Public Service Endorser
Brent Bond, Senior Director of Chaplaincy
“So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals. But for Adam no suitable helper was found” (Genesis 2:20, CSB).
In the Fall 2022 SBC Chaplaincy newsletter, I emphasized a companioning presence. In this issue, let’s consider the theological support for this topic.
Genesis 2:15 reveals that God placed man in the Garden of Eden to work and care for it. Then, as Adam goes about this work, God discloses, “It is not good for the man to be alone” (Gen. 2:18, CSB). When something is “good,” it functions as God intended. This first occurrence of the term “not good” in Scripture indicates something is amiss and not functioning as God intended.
When God paraded numerous pairs of animals and birds for Adam to consider, Adam must have felt a deep and unsettling loneliness. It was then that he recognized his own need for a companion. In His wisdom, God revealed to us that He created people to live in community.
Finnish neuroscientist Riitta Hari states, “We crave social contacts to the extent that isolation is used as punishment and even as torture,” being “risk factors for increased mortality.”
According to New American Commentary commentator Kenneth Matthews, “God has created human life to have fellowship with him but to also be a social entity, building relationships with other human beings.”
A companioning presence is being with people because God created humans to be social. “Isolation is not the divine norm for human beings; community is the creation of God” (Matthews). Since isolation was not good for Adam, it is not suitable for people today. God created us to connect with others.
In the next Chaplaincy newsletter, I will provide several factors to promote a companioning presence.
Lord, you have made us to be in relationship with you and others. Thank you for this capacity for relationships. You dwelt among us (John 1:14). Help us to be Your incarnational presence with others in crisis. Amen.
Information to know:
- Help me tell your chaplaincy story: Please provide me with action pictures and stories of you providing chaplaincy ministry with 2-3 sentences about your ministry and a memorable experience to go with the image. We will contact you for permission before we publish any pictures and stories.
- Every SBC Chaplain is a recruiter. Be aware of the opportunities within your ministry context to recruit chaplains and promote SBC endorsement. Ask people to text “Chaplaincy” to 888123 for more information regarding chaplaincy and the pathway to becoming an SBC chaplain.
- SBC Chaplaincy Support Network: Connect with other SBC Chaplains for best practices, support, and board certification by going to this website, where you will find chaplains matching your category and area. (Please find your name and confirm your public profile is correct or update accordingly.) Register for an upcoming regional Chaplain Professional Development Training event to connect with fellow Then, consider joining the SBC Chaplaincy Facebook page.
- REMINDER: We require an SBC Chaplaincy endorsement for each chaplaincy ministry or professional organization you serve or associate with. SBC Chaplaincy endorsements are not universal since each category’s requirements differ. Contact our office to update your endorsement if your ministry setting, institution, certifying organization or church membership has changed.
- Your church is your primary spiritual support network. Share a PDF of your Quarterly Report with your pastor or church leadership. They can celebrate what God is doing in your ministry and offer prayer support. Additionally, it will give you an excellent opportunity to inform them about chaplaincy as a missionary opportunity for other church members.
Brent’s Upcoming Conference and Site Visits:
- October 18: Real Life Ministries (Tyrone, Georgia)
- October 23-25: Ridgecrest Chaplain Professional Development Training (Ridgecrest, North Carolina)
- November 3-5: Association of Certified Christian Chaplains Annual Meeting (Gatlinburg, Tennessee)
Published September 26, 2023
