Spiritual Autopsy

The Death of Chaplaincy in Health Care


You may have ask yourself, don't hospitals and hospices hire Chaplains. Aren't they providing pastoral care?

    The role of Chaplain has been emasculated, become impotent.

-    Pastoral care has become "spiritual care".
-    Differentiates religion from spirituality. Religion = practices and rituals. Spirituality = emotional well-being,
      devotion to nature, family and whatever else brings peace and freedom from anxiety.
-    I call it "the cult of spiritual care" because it is based on a belief system with its own clergy. It is very 
      controlling and manipulates others.
-    Cannot share their personal faith in Christ
-    Must support all faiths or lack of faith and reassure people.
-    Cannot use their theological training.
-    Have become "spiritual social workers".
-    Have to embrace alternative care!


**My testimony. One man cursed me when I walked in the door and yelled for sometime. His wife was embarrassed. I ended up talking with him about a mutual interest – fishing – he died two days later and I never had the chance to tell him about Christ.

Christian, chaplaincy is no longer about pastoral care, its about calming and comforting agitated , depressed or anxious patients. This is a sad state because the spiritual power of the ministry has been ripped away from the powerful role of the chaplain and they have been stripped of their former efficacy. I know this because of my work as a chaplain for over nine years. We must pray that the chaplains who do know Christ will once again find the place to reclaim the ministry of Jesus Christ in our health care system.