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Chaplain George A. Burn on shining light on pastoral care in different parts of our world
A Focus on International Chaplaincy
As a member of the International Advocacy Committee of the Association of Professional Chaplains, I have been fortunate enough to visit and develop friendships with members of the European Network of Healthcare Chaplains (ENHCC). It is clear that we practice the art of pastoral care using different languages, serve different cultures, and develop skills that accommodate the populations we serve. As a result of this friendship, representatives for our two groups have visited each other’s meetings and shared opportunities to learn together.
As the world grows smaller, it is imperative that we learn from each other, using skills that have already been working in other parts of the globe, and to begin to build bridges of awareness. We also must become aware of the work of chaplains who serve in other places, their challenges, and their needs.
In North America, major Pastoral Care organizations have come together to develop common standards, reciprocity in welcoming chaplains across borders, and to collaborate on national meetings for the good of everyone. Working toward this type of collaboration begins with the development of understanding and dialogues devoted to mutual learning.
I began to wonder if there was not a way to further the cause of promoting international awareness by using PlainViews as a vehicle. Martha Jacobs, the PlainViews Editor, and I have discussed a series of articles written by representatives of chaplain organizations from around the globe, that would begin to enhance this awareness and open doors to understanding and conversation.
The chaplains we have contacted thus far are delighted about the prospect of featuring their countries in such a way. Therefore, for several months, the Advocacy section of PlainViews will be devoted to this conversation. We hope that you will be as delighted as we are with this project, We also hope that you will find these articles to be helpful in bringing our already small world of pastoral care to a closer understanding and appreciation for our colleagues who serve those in need of pastoral care in other parts of our world.
Chaplain George A. Burn, BCC, has been the Director of Pastoral Care at Mount Nittany Medical Center in State College, PA for 15 years. He has served as the State Certification Chair and the State Representative for the Association of Professional Chaplains in Pennsylvania. Currently he is a CPE equivalency reviewer for that organization. He is an ordained American Baptist, holds a BA from Eastern College and an M. Div from Princeton Theological Seminary with a major in Ethics. He has written articles for The Caregiver, PlainViews, and the Consortium Ethics Program at the University of Pittsburgh.
Do you have thoughts about advocacy you’d like
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