40 Walk Hill Street
Boston, MA 02130
Phone: 617/524-7900
Web address: http://www.bethelame.org
Email: gwhite-hammond@hds.harvard.edu
Contact Person:
Rev. Gloria White-Hammond, MD, MDiv, Co-Pastor
Organization Description:
Bethel AME Church is a vibrant multi-generational largely African-American congregation in Boston. With a guiding framework of “reaching up to God; reaching in to our congregation; and reaching out to our community,” we offer diverse opportunities for a field education student to grow in their calling to ministry.
Opportunities for Student Involvement:
In the wake of the pandemic, we are particularly committed to expanding our current health initiatives. We would like to identify the field education student who is interested in exploring ministry at the intersection of the practice of medicine, spiritual care and public health in a community-based context. That student would work alongside Pastor Gloria as the Health Ministry Assistant Coordinator to contribute to the development of strategy and expansion of our current ministry. These ministries include: -The Allied Health Ministry which organizes various health promotional activities, such as blood pressure screenings, CPR trainings, bone marrow registry campaigns, “Think Pink” and “Go Red” Sundays -Planning Ahead has assisted hundreds of participants to develop plans for the end-of-life care they desire. -Congregants and family members affected by serious illnesses are currently supported by members of our ministerial staff and members of our Stephen Ministries. We want to increase the number of people trained to provide that support. We recently partnered with colleagues at Ariadne Labs to train additional lay and clergy members to use the What Matters to Me Workbook. This workbook was developed to help people with serious illnesses think about what is most important to them as they contend with illness and come up with a plan to convey their concerns to their health care team. -Mental health has become an even greater source of struggle for many people. Can We Talk… Community Conversations on Trauma and Healing developed with HDS alum, Rev. Liz Walker, has become a useful approach to addressing trauma-associated depression. We would like to replicate that model at Bethel. -Pastor Gloria is involved in several health equity-related initiatives for the city and local hospitals. The student will be encouraged to become engaged in these activities per their interest and availability.
Commute/Transportation Information:
The church is accessible by public transportation.
Arts of Ministry Competencies Offered:
- Administration and Program Development
- Pastoral Care and Counseling
- Public Leadership, Community Organizing, and Planning
Supervision:
The student is expected to meet weekly with Pastor Gloria as the site supervisor.
Additional Information:
- Number of Students: 1
- Total Compensation: $6000.00
- Type of Compensation: Work Study