Organization history
In 1981, the Center for
Religious Education at the College of St. Thomas (now the University of
St. Thomas) in Saint Paul, MN, began
to offer a parish-based, ecumenical clinical pastoral education (CPE)
program. BeFriender Ministry was a 6-week component of the CPE
program. During the 6 weeks, leaders and lay ministers were trained
together. A stand-alone BeFriender Ministry workshop for leaders also
was offered beginning in 1982. Although the CPE program was discontinued
in 1985, the Center for Religious Education continued to offer the
stand-alone BeFriender Ministry workshops for leaders.
BeFriender Ministry began
its national outreach in 1983 with its first workshop outside of the
Saint Paul area and has subsequently held workshops for leaders in 21
cities across the U.S. Leaders from 39 states and more than 20
denominations have been trained. Seventy percent of the leaders trained
are volunteers.
In 1986, the College of
St. Thomas and The Saint Paul Seminary entered an affiliation agreement,
and The Saint Paul Seminary School of Divinity was formed. The Center
for Religious Education and its programs, including BeFriender Ministry,
were moved to The Saint Paul Seminary School of Divinity. BeFriender
Ministry remained a part of the School of Divinity for twenty years.
BeFriender Ministry left The Saint Paul Seminary
School of Divinity and the University of St. Thomas in July 2006 to
become an independent 501(c)(3) organization.
A listening
ministry of lay pastoral care
BeFriender Ministry is rooted in Christians’ baptismal call to ministry.
Lay ministers embody the caring presence of God and of the faith
community.
Throughout its history, the heart of BeFriender Ministry has remained
the same:
-
God is present in
every encounter with another person.
-
Active listening
and a nonjudgmental attitude are critical to being present with
another person and truly hearing with empathy the other’s story.
-
Pastoral care is
about caring, not curing.
Spiritual growth and ongoing learning for lay ministers also have been
emphasized throughout the program’s history. A small group
action-reflection model for learning from ministry is a key component of
the program.
Curriculum
The
curriculum was most recently revised in 2004 in response to the evolving
needs of staff and volunteers in churches, healthcare institutions, and
long-term care facilities. In 1994 and 2004 respectively, Dr. Michael
Cowan of Loyola University and Dr. Robert Kinast, author and
director of the Center for Theological Reflection in Florida, consulted
with the staff of BeFriender Ministry to develop and refine the small
group process, now called “Making Meaning.”
Learn
more about the program:
A
snapshot of the program | Starting
a program
National office staff | National
scope | Meaning of the logo
© 2007 BeFriender Ministry - A Listening Presence
|