January 21, 2002
WOMB TO TOMB: Sanctity of life
___By Ken Camp
___Texas Baptist Communications
___The wife of a 90-year-old patient at Valley Baptist Medical Center in Harlingen came to Chaplain Joe Jaime for pastoral counseling.
___An attending physician said her husband needed dialysis treatment due to possible kidney failure. The doctor asked whether the family had considered a "do not resuscitate" order.
AMANDA, a child adopted through Buckner Adoption and Maternity Services, enjoys a new doll and a pacifier as she sits in her mother's lap.
___ "I feel that if I sign that paper, I'm going to be pulling the plug. What do you think God wants me to do?" Jaime recalls her asking.
___The chaplain prayed with the woman and encouraged her to consult her two adult children before making any decision. And he assured h
___For the thousands of people who work in human care institutions and ministries related to the Baptist General Convention of Texas, sanctity of life is more than an emphasis one Sunday a year. It is a day-to-day guiding principle.
___"Texas Baptists understand that life is a precious gift from God. Human care institutions affiliated with the BGCT demonstrate in practical and tangible ways a profound respect for human life," said Keith Bruce, the convention's coordinator of institutional ministries.
___Baptist Child and Family Services, Buckner Baptist Benevolences, South Texas Children's Home and Texas Baptist Children's Home and Family Services provide a variety of life-affirming services in more than 40 locations around the state. If the 2002 BGCT Cooperative Program budget is met, Texas Baptist churches will provide $3.38 million to the four child and family service agencies this year.
___Last year, these agencies offered residential care for more than 2,100 children and off-campus ministry to another 45,000. They operate programs ranging from Breckenridge Village in Tyler--a residential facility for mentally handicapped adults sponsored by Baptist Child and Family Services--to Miracle Farm near Brenham--a ranch for troubled or at-risk youth sponsored by Texas Baptist Children's Home and Family Services.
___The BGCT also supports five elder-care ministries--three "stand alone" agencies and two related to hospitals. Buckner Retirement Services communities housed more than 1,300 people in 2000, and nearly 2,000 others received in-home services through Buckner ElderCare.
___"So often, issues related to the elderly and the aging are ignored when we talk about the sanctity of life, but we are committed at Buckner to ensuring that our oldest and most honored members of society enjoy a high quality of life," said Ken Hall, president of Buckner Baptist Benvolences.
___"The various ministries of Texas Baptists are proof thatwe are a people who value life and recognize that we are created in the image of God," Hall added. "That means we not only care about the sanctity of life, but we also care about the quality of life for the people we serve. Whether it is a child who has been abused and neglected, or a senior adult facing the last days of life on earth, we must be committed to making life full and meaningful for others."
JAY KOCH (left), a resident at Breckenridge Village in Tyler, serves as a Meals on Wheels volunteer.
___In the area of crisis pregnancies, Buckner Adoption and Maternity Services personnel counsel about 500 birth mothers and family members annually. Typically, about two dozen of these choose adoption with Buckner, and others receive positive reinforcement about their decision to "choose life."
___"We believe the adoption and maternity counseling we provide to hundreds of people each year is the most proactive thing Texas Baptists are doing to advocate and promote the life of unborn children," said Mike Douris, vice president of Buckner Adoption and Maternity Services.
___Globally, Buckner Orphan Care International seeks to meet the needs of abandoned or orphaned children in about 175 institutions around the world. In 2000, the agency placed 41 children in international foster care, provided $2.75 million in aid to meet basic human needs and coordinated the Shoes for Orphan Souls program that supplied more than 50,000 pairs of new shoes for international orphans.
___In addition to institutional support, the BGCT also is involved in assisting local church efforts to help women and families facing crisis pregnancies. For example, Freeman Heights Baptist Church in Garland sponsors the Metro Sono ministry, which includes a portable sonogram machine that is used in the community.
___Texas Baptists have helped provide some support for the Metro Sono program and similar "families in crisis" ministries around the state through gifts to the Mary Hill Davis Offering for Texas missions. ___The Mary Hill Davis Offering also provides ongoing support for River Ministry and its nutrition, health care, agricultural and economic development programs along the Texas/Mexico border.
___These include breakfast programs for children who live on the streets and benevolence ministries for deported illegal aliens who are dropped across the border, often hundreds of miles from their families in the interior of Mexico.
___River Ministry works with Baptist churches and associations in Mexico to support 10 Casa Hogar orphanages along the Rio Grande that care for more than 600 children. The Casa Hogar home in Piedras Negras is the only facility in northern Mexico for handicapped and special-needs children.
___And each year, about 800 medical volunteers work through River Ministry to provide health care for 28,000 patients in medical and dental clinics. Last year, these health-care ministries resulted in more than 5,000 professions of faith in Jesus Christ.
PHYSICIANS at Valley Baptist Medical Center in Harlingen pray with a patient seeking treatment for an illness. These ministries are representative of the emphasis Baptist General Convention of Texas agencies and institutions place on the sanctity of life throughout the year.
___Institutionally, Texas Baptists support six health-care ministries. Church gifts through the BGCT Cooperative Program will provide $1.35 million this year to Baylor Health Care System in Dallas, Memorial Hermann Baptist of Southeast Texas, Baptist Health System in San Antonio, Hendrick Medical Center in Abilene, Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center in Waco and Valley Baptist Medical Center in Harlingen.
___Last year, these institutions offered charitable care valued at more than $180 million to about 41,000 patients.
___The six hospitals affiliated with the BGCT employ more than 50 chaplains. Last year, they conducted about 2,500 worship services and made pastoral visits to 240,000 patients.
___Often, chaplains provide pastoral care for patients and their families at times when they are dealing with beginning of life, end of life or quality of life issues, according to Mark Grace, director of pastoral care and counseling at Baylor Health Care System. Baylor employs 30 chaplains in its system and uses the services of more than 100 pastoral care volunteers.
___"These range from chaplains who minister to parents in the neo-natal intensive care unit to chaplains who work with transplant patients," Grace said. In addition to individual visits, chaplains lead a variety of support groups--for cancer patients, parents coping with the loss of a child and for caregivers.
___Attending physicians often call on chaplains to participate with patients and their families in "ethics consults," where they wrestle with the ethical implications of issues--particularly concerning care at the end of life. Last year, Grace noted, chaplains in the Baylor Health Care System were involved in more than 150 ethics consults.
___"Whenever patients are critically ill, whether in ICU or on the floor, life-and-death issues are at stake. The health care team often involves chaplains along with patients and family members when it comes to presenting options," he said.
___And chaplains also provide pastoral care for the health-care providers, Grace added. "You can't be in the presence of someone facing death without feeling its impact yourself."
___
Get printer-friendly version of this story
Send this story to a friend
News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Texas Baptist churches, in the BGCT, the Southern Baptist Convention ( SBC ) and around the world.
Contents/ Masthead / Why We're Here / Links / Archive / E-mail us/ SUBSCRIBE!/ Signup for FirstLook
