In ministry we don't know what a day may bring. Friday morning I got a call from the hospital chaplain in Oshawa about a request for prayer from the daughter of a woman dying in Bowmanville hospital. We do have a chaplain here, and a good one, but she works part-time. The apologetic chaplain wondered if I might respond to this request, even though the family has no St. Paul's connection.
I was able to go right away, and I had the curious experience of introducing myself to strangers in one of the most difficult and intimate moments of their lives. We talked for a while, then I read the 23rd psalm and prayed before getting on my way. To complicate things further, the dying mother is from Oshawa, the daughter from Newtonville, and their United Church involvement is in the distant past.
In reflection, this says a lot about the sorry state of government funding for chaplaincy in this province. Obviously people can't plan their crises around the diminishing hours for chaplains. In Bowmanville the ministerial raises nearly half of the funds for hospital chaplaincy, but it isn't enough.
It was also pointed out the sad reality of the growing number of people who have no connection with a faith community but come to realize the need for God's presence in tough times. We respond regularly to those of our congregation who are hospitalized but we can't care for everyone. I could go this time, but I have my own flock to tend to, and would put that priority first if I had to choose. Ah well.
Any thoughts or comments about all this? Should chaplaincy be a hospital priority? What is the obligation of the wider community?
Government should not fund chaplaincy in hospitals. It should come from the churches in the area, maybe instead of funding out of province or country maybe looking after our own backyard.?. Maybe taking turns? I don't know. But I don't think it should come from our taxes
ReplyDeleteI didn't realize it was funded by government in the first place. You can learn something every day!
ReplyDeleteI am not against it coming from taxes as it is inter-denominational, and a service "advertised" on websites/brochures by the hospital as part of its services on caring and healing its clients.
ReplyDeleteChurch folk already are strong supporters of this ministry, and with their own clergy most often able to support them during their own hospital stays, the chaplaincy then supports others in their community without faith connections.
I think it was our Trinity-St Paul's Good Friday service this year that directed those generous offerings back to local hospital chaplaincy, above and beyond what is already committed from our Mission and Service Funds?
There are lots of services paid for by our tax $ that we may think we will never use, but life is full of surprises.
There are many usless endevours our tax dollars are used for. I think Chaplancy is a better use of tax dollars than an in depth study of the long term effects of pot holes.
ReplyDeleteIt probably won't surprise any of you that I believe chaplaincy should be fully funded in hospitals, prisons, the military. Chaplains can be from any one of a number of different religious backgrounds, but they are required to provide or procure spiritual care for any patient, regardless of faith. Not all clergy/rabbis/imams would or could do this. The chaplains receive training to do this well.
ReplyDeleteChaplains often develop strong relationships with staff in institutions as well. When our son Isaac was working as a chaplain intern in the trauma hospital in Montreal staff members would talk to him about their struggles in a high-stress environment.
Chaplains often coordinate activities including worship services which would be hard to do any other way.
And clergy are busy with their own folk without being on call for the world in general. Occasionally, yes. Consistently, no. Many congregations now have part-time ministers so taking on chaplaincy isn't realistic.