Introducing Shelly Fayette.

Hello, readers. I am the other half of the “Diocesan News You Can Use” blogging team. I am a first-year Masters of Divinity candidate at Union Theological Seminary, and a Postulant to Holy Orders in the Diocese of Olympia. I was extraordinarily blessed to land at Bishop Packard’s office at the beginning of this school year as the seminarian intern/Assistant for Chaplain Endorsement.

Bp. Packard has asked me to jot down some notes about the State of the Diocesan Chaplaincy Union, as it were, as I see it from my cubicle in 815.

The best part of this job is networking with diocesan chaplains: talking them through the slow endorsement process, hearing about their work, learning about pastoral presence through their kindnesses and good humor. Being able to reflect your concerns and joys in this blog is a tremendous privilege. Please feel free to leave comments in the comments section (we love lively discussion!), as well as e-mailing me at sfayette@episcopalchurch.org if you would like to alert me to an issue about which you would like to see a posting written.

A couple things that have come up in recent weeks:

1) The lovely Rev. Whit Soards, of Louisville, KY, has raised the issue of sabbaticals for chaplains. There is money available for ordained people working in parishes to take sabbaticals, for the health of both the clergyperson and the congregation. But there is a real lack of funding for chaplains (who, as we all know, deserve all the rest, rejuvenation, help, love and support they can get). I have committed to doing some research into organizations that are interested in the health of large institutional bodies, such as hospitals, to see if there is a way to ask for funding for chaplain sabbaticals. Stay posted!

In the meantime, the Louisville Institute offers grants for chaplains who would like to take an eight or twelve week sabbatical. I hope some of you get the opportunity to do this. If you do (or if you have taken advantage of this resource before), please leave a comment or drop us a line to let us know what your experience was like.

2) The Episcopal Theological Seminary of the Southwest has begun a Masters in Chaplaincy program. I realize that for most of you, as established chaplains, this degree is not relevant, but it is an important resource. If you have people interested in chaplaincy and who are looking for a systematic way to approach it, this would be a good place to send them. Also, if you are in the Austin area, perhaps it would be a good place to take a few classes and refresh those neurons!

The website is here.


That's all for today. I can't tell you how grateful I am for your service in the most liminal spaces and times of peoples' lives. Peace be with you.