Trainees share their vision for the Clinical Pastoral Education Program

Pastor Maigadi Ibrahim

Trainee

In campuses, prisons, military camps and hospitals worldwide, Seventh-day Adventists Chaplains identify vulnerable persons and circumstances   and offer words of encouragement and prayers as part of the healing process. This often brings about positive changes for both the care-giver and receiver. Last December, the BU Centre for Clinical Pastoral Education began its professional programme with nine pioneer trainees. Excerpts of their vision and views about the programme:

"Clinical Pastoral Education opens great opportunities to serve God and humanity. New relationships with patients, clinical staff and fellow CPE students are created and developed. The programme opens new challenges of coping with patients’ health issues as well as clinical staff multi-dimensional medical approaches that call for experience and new methods of solving them.
There were too many academic materials and online references to cope with. Yet a CPE trainee is expected to visit the hospital with little time to study on the job and existing pastoral services.
The enabling power from God, and support from my Northern Nigeria Union Conference and family helped me to cope. I dealt with the challenges by reprioritizing departmental programs and action on existing plans."

Pastor Maigadi is Director of Chaplaincy & Adventist Possibilities Ministries in the Northern Nigeria Union Conference, Abuja, FCT

Idowu Mary

Trainee

Before the CPE program, I struggled with fear and anxiety; fears on whether I was fit for the program and could cope with rigours of study under the prevailing situation.
I discovered that working with peers and letting myself become vulnerable to correction, counsel and direction from my supervisor were a great advantage for personal development. This enhanced my ability to empathize with those in critical conditions and creating a channel of hope to the hopeless.
Initially, I didn’t like the aspect of self revelation of the past, but found out that true healing of old wounds could only begin with it. Healing has to start with one’s self before it can be extended to others.
Aside this, I realized finding my sense of humor in this trying period was another healthy way to build resilience.
Another was self-identification. I have to identify who I am before I can identify with others.

Salami Ayodele

Trainee

Coming for this programme at a critical time like this when going to hospital is highly challenging has not been easy.
Writing of weekly clinical reflection is another big task but the Lord has been my strength.
The CPE training is about self-discovery so I can care for others. I  do daily self-reflection which helps me to set boundaries in my dealings. It has also helped me in the course of my work and during my weekly clinical 48 hours at Babcock Teaching Hospital.
With the reality of Covid-19 , I have to use the personal protective equipment (PPE) as I work in the hospital environment and know that I should not take the Covid-19 for granted.

Pastor Salami is based in Lagos where he works as Chaplain for the Lagos mainland Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Uzoma Nwosi

Trainee

The CPE experience is a training that I have been praying to have, because it has a prospect of increasing the social capital and the capacity building of the Adventist Church in Nigeria and beyond.
With it I believe the remaining portions of chaplaincy ministry years would be more impactful than the former years, because CPE holds the prospect of a bright future for all! 
This training made a lot of positive impact on my relationship with people and revealed things that I didn’t know about myself.
Reading and applying the knowledge in the books and other materials the educator exposed  us to, helped me to cope.

Pastor Nwosi is Director/ Healthcare Chaplaincy in the Eastern Nigeria Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventist Church in Nigeria, Aba, Abia State/ Adventist Chaplaincy Ministries

Pastor Dr. John Enang

Trainee

The CPE training created a paradigm shift in my understanding and practice of ministry. It enhanced my understanding of self-awareness and self-care for more effective ministry.
Traveling in and out of Babcock was challenging especially the time of the year the training was scheduled. Another concern was safety. But I appreciate  the CPE staff who held an orientation to take care of this issue.
Initially, I wondered how I could work with patients with the social distancing protocol in place. But  during the time spent at BUTH, I discovered that it was still possible to work and meet with people, impacting their lives positively without breaching the Covid-19 safety protocol.

Pastor Enang is the Healthcare Chaplain Director and Adventist Chaplaincy Ministries at the West Central Africa Division of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire.

Pastor Dr. Ugochukwu Ahiamadu

Trainee

Learning something new is always a challenge. But, learning and knowing it is a mark of progress in life. Beyond this, our educators were fairly down-to-earth and the collegial atmosphere of our class sessions enhanced my ability to cope.
There were challenges like getting adjusted to school life again, but the benefits of the training far outweigh its challenges. That reality is encouraging enough to make me fulfill the purpose of the training.

Pastor (Dr) Ahiamadu is Director of the Chaplaincy Department at the Seventh-day Adventist Hospital & Motherless Babies Home in Aba, Abia State, Nigeria.