The Rev. Tarris Rosell on clergy and physicians in dialogue

Covenanted Colleagues in Dialogical Relationship

While working in the fields of pastoral care and clinical bioethics, I have observed with interest the relationships between physicians and clergy, or oftentimes the lack thereof. Frequently within contexts of patient care, when looking for cross-disciplinary professional relationships of this sort, I am found staring into a void. Spiritual care providers — both visiting clergy and institutional chaplains — may relate well with nursing staff, while doctors and ministers are like the proverbial two ships passing in the night.

The Center for Practical Bioethics in Kansas City has worked with members of both professions for twenty years, often bringing together clergy and clinicians in collegial committee relationships. At one such gathering in 1998, local pastor Robert Hill suggested the possibility of forming a small interdisciplinary covenant group.

Five years later, in another committee meeting at the Institute for Spirituality in Health (based at Shawnee Mission Medical Center), I revisited this idea with Rev. Hill and others at the table. Four physicians — specialists in pulmonology, neurology, trauma, and cardio-thoracic surgery — were recruited almost immediately by Institute director Steven Jeffers. To my surprise, it proved more difficult to find an equal number of recruits from our clergy cohort. Fortunately, Presbyterian pastor Kathie Knehans agreed to join Steve, Bob and me, thus forming an “MD/MDiv Dialogue Group” of eight covenanted professionals.

I compiled a group email list and gained agreement from all enlistees to meet in a hospital conference room from 7 to 8 a.m. monthly. The medical institution and Institute would furnish both breakfast and space if clergy members would meet on the doctors’ “turf” and time schedule. We began on a Thursday in early December 2002 as a pilot project aimed at filling a relational void and “to see what would happen."

What happened during the first few months was growing group cohesion and the addition to our already diverse ranks of an Orthodox Jewish psychiatrist and an Adventist hospital administrator with a theological degree.

As convener, I came prepared with agendas ranging from “ice breaker” questions to journal articles on spirituality and medicine. Only rarely did this preparation prove necessary for purposes of promoting significant dialogue. At the very first meeting, I mentioned being “called” to ministry, thinking this concept to be one particular to religious vocation. Physicians responded quickly with their own fascinating stories of “call” to doctoring.

On many occasions since, conversation has been case-based, typically originating with one of the MDs, often involving medical, spiritual and ethical concerns. Always we close with formal or informal assurances of confidentiality and care for one another in our respective practices of caring for patients-parishioners.

Rev. Dr. Jeffers has orchestrated the multiplication of physician-clergy groups meeting monthly for breakfast or lunch. Five new groups were convened last March, involving several dozen more professionals representing at least a half dozen medical institutions and many faith traditions. Some from the initial group have consulted upon request with other interested institutions in several states.

After one year together as covenanted colleagues in dialogical relationship, the pilot project group members re-covenanted for yet another twelve months of 7 a.m. breakfast gatherings. Approaching the end of a second year, we consider ourselves good friends. Physician members eagerly testify to the impact this has made on their own spirituality and their receptivity to their patients’ spirituality. Clergy members seem to me less intimidated by our seemingly more powerful peers. We have grown in knowledge of diverse religious traditions and in understanding of differing professional perspectives.

Most importantly, perhaps, the project has indeed filled a relational void for professional participants, boding well for those patients-parishioners we all aim to serve.