The Center for Pastoral Wholeness & Chaplaincy Studies is pleased to announce that our first chaplaincy interns have begun their work at West Cancer Center. They are Meredith Pace, Stephanie Turner, and Gwen Warren. This starts a five-year commitment between West and MTS to provide three chaplaincy interns each semester. Their primary work is the “ministry of presence” with those patients and their families in the many stages of cancer treatment.
Dr. Jonathan L. Jeffords, Director of CPWCS, says, “Our interns sit with patients and staff through the dailiness of cancer treatment. Uncertainty, fear, anger, hope, and faith coexist in those places. As an outpatient cancer treatment facility, there’s much waiting. The opportunity to provide a caring, non-anxious presence in that space is essential. Our interns will gain experience as the people at West receive their care.”
The interns work ten hours a week under the direction of the Care Support team at West. Upon successful completion of their internship, the student receives the benefit of the cost of a three-hour course, $1920. They may receive this as a refund for the courses taken in that semester or apply it as a credit for a course in the following semester. Successful interns are eligible for a second semester’s internship provided they receive a recommendation from the Care Support leadership at West.
The next application window for interns in the spring 2024 semester will begin in mid-November. Directions for how to apply will accompany that posting.