easy to recognize but that is certainly not the case unless you are looking for it. There are signs to look for and there are several helpful tips to be found on how to do that. Just google the words "depression test" if you are interested. Be careful with this because symptoms can sometimes be attributed to lack of sleep or something quite harmless.
Lufthansa may very well face huge lawsuits due to this crash but it may depend on what they knew. Is it possible the doctors might be held liable for not informing Lufthansa? This has already caused several airlines who didn't already have the policy, to change protocol and now always have 2 pilots or a pilot and crew member in the cockpit.
The co-pilot of this flight that crashed into the French Alps, was by all reports, suffering from depression. He had been to doctors and presumably a psychiatrist as recently as this week. So the question that many are asking is a simple one: why did Lufthansa not know about this man's condition? The Hippocratic Oath taken by physicians, includes a section about confidentiality. These doctors who had been treating this pilot would appear to have taken this oath seriously and not divulged this information to the man's employer. There is speculation that the pilot might have lied about his profession and as such, the doctors had no idea of the danger he potentially posed to others.
For the sake of this argument, let's assume the doctors did know that this man was a pilot, flying 35, 000 feet in the air with as many as 150 passengers. Where does confidentially end and common sense take over?
As a chaplain, one of the most crucial aspects of our profession, is the ability to maintain confidentiality when someone confides in us. In that sense we are no different than physicians. As chaplains however, we make it clear that if we feel the individual confiding in us is a threat to others or himself, we will report it. It is sometimes a difficult decision to make if it may cost someone their job or even worse. As a chaplain I have another recourse and that is to refer the person to a medical professional, before deciding what actions to take. The idea being: more than one opinion.
I have dealt with individuals who seemed to be dealing with depression and found that the situation didn't meet the criteria for clinical depression. Some however, if I felt I could not help effectively, I passed on to someone who could based on their training. In this process however, confidentiality was maintained until it was determined if there was a risk to others. Of course, depression isn't the only condition that needs monitoring in a work place. As a chaplain the range of issues can range from marital problems to addiction to the potential of domestic violence. Each of these can affect the performance of an employee in the workplace and always has the potential of endangering the lives of those around them.
As the life of this pilot becomes clearer, there can be a danger of over reacting. PTSD is an issue that first responders and military personnel struggle with daily. The minute confidentiality is threatened, these individuals will be forced to continue to suffer in silence. All the efforts to make it easier for these folks to get the help they need, will be compromised should confidentiality be removed in the process. To me, common sense needs to come into play. Some will say that depression is easy to recognize but that is certainly not the case unless you are looking for it. There are signs to look for and there are several helpful tips to be found on how to do that. Just google the words "depression test" if you are interested. Be careful with this because symptoms can sometimes be attributed to lack of sleep or something quite harmless.
Lufthansa may very well face huge lawsuits due to this crash but it may depend on what they knew. Is it possible the doctors might be held liable for not informing Lufthansa? This has already caused several airlines who didn't already have the policy, to change protocol and now always have 2 pilots or a pilot and crew member in the cockpit.
Saturday, January 24, 2015
PTSD and Chaplains
I have been reading articles and attending conferences over the past few years on the topic of PTSD. I have occasionally sent off letters to those who have organized these conferences and written the articles, with the hope that perhaps one of them will consider my suggestion when it comes to getting help for sufferers of PTSD.
I was a pastor for 14 years and a missionary for 2 years. Since then my attention has turned to chaplaincy and working with those outside the church community. While I was a pastor, I was also a police chaplain for a few years. I did regular ride-alongs in Toronto and have had training in CISM, Applied Suicide Intervention Skills and dealing with Family & Work Violence. As a pastor I dealt with situations where a large family lost their home to fire and where a young child died when the father accidentally caused his death. As a chaplain with the police, I counselled a cop that several years earlier had been the first officer at a call where a fellow officer lay dying: he had never received counselling of any kind 7 years later.
This blog is not intended to point fingers at anyone but my hope is that someone who has the ability to make things happen, will seriously consider my thoughts.
First Responders deal with horrific scenes on a regular basis but the accumulation of these events, sometimes just one or two, are known to cause PTSD. I am not an expert on the subject so that is not the angle that I am writing from. My thoughts centre around those suffering from PTSD in silence, that are afraid to seek out help. The question that I am asking is simple: are the experts really doing everything they can to help?
Although things have gradually improved in upper management, there is still the battle that rages throughout the ranks of first responders. There is still a stigma attached despite the best efforts of organizations like Tema Conter: the lingering thought of how one will be perceived if they reveal a struggle with PTSD?
Most would agree that every and any tool should be used to help these men and women and yet there is a hesitation when it comes to the spiritual side of things. Psychologists and peer counselling are vital to the recovery process but how do we get these individuals to that stage? I believe the issue of confidentiality plays a huge role in this process but I also believe the Employee Assistance Program can't be the only resource being utilized. Having worked with cops, I know that there is still a distrust associated with most EAP's. It may very well be totally unfounded but it remains. In my opinion there needs to be a buffer or a conduit between the first responder and the professional help they need. This is where I believe chaplains need to be equipped to serve in a more meaningful way than is offered today in most Police, Fire and EMS stations.
