Churches Minister to Their Ministers After the Flood

Area denominations are offering extra help and resources for their clergy following Tennessee’s recent floods. The job of comforting and counseling congregants can be especially difficult after a disaster.

Bishop John Bauerschmidt says a natural disaster is particularly challenging because the recovery effort affects every member of a congregation for months on end.

Bauerschmidt called in a professional crisis counselor to teach Episcopal church workers how to look for signs of disaster-related stress in their congregation and themselves, and when to suggest individuals seek out clinical help. The Bishop says he benefitted from a similar workshop when he was leading a church in coastal Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina.

“You’re dealing with issues and challenges of such a scale that it’s difficult to find the resources within yourself to deal with them emotionally and spiritually.”

There were quiet murmurs and even tears as Susan Gillpatrick began the session with photos of flood damage.

Gillpatrick is a crisis management specialist with Centerstone. She says church leaders should be on the lookout for signs that they need a break.

“When it gets to the point that you feel like you’re not effective and you feel like your emotional health is at risk, your physical health is at risk, to know how to take care of yourself so you can be your best when you’re helping your people.”

Similar efforts are underway in other denominations. For instance, Lutheran Services of Tennessee is offering a counseling worship for clergy and lay leaders next month. As as part of its relief efforts, the United Methodist church is bringing in what they call a Spiritual and Emotional Care team. The out-of-state volunteers visit pastors whose communities were hit by the flood. And the Tennessee Baptist Convention has included trained chaplains in their disaster relief teams to help share the burden of providing pastoral care.