Bangalore, India – Taking care of the spiritual needs of the sick and dying is not an easy task.
Clinical pastoral education students and hospital staff chaplains worship during morning devotions led by the South Carolina chaplains in the Bangalore Baptist Hospital.That is why the South Carolina Baptist Convention sent six chaplains to share from their years of experience to help encourage chaplaincy students and staff chaplains at Bangalore Baptist Hospital.
The team of chaplains from three states joined together in June to teach students in the hospital’s clinical pastoral education program, to minister beside staff chaplains, to lead a staff retreat and Bible studies in each hospital department, and to speak at weekly chapel services.
“We have been teaching the CPE students various topics at their request, going on with their curriculum,” said Richard Sale, team leader and consultant for chaplain ministries for the South Carolina Baptist Convention. “We (taught lessons) on death and dying, stress, disaster response, and leadership. Then we had Bible studies in every one of the departments at the hospital, plus with the (Indian Baptist Society). That has been so rewarding.”
In addition to the work in the hospital, two of the chaplains assisted the community health team and the palliative care team to minister to sick and dying patients who were staying in homes.
Chaplains Russ Painter (left) and Marcia McQueen visit with nurses from the administrative committee during an appreciation luncheon. Members honored at the luncheon included Dr. Alex Thomas, the hospital’s director, and other administrative staff.“Prior to my current position, I had been a hospice chaplain and grief counselor so that was interesting and enjoyable to go into homes of some nationals and spend time with them,” said Marcia McQueen, director of chaplaincy services at Morehead Memorial Hospital in Eden, N.C.
Though their schedule of patient visits and teaching kept them busy, the chaplains were always prepared to pray with and minister to people they met in the chapel or on the hospital grounds.
“The first day here, I was taking pictures in the chapel of the different people who just come in to pray,” McQueen said. “I asked two women if I could take their picture. They smiled and said yes. As I was walking behind them, they stood and spoke to me and asked me to pray for their daughter who was sick and here in the hospital. I was privileged there at the very beginning to minister in that way.”
Laying out a plan to guide the South Carolina chaplains took a vision of partnership from former Southern Baptist missionary surgeon Dr. Rebekah Naylor. Because the team was involved in many different types of ministry at the hospital, preparations included a year of correspondence, much prayer and ample planning ? all orchestrated by God.
“I love it when a plan comes together, especially when God’s plan comes together,” said Tate Bassett,* consultant for the pastoral department at Bangalore Baptist Hospital. “I saw that happen in the coming together of the staff chaplains and the students and the visiting chaplains. There was a lot of planning that went on before, and the plan just came together beautifully.”
Jackie Jenkins (right), pastor at Union Baptist Church, Lancaster, and volunteer chaplain at Springs Memorial Hospital in Lancaster, and staff chaplain S. Gangaiah visit and pray for a patient at Bangalore Baptist Hospital.Bassett said that gaining the expertise and help from a chaplaincy team was a first for the hospital. Their efforts produced positive comments from both sides as students and chaplains stated they encountered spiritual renewal and encouragement while working together.
“These two weeks, as far as my concern, have been the greatest opportunity in my chaplaincy and in the hospital realm, especially to freely express the love of Jesus Christ,” Sale said. “It is far beyond anything we expected. I know that all of our lives have been changed.
“I hope the students can pick up on our support, walking side by side with them,” he said. “I guarantee you when we leave, they will be very strongly in our prayers for their ministry to happen.”
*Names changed for security reasons. Annie Rosner served in South Asia as a communication intern earlier in 2009.