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Betty Jo Anderson: Hospital Chaplain

Tell us about your ministry position.

ANDERSON: I am the senior chaplain at Brookhaven Hospital, a behavioral health facility with a Christian renewal emphasis. Brookhaven’s clients seek help in overcoming alcohol and drug abuse, and eating disorders. We also provide psychiatric services for various behavioral health diagnoses. I oversee two assistant chaplains and volunteer ministers. We provide a daily chapel service. I conduct four or five of these per week which means I preach, lead worship and conduct prayer ministry roughly 20 times per month. Each of our clients meets with a chaplain for a spiritual assessment. From these assessments, I am able to make a treatment plan for their spiritual distresses. I am part of the client’s treatment team and provide spiritual input as to the individual’s progress.

Tell us about your journey into this ministry. What led you there?

ANDERSON: I graduated from North Central University in 1986. My husband and I pastored in Minnesota for five years; then we moved to Oklahoma for further ministerial training. During this time, I home schooled our three children and was active in our local church. In 1999, I felt a personal stirring again for ministry. A friend of mine, who was the chaplain at Brookhaven, needed someone to fill in for her over a weekend. I knew I was to help. I had allowed my license with the Assemblies of God to lapse since I had been a stay-at-home mom. To make a long story short, my friend went on to another ministry and Brookhaven asked me to assume the position of weekend chaplain. Within six months I was the senior chaplain. God truly opened the door for me.

How did you know or sense you were called to the ministry?

ANDERSON: As a preteen I read and learned about Mother Teresa’s work in Calcutta, India. I considered becoming a nun to participate in work similar to hers. At 16, I came into the fullness of the Holy Spirit and started reading books by Mark Buntain. I started to attend an Assemblies of God church and met a North Central University (NCU) intern. I went to NCU because I knew God wanted me to minister to people. I had dreams of the lost dying apart from God and my heart grieved. At times I have doubted the call, but when I remember my formative years spiritually, I also remember the burden placed in my heart by God’s Spirit.

How has your ministry reached or touched people? What have been the results or impact?

ANDERSON: Hundreds of people through the course of their stay at Brookhaven have accepted Christ as their Savior. I love them where they are, give them tools to change their spiritual condition, listen, counsel, pray and teach. At times I question the impact, but even though I know some will reject God, I continue to be faithful. Recently a former client shared with me the story of how alcohol abuse was destroying his marriage. He overcame his alcohol problem, God miraculously restored his marriage and family, and now he shares his testimony with others. This is one of many stories of restoration.

Tell us about your greatest struggle and greatest reward in the ministry.

ANDERSON: I feel very busy with life. Our children are teenagers and I realize my priority in this season is first and foremost to parent them. This truly is my greatest joy. However, I do struggle with juggling everything. I have learned to allow God to help me decide which things are His perfect will for me at this time. Another area of struggle has been not feeling validated as a minister. I have chosen to be optimistic regarding this. I do not have the camaraderie in chaplaincy as perhaps ministers in churches have.

The greatest reward in ministry is to see spiritual eyes opened, to see prodigals come home, and to see the brokenhearted find hope as previous clients contact me and let me know what God has done in their lives.

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