The Chaplains Alert South Africa (Casa) hosted its second dedication service at the Stellenbosch Fire Station on Saturday 1 August.

The local station is a venue that holds deep significance in the history of the chaplaincy ministry. Nearly 13 years ago, on Christmas Day, firefighters were involved in a serious accident and found themselves in need of pastoral care and trauma support.

It was during that time that the chaplaincy journey of serving first responders truly began. Thus, returning to the fire station for the dedication was both symbolic and deeply meaningful.

It also gave guests the opportunity to experience, first-hand, the environment in which the uniformed services faithfully serve their communities daily.

Milestone gathering

Since May, candidate chaplains have journeyed through months of training, including a practical training day in June, followed by operational station visits to Fire & Rescue Services, Metro Ambulance Services, Law Enforcement and Traffic Services.

“We give thanks to God that all eight candidate chaplains successfully completed their training and were dedicated into ministry,” Dr Daniel Solomons, chief pastoral counsellor and emergency services chaplain (chief chaplain), explained.

“This year’s service also marked another significant milestone for Casa; dedication of our very first first responder logistics coordinator. This is an exciting new ministry development and we look forward to sharing more about this important role in the near future.”

The prayer offerings of the dedication service were based on Philippians 1:6: “I am convinced and confident of this very thing, that he who has begun a good work in you will continue to perfect and complete it until the day of Christ Jesus.”

Solomons encouraged the new chaplains with the following words: “Allow God to continue to complete the work within you.”

‘Walk with others through pain’

He sounded a cautionary note: “Being a chaplain is not about having all the answers. It is not about being the strongest person in the room. It is about allowing God to continue His work in us as we walk with others through their pain. Every difficult call-out, every prayer whispered beside an ambulance, every conversation with a firefighter, police officer, paramedic, or disaster victim becomes another opportunity for God to shape us into the image of Christ.

“As you are dedicated today, remember your greatest qualification is not your training, your experience or your uniform, but that you belong to Christ, and He is faithfully at work within you.”

The following well-known, timeless hymn the newly dedicated chaplains sang reflected this very philosophy: “Here I am, Lord. It is I, Lord. I have heard you calling in the night. I will go, Lord, if you lead me. I will hold your people in my heart.”

Coming from different backgrounds and professions, their role of serving those who serve others is voluntary, and will be up and running in Stellenbosch, Paarl, Ceres, Saldahna, Hermanus and Atlantis.

“We pray that God will bless each of them as they provide pastoral care, emotional support and the hope of Christ to first responders and those affected by crisis and tragedy,” Solomons said. “What a privilege to witness God’s faithfulness again!”