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Celebrating Spiritual Care Week
BY MARTHA BROWN
October 23-29 is Spiritual Care Week. Since October 1985, the Council on Ministry in Specialized Settings (COMISS) network has chosen a theme to help spiritual caregivers share their perspectives. This year’s spiritual care week theme is Relevant and Responsive in Times of Crisis. During COVD-19, chaplains worked alongside colleagues at hospitals, hospices, retirement communities, prisons, colleges, businesses, and military bases, providing spiritual and emotional support, guidance, hope, and bereavement care. As essential workers, chaplains used creative methods to ensure spiritual needs continued to be met. In addition to personal introspection; I spoke with chaplains Connie Belmore at Cypress Glen, Veleria Holloway with ECU Health Inpatient Hospice and Amy Barnwell, United States Air Force Reserves to reflect on this year’s theme.
Chaplain Connie Belmore, Cypress Glen
How did you become a chaplain? I am an ordained minister in the United Methodist Church and pastored a small church in Eureka, NC. I did not set out to be a chaplain but received a call asking me to consider the job as chaplain at Cypress Glen. After much prayer, I interviewed, was selected for the job, and now know it was meant to be. What is the role of the chaplain in your organization? I believe my role at
Cypress Glen Is to provide spiritual care for the residents. One’s spiritual needs do not change because an address has changed. I believe I represent hope, love, joy and peace. As some of our residents approach the end of life some are asking questions such as what is next. How did the pandemic impact your work? I started working at Cypress Glen
in July 2021. The residents were just starting to eat meals together again and visit with their families. Currently, residents attend worship services in the chapel or in health care areas weekly. We look forward to when family can again join us for worship with their loved ones.
care of yourself? Rest, enjoying my pets, and having an identified Sabbath are ways I care for myself. I also spend quality time with my family.
How did you become a chaplain? It is a calling. I enrolled in a clinical pastoral education program in 2003. While completing my internship and residency, I realized I enjoyed working with patients who were at the end of life. In 2008, I was hired as a full-time chaplain at the Inpatient Hospice. What is the role of the chaplain in your organization? As a hospice
chaplain my role consists of active listening without judgment, completing spiritual assessments to address the patient's identified needs and working collaboratively with the interdisciplinary treatment team to meet those needs. After the patient’s death, I continue to work with the patient’s family for twelve months through our bereavement care program. How did the pandemic impact your work? At the beginning of the
pandemic, family visits were limited. For some patients and families, I helped them use contactless communication such as writing notes to each other, phone calls, face-time and even catching a glimpse of each other through the window. The lack of physical contact was challenging for many patients and families because they could not say goodbye the way they wanted.
take care of yourself? I go on solo retreats where I journal and connect to nature. I enjoy cartoons and adult coloring books. Prayer and remaining connected to God are also a part of my self-care practice.
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How did you become a chaplain? I enlisted in the Air Force as a reservist. One of my supervisors encouraged me to consider becoming an officer and suggested a number of careers including chaplaincy. After prayer and consultation with my pastor I enrolled in the chaplain candidate program. What is the role of the chaplain in your organization? The role of the military
chaplain is to ensure the first amendment right of freedom of religion is protected and provide for the religious freedom of service members and their families. As a military chaplain no two days are alike. I advise leadership, provide counseling as well as group activities for service members and their families, weddings, funerals, offer invocations at award and change of command services, and I visit service members’ work area to offer support. How did the pandemic impact your work? At the onset of the pandemic counseling sessions continued. Our worship services were streamed and continued with gathering limitations. For some, being separated and closed off made them more susceptible to depression and suicidal thoughts. As a military chaplain my role is to provide leadership prevention and postvention suicide resources to address the unit, family, and community. Being able to engage and reconnect as a community has been one of the protective factors we are starting to enjoy again.
yourself? I attend to my personal and spiritual tanks. For my spiritual tank, I participate in bible study, meditation, prayer, worship, and fasting so I don’t deplete myself to the point that I am frustrated, weakened, and unable to effectively support those in my care. For my personal tank, I spend time doing things I enjoy such as singing, exercising, vacationing, and spending time with family.
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Acknowledgment is one of the ways you can celebrate the spiritual caregivers in your organization. Additional suggestions can be found at www.spiritualcareweek.com.
Martha Brown is a board certified chaplain and interpersonal communication instructor. She has served in various governmental and private institutions. In October, Brown was a recipient of the NC Governor's Award for Excellence in the category of Human Relations. Nicknamed by a coworker, Chaplain Extra, Brown plays as hard as she works. When not living up to her nickname, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling (by plane, train, automobile or ship), reading, and laughing.
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