Einsätze

Contribution to Strategy: Bembereke Hospital is a ministry of the SIM-related church denomination, the Union of Evangelical Churches of Benin (UEEB), that meets the needs of the population through medical care and reaches the patients with the love of Christ, sharing the good news of the gospel with them.

Services at Bembereke Hospital include an outpatient department, operating block with a sterile supplies department, HIV and AIDS clinic, ophthalmic clinic, physiotherapy department, pharmacy, laboratory, X-ray department, teaching department, administrative block, and a maintenance workshop. The staff consists of more than 216 Beninese, 2 expatriate long-term SIM missionaries, and several Associates. These people are vital to maintaining the hospital's service of compassion through which many people learn of the love of God. However, the staff faces a seemingly constant high level of stress and pressure. Certainly, the demands of taking care of a high number of patients each day bring these on, but added to that are the usual personal struggles and demands that weigh people down, interpersonal problems among the staff, long working hours, and most assuredly, spiritual warfare that seemingly permeates every level of the hospital and its ministry.

Ministry: PP- Member Care

Responsibilities: As a counselor, pastor, or chaplain, you would be available to provide encouragement to:

1) hospital leadership, personnel, and staff. Although the African staff is almost entirely Beninese, they come from various ethnic groups and backgrounds (social and religious). As they are brought together to live and work in this more northern, rural setting, misunderstandings, communication problems, and difficult cultural adjustments arise. Tensions from the daily heavy workload and stress among the personnel are always present and often strong. As a counselor and chaplain, you would be available to listen, give advice, lend support, and possibly even organize training sessions (interpersonal skills, how to handle stress, money management, etc.). As you respond to the spiritual, emotional, and relational needs (and maybe even those of their spouses and children), you are generating more effective work and ministry at the hospital.

2) missionary (expatriate) staff. The foreign long-term and Associate staff often need the same listening ear, advice, and encouragement. They struggle with cultural adjustment and interpersonal tensions among themselves and with hospital colleagues. There may be cases with individual missionaries where you would work in conjunction with the direction and counsel of the SIM Area Director and the Personnel Coordinator.

3) hospital evangelists and local pastors. It is hoped that as a counselor and chaplain, you would provide support and training for the evangelists employed by the hospital and for local pastors so that little by little these Beninois spiritual leaders would be able to provide the counseling and pastor care needs within the hospital community.

Ministry 2: PC- Counseling (Trained Counselors)

Other Ministry Possibilities: Several well established churches are available around Bembereke with enough possibilities for involvement in their programs. Much depends on one’s gifts and language skills.