Jann Aldredge-Clanton was one of the most complex and compassionate people I’ve ever met. Her combination of Southern charm and progressive theology could be both disarming and alarming to those she encountered. She was a trailblazer for sure, setting plenty…
Faith leaders among those concerned about a North Carolina hospital that went from nonprofit to for-profit
The grassroots movement in support of patient-focused care at a Western North Carolina hospital is nothing less than a spiritual quest for beloved community, as Missy Harris sees it. “I definitely see my role in this coalition, and the work…
What is digital chaplaincy, and why do we need such chaplains?
What is digital chaplaincy? I’ve had this concept in mind for many years, but not necessarily by that name. Recently I encountered a situation where I needed to call a digital chaplain. Without any options, I stepped into the role…
Jimmy Carter leads by example one last time
Former President Jimmy Carter’s final modeling of Christian faith may have come when he made public his choice to enter hospice care on Feb. 18. Across the nation, professionals who address end-of-life issues every day reported Carter’s decision sparked conversations…
Caring for the casualties of a broken health care system
I serve as director of spiritual care for a multi-hospital operating unit in a large urban health care system. A few months ago, as the nurse staffing shortage reached crisis level, our hospital leadership became concerned about the level of…
Ethics at the end of life: How medicine and technology have changed the context of dying
As the school year ends and I try to process the many agonies of the annus horribilus COVID year of 2020-21, I will remember many deaths, but most especially the death of my father in late December 2020. These posts,…
Through 14 months of pandemic, hospital chaplains have carried others’ burdens
The emotional trauma suffered by health care workers in the battle against COVID-19 also is being felt by the chaplains who ministered to the sick and dying during the pandemic. “I think chaplains may have a little PTSD when this…
This is my story: Seeking an equal seat at the table of privilege
In the summer of 2014, I served as a hospital chaplain placed at an 1,800-bed adult trauma level one and pediatric level three hospital in Park Ridge, Ill. I was the only African American full-time chaplain at this hospital, and…
A chaplain’s reflection on tears
We who care for souls, traffic in tears. We covenant with the crying, we wait with those who weep. Sometimes we have the joy of sharing “happy” tears — the joining of two in marriage, a newborn baby has come into…