Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Chaplaincy…more than just ‘a calling’ for Father Jim

In 1997 Sheriff Downum of the Calaveras County Sheriff Department saw a need for chaplain services within the county. Reaching out to Father Jim Stout of the Church of the Ascension in Copperopolis, he found the man for the job. On June 4 1997, Father Jim and his wife Pam moved to Copperopolis. On June 14 1997, Copperopolis had it yearly Homecoming celebration. It was there that Sheriff Downum approached him and told him of the community’s need. 
Relatively familiar with chaplain work through friends and colleagues that worked closely with police departments Father Jim took on his mission with great joy and hope. His first stop was to visit the successful Tuolomne County Chaplain program and get some helpful hints. “They were very helpful in the whole process,” Said Jim reiterating the abundant information they passed on to him and then chaplain supervisor Lt. Ron McFall. From there he received help from Father Rhodes, a resident of San Andreas, and his brother-in-law Paul Kemper, a volunteer with the SO.
Father Jim’s goal was to have “two chaplains for each beat….(to give them) the opportunity to get acquainted with (not only) the beat officers, but the community.” Though that goal has yet to be reached the current Sheriff Chaplains, Father Jim of the Church of the Ascension in Copperopolis, Tim Johnson of the Community Church in San Andreas, and Keith Ancar of Mt Ranch Community Church, have committed themselves to the service of our communities offering: response to crisis situations, assisting Sheriff personnel with death notifications and search and rescue operations, human support, spiritual guidance for staff and community through a field service ministry. While this is a partial list posted upon the SO website, the job entails more, much more. Recently it was updated to include response to a variety of situations including serious accidents, suicides, homicides or suspicious deaths, sudden infant deaths, and missing persons. Jim pointed out that the SO has been consistent and thorough with the training they provide their Chaplains, from critical incident training to police chaplain conferences, he feels well equipped and prepared for whatever emergency requires his service.
While the majority of the time it is left to the discretion of the deputy on scene as to whether a chaplain should be called out, chaplains sometimes listen to their own scanners and respond to disasters, sometimes responding over an hour away from home. “I’ll go anywhere in the county they need me.” Jim states.
If you know Father Jim, you will know that he couldn’t stop there.
He felt the need to reach out to even more of the community, those in need; in pain. In 1997 he also became a Chaplain for the Mark Twain St Joseph’s Hospital in San Andreas, beginning as one of the founders of the chaplaincy at MTSJ he is still currently serving in the same capacity. For this position he drew upon his previous experience serving as a Chaplain at a San Jose hospital for six years prior to moving to Calaveras County. Not one to sit back on his laurels, in 1998 Jim became the first, and so far the only Chaplain for the Copperopolis Fire Protection District.
While I sat stunned by the amount of love this man shows for his fellow man, he sat back in his chair hands gently clasped, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth, a sparkle in his eye and said, “I like chaplaincy work.”
For further information regarding Chaplaincy work for the SO please contact the current Chaplain program supervisor Sgt. Whiting at 754-6500. (SO Chaplains are ‘religiously neutral’ and are in no way intended to, nor do they replace an individual’s clergy person.)
By, Charity Maness

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