Confidentiality is the basis of chaplaincy. The idea being that a first responder should be able to approach any chaplain with any issue they face in life, including PTSD, and not fear that management will find out. With EAP, that is not always a guarantee, at least in the eyes of those seeking help. Whether you agree with this assessment or not is not the point: if it is even a possibility, what is management doing to deal with it? What is the EAP doing to make it easier for those suffering from PTSD to come to them?
Let me put some meat on these bones that I have thrown out there. The role of a chaplain has often been more ceremonial than anything else. They pray at graduations and retirement parties and do the occasional ride-along. There may be one chaplain for a service of 500 men and women and then a few "multi-faith" chaplains that seldom build relationships and trust with those they "chaplain". However, what if these various services hired several chaplains for first responders. They can even be volunteer chaplains but men and women that would be given access to first responders on a daily basis. These chaplains would need to be better trained to identify PTSD but more importantly, they need to be chaplains and not preachers. It is about building trust so those suffering from PTSD or other issues, feel totally safe approaching the chaplain.
This is where the process begins but does not end.
It would be made very clear to all first responders that management will never be told individual names of those seeking help. Management would receive regular reports that indicate numbers only, but no names. This would alleviate two potential problems: the first responder will be directed to the EAP or other agency and management will have numbers to justify the continued assistance and confidentiality provided to first responders.
I believe this should be made available to past and present members of any service. We know that there are many men and women suffering from PTSD that have retired. They should obviously not be forgotten should they reach out for help.
Again, I am not an expert on PTSD but I do believe this is a tool that is not being used properly today. I hope that the right people read this and that action is taken.
I was a pastor for 14 years and a missionary for 2 years. Since then my attention has turned to chaplaincy and working with those outside the church community. While I was a pastor, I was also a police chaplain for a few years. I did regular ride-alongs in Toronto and have had training in CISM, Applied Suicide Intervention Skills and dealing with Family & Work Violence. As a pastor I dealt with situations where a large family lost their home to fire and where a young child died when the father accidentally caused his death. As a chaplain with the police, I counselled a cop that several years earlier had been the first officer at a call where a fellow officer lay dying: he had never received counselling of any kind 7 years later.
This blog is not intended to point fingers at anyone but my hope is that someone who has the ability to make things happen, will seriously consider my thoughts.
First Responders deal with horrific scenes on a regular basis but the accumulation of these events, sometimes just one or two, are known to cause PTSD. I am not an expert on the subject so that is not the angle that I am writing from. My thoughts centre around those suffering from PTSD in silence, that are afraid to seek out help. The question that I am asking is simple: are the experts really doing everything they can to help?
Although things have gradually improved in upper management, there is still the battle that rages throughout the ranks of first responders. There is still a stigma attached despite the best efforts of organizations like Tema Conter: the lingering thought of how one will be perceived if they reveal a struggle with PTSD?
Most would agree that every and any tool should be used to help these men and women and yet there is a hesitation when it comes to the spiritual side of things. Psychologists and peer counselling are vital to the recovery process but how do we get these individuals to that stage? I believe the issue of confidentiality plays a huge role in this process but I also believe the Employee Assistance Program can't be the only resource being utilized. Having worked with cops, I know that there is still a distrust associated with most EAP's. It may very well be totally unfounded but it remains. In my opinion there needs to be a buffer or a conduit between the first responder and the professional help they need. This is where I believe chaplains need to be equipped to serve in a more meaningful way than is offered today in most Police, Fire and EMS stations.
Confidentiality is the basis of chaplaincy. The idea being that a first responder should be able to approach any chaplain with any issue they face in life, including PTSD, and not fear that management will find out. With EAP, that is not always a guarantee, at least in the eyes of those seeking help. Whether you agree with this assessment or not is not the point: if it is even a possibility, what is management doing to deal with it? What is the EAP doing to make it easier for those suffering from PTSD to come to them?
Let me put some meat on these bones that I have thrown out there. The role of a chaplain has often been more ceremonial than anything else. They pray at graduations and retirement parties and do the occasional ride-along. There may be one chaplain for a service of 500 men and women and then a few "multi-faith" chaplains that seldom build relationships and trust with those they "chaplain". However, what if these various services hired several chaplains for first responders. They can even be volunteer chaplains but men and women that would be given access to first responders on a daily basis. These chaplains would need to be better trained to identify PTSD but more importantly, they need to be chaplains and not preachers. It is about building trust so those suffering from PTSD or other issues, feel totally safe approaching the chaplain.
This is where the process begins but does not end.
It would be made very clear to all first responders that management will never be told individual names of those seeking help. Management would receive regular reports that indicate numbers only, but no names. This would alleviate two potential problems: the first responder will be directed to the EAP or other agency and management will have numbers to justify the continued assistance and confidentiality provided to first responders.
I believe this should be made available to past and present members of any service. We know that there are many men and women suffering from PTSD that have retired. They should obviously not be forgotten should they reach out for help.
Again, I am not an expert on PTSD but I do believe this is a tool that is not being used properly today. I hope that the right people read this and that action is taken.
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