The Mental Health Chaplaincy was founded by Rev. Craig Rennebohm in 1987, As Chaplain, Craig worked to link congregations together in neighborhood networks of care, and train volunteers to serve as companions and ministry leaders in their local settings.The Chaplaincy was founded by Rev. Craig Rennebohm in 1987 and initially sponsored by the Church Council of Greater Seattle.
Since 1997, it has been an ecumenical outreach program of Prospect Congregational United Church of Christ, with major support from its downtown base in Plymouth Congregational Church. Under Craig’s leadership, the Chaplaincy grew to serve individuals and families, create mental health ministries in local congregations, and advocate for effective and readily accessible community mental health systems. As Chaplain, Craig walked a regular route through downtown Seattle, seeking out those who are most vulnerable; those whose confusion