15 Local Ministers and Caregivers Complete Extensive Leadership Training Session
For Immediate Release: Monday, April 24, 2006
SILER CITY, N.C. — Chatham Hospital today announced that 15 local ministers and caregivers have completed an extensive, seven-month leadership training session sponsored by the hospital’s “Caring for our Neighbors” Program, an initiative established by a grant from The Duke Endowment.
“Caring for our Neighbors” is an interfaith health ministry that supports individuals with long-term illnesses or disabilities. The program also sponsors Chatham Hospital’s volunteer chaplaincy program.
The training program for ministers and caregivers participating in “Caring for our Neighbors” is designed to build the skills required for healthy congregational leadership. The training was conducted by North Carolina Baptist Hospital’s Center for Congregational Health.
“Our sessions explored the various aspects of leadership and provided participants with a place to network and to practice the specific skills they need to lead an effective ministry,” said Chris Gambill, senior consultant for the Center for Congregational Health. Gambill himself spent 25 years as a minister and missionary before joining the Center in 1992.
The seven-month training program included a self-examination of personality and leadership style, with extensive development sessions on topics ranging from conflict management and decision-making to motivating and maintaining volunteers.
“Our objective is to build a cadre of individuals who can support families through the personal and spiritual side of a healthcare crisis and who have the skills to rally faith communities and other volunteers to meet the long-term needs of the homebound,” said Dr. Pam Frasier, director of the Chatham Hospital “Caring for our Neighbors” Program.
Those who completed “Caring for our Neighbors” leadership training were: Greg Burriss, Rocky River Baptist Church; Dawn Caviness, congregational nurse, Chatham Hospital Caring for our Neighbors Program; Lee Edwards, Cedar Grove United Methodist Church; Sue Flippin, Siler City Presbyterian Church; Barry Gray, First Missionary Baptist Church; Theresa Isley, Emmanuel Fellowship Church of God in Christ; Neal Kight, Siler City Church of God; Ron Lander, Siler City Church of God; Herbert Lowery, Piney Grove United Methodist Church; Darius Martin, Emmanuel Fellowship Church of God in Christ; Manuel Matamoros, Galilea Church; David Mateo, Centro Latina de Adoracion; Daniel Pantoja, El Camino Hispanic United Methodist Church; Pat Sykes, Orange Chapel United Methodist Church of Siler City; and Mike Sykes, First United Methodist Church of Siler City.
The Duke Endowment grant establishing the “Caring for our Neighbors” Program is administered by the Caring Communities Program of Duke Divinity School. For information on how to participate in the program, contact Alexis Amsterdam at 919.663.2005.
