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Seminary
and Post-Seminary Experience
Seminary
Education
- M.Div.
Theology/Counseling- Union Theological Seminary-1981
- Clinical Training:
Trained in Active Listening and Case Study Development by means of Verbatim.
- Clinical Pastoral
Education-CPE-Conducted at Health
Care Chaplaincy, NYC, NY at the following centers:
- Lenox Hill Hospital-Chaplain
to Geriatrics
- Memorial Sloan
Kettering Cancer Center-Chaplain to Terminal Patients with focus on
Lung Cancer, Breast Cancer and Surgical Unit Patients
- New York Hospital-Chaplain
to General Medicine Patients
- Pastoral
Internship focus on Care and Counseling of Sick and Shut-ins
and those in Nursing Facilities
- 1982:
One year Internship conducted at St. Jacobus Lutheran, Atonement
Lutheran, Grace Lutheran Churches in Queens NY. Focus on Worship, and
ministry to sick and shut-ins and those in area nursing homes. Additional
ministerial focus was on Youth Ministries at 6 local parishes. Played
Lead Guitar in Queens Lutheran School Production of "GodSpell."
- Primay interests
throughout seminary were Hospital Chaplaincy and Geriatric care.
- Ecclesiastical
Certification: 1983: Certified for Call and Ordination with Association
Evangelical Lutheran Churches (AELC).
- 1989: Presented
myself before the Candidacy Committee of ELCA-SE Regional Synod (assuming
I was to be grandfathered in as promised) and I was not accepted. Because
the church was in political flux, I did not receive a call and was placed
in Ecclesiastical Limbo where I have remained.
- My call was and
is to Hospital Chaplaincy and Geriatric Care/Hospice ministries. My
ultimate career goal based on my call
is to work full-time as a Hospital Chaplain with a special focus on
the terminally ill, hospice and/or geriatric care.
- While in Seminary
and post-Seminary 1982-1994, designed, developed and delivered numerous
courses for laity interested in doing hospital visitation.
- Composed and performed
concerts at regional churches and schools with an emphasis on Christian
Folk Music.
- Performed the
duties of both a Supply Pastor and Interim Pastor at Atonement Lutheran
Church in Jackson Heights, NY during my Internship and worked as a Supply
Preacher at dozens of churches in Metro NY from 1980-1988. Worked as
Lay Assistant to the Pastor at two churches in Valdosta, Ga., from 1988-1994.
(For Details see below.)
- 1978-2008
Served as Primary Caretaker for my parents interfacing with healthcare
workers, hospice , clergy and support people etc..up to the times of
their passing.
Current
Titles that I am Promoting/Writing
- The Role of Change
- Our lives
are predicated on change but in order to be able to predict an outcome
we need to have a Constant, a Reference, a North Star. It is the
Constant that gives us stability, insight, and direction during
change. The Constant is someone, something, some idea, or ideal
that does not change. Our ability to predict an outcome during change
is based on the Constant that we reference off of.
- A Career Changer's Checklist
- Will be published
in 2008 in 13 installments on InformIT.com
- In 2001 and
2004 I had the opportunity to write two articles for InformIT.com
that focused on Career Changer's in Information Technology. Since
the response to those brief articles generated much discussion,
I have played with the idea of expanding it to a short book or series
of articles that would ask those faced with a career change, or
for that matter looking for a job, a series of focused questions
illustrated with examples from my own experience. The tone of this
100-150 page text (no more than 150 pages, i.e. a series of 12-14
articles each about 8-10 pages centered on a common theme) will
be the same as it was in the two InformIT articles - conversational,
and non-threatening.
The intended audience is the whole working IT
population who are having to struggle with the "how do I
make a career change,” "what do I do for a career"
questions. I will freely share from my own experiences and varied
career options in the professional sector, teaching sector, IT
sector, healthcare sector, and in the trades.
- Called to Be a Son
- A monograph
where I examine the nature of call, what it means to be called as
a son in this day and age, while looking at Jesus' call as Son.
Practical
Training in Seminary
- 1979 Student Chaplain,
Lenox Hill Hospital, N.Y.C., NY
- 1980 Student Chaplain
doing CPE specializing in Terminal Care Support, Memorial Sloan Kettering
Cancer Center and the New York Hospital
Supply/Assist
Experiences Since "Certified for Call and Ordination by AELC"
- 1983: Supplied
at
- Christ Lutheran
- Woodside, NY - 6 Weeks
- Grace Lutheran-
Astoria, NY for Lenten Series - 6 Weeks
- St. Jacobus,
Woodside, NY - 2 Weeks
- WAM Convocation-
Performed Liturgical Assistant Role
- Atonement Lutheran,
Jackson Heights, NY- 3 Weeks
- 1984: Supplied
at
- Lutheran Church
of Good Shepherd- Long Island, NY- 3 Weeks
- Trinity Lutheran-
Bogota, NJ- 1 Week
- Christ Lutheran-
Woodside, NY- 8 weeks
- Grace Lutheran-
Astoria, NY (Lenten Series- 6 Weeks plus 2 Sundays)
- Bethany Lutheran
- Elmhurst, NY- 1 Week
- All Saints
Lutheran, Brookville, LI, NY- 1 week
- 1985: Supplied
at
- Christ Lutheran-
Woodside, NY- 5weeks
- Grace Lutheran-
Astoria, NY - 10 weeks
- All Saints
Lutheran, Brookville, LI, NY- 1 week
- St. Matthews
Lutheran Church for the Deaf-Woodside, NY- 2 weeks (These were done
under very difficult circumstances. A week earlier, during Holy
Week, the pastor suddenly passed away and the congregation was without
a worship leader. )
- 1986: Supplied
at
- Christ Lutheran-Woodside,
NY- 1 Week
- Lutheran Church
of the Prince of Peace, Cambria Heights- 1 week
- 1987: Supplied
at
- Christ Lutheran-Woodside,
NY- 2Weeks
- 1988 (after moving
to North Florida/South Georgia) Assisted and Supplied at:
- Gloria Dei
Lutheran Church, Valdosta, Ga- Regular Basis
- 1989-1994: Supplied
and Assisted at:
- Messiah Lutheran
Church, Valdosta, Ga.- Regular Basis
Call
Interviews Conducted at:
- Immanuel Lutheran,
Delhi, NY- 1985
- Good Samaritan
Homes of Albany, NY and Delmar- 1984
- Lutheran Church
of the Prince of Peace, Claremont New Hampshire-1987
- Trinity Lutheran,
West Hatfield, Massachusettes-1984
- Not called
between 1983 and 1988 because historically AELC was in limbo waiting
for a forthcoming merger. Once the merger was successfully completed
candidates were told that we would be grandfathered in and there
would be more opportunities available for a call. That never happened.
ELCA, at least in the SE Region, backed away from those promises,
and folks like me were left with no alternatives. Hence, I did not
get ordained.
Current
Status:
- As of 2007, still
actively interested in Chaplaincy and Hospice/Geriatric care.
- Exploring
Endorsement for Chaplaincy
- Exploring
center for 3 additional quarters of CPE
- Member of
Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, Valdosta, Ga.
Primoris
crux crucis tunc resurrection! |
