Chaplains Conference Draws Record Attendance
Former American Idol finalisty Phil Stacey headlined the chaplains conference.
Chris Meehan
Headlined by former American Idol finalist Phil Stacey, and kicked off by a speaker described as a cross between Erma Bombeck, Lucille Ball, and Billy Graham, the 71st Christian Reformed chaplains conference drew a record attendance of 114 people.
It’s an event that runs in conjunction with the annual synod of the Christian Reformed Church.
“The fact that this conference had a record attendance was a big surprise, and helped set the stage for a very positive and exciting event overall,” said Ron Klimp, director of CRC’s Chaplaincy and Care Ministry.
The conference theme was Chaplains and Prayer.
In an opening presentation that aroused laughter, speaker Jolene DeHeer introduced the theme of prayer powerfully, outlining the needs that can be met through prayer and guiding conferees through a time of small-group sharing and praying.
Wendy Cadge, an associate professor of sociology at Brandeis University whose research focuses on prayer and the work of chaplains, followed with three sessions.
“Cadge is a key player in the future of chaplaincy,” reflected Ron Cok, chaplain at a VA centre in Albuquerque, New Mexico. “As an academic, researcher and author, government and policy makers will be taking notice of what she has to say. We need to pray for her.”
Another keynote speech unfolded the theme of prayer in times of crisis, specifically the Boston Marathon bombings. The remaining sessions grappled with the challenges of prayer in the context of religious diversity.
Klimp said the highlight for him was welcoming five of the eight newly endorsed (and relatively young) chaplains “who have joined our ranks since our last conference, plus processing two more during the conference.
“This is indicative of the growing popularity of chaplaincy as a ministry choice and the fact that it is more and more often a first choice rather than an option discovered later in one's career,” he said.
“We currently endorse 130 chaplains,” Klimp added, “which represents a significant ministry force (roughly 10 percent of our ordained ministers) who impact thousands of lives in the midst of some sort of crisis experience every week.”
