Ottawa’s pastoral care training program strengthens the Body to respond to needs

Janet Mabie
Special to Spur Ottawa

Throughout the pandemic, pastoral care needs increased in many congregations. At the same time, pastors juggled the adaptation to Zoom, constantly-changing rules, and a new dynamic with their congregants. That’s where the Ottawa Pastoral Care Training Program (OPCTP) comes in. The interdenominational program trains lay people in the basics of pastoral care, so the weight of that work can be spread across the body of believers.

“It is inspiring to see the level of commitment to pastoral care continuing through a world wide pandemic, during times when it felt like our society shut down,” says Terri Skuce, OPCTP’s administrator.

The group hosted their basic course in late September, running two-hour classes for nine weeks. The course teaches participants how to provide care for hospital visits, with the dying, for those experiencing loss, and caring for the caregivers. The team also offered an advanced course in the fall, for those who had completed the basic course.

“Though some restrictions have lifted, there are still many who feel vulnerable and at risk.”

“The program has been operating for over 40 years and trained thousands of lay people in how to make visits to shut-ins, to people in hospital, and others in their homes,” states Robert MacKenzie, chair of OPCTP. “The basic model we support is that a church has a pastoral care team with a lay leader or coordinator, with the minister or priest of the church being consulted on any difficult situation.”

During the lockdowns, teams had to refrain from visiting those in hospitals or long-term care facilities. Most of the ministry shifted to connecting over the phone or online.

“In better weather, people started meeting outside, in backyards, on porches, or in garages,” adds Skuce. “Though some restrictions have lifted, there are still many who feel vulnerable and at risk.”

Heather Dixon became involved in pastoral care ministry in 2014.

“My story about pastoral care involvement started earlier, when I was caring for my parents in their nursing home,” she shares. “I was there everyday to meet my parents’ needs, and I found myself helping other residents as well, cleaning their glasses, reading to them, chatting with them. I began to think at that time that when I retired I could help out with these seniors. They seemed to like me and I for sure liked them.”

“The most rewarding part is learning about the real trust my senior congregants had, trusting God to help them with their challenges.”

After retiring, Dixon started taking pastoral care courses in Toronto, driving from Ottawa to spend a weekend every two months. Eventually she connected with the pastoral care team in her home church, in Ottawa.

“The most rewarding part is learning about the real trust my senior congregants had, trusting God to help them with their challenges,” says Dixon. “Every week when I took one dear lady shopping, she would say, ‘The Lord is helping me a lot with everything I need to do.’ That kind of faith bolstered me and I often still say those words to myself.”

Dixon encourages everyone who has a listening ear and a heart to help seniors, to join a pastoral care team.

“Our starting point is one of listening and trying to respond in a way that helps to restore dignity to the individual,” says Christopher Adam, the group’s treasurer. “What’s remarkable about pastoral care is that it’s all but impossible to offer it to someone else, and not experience a form of conversion yourself.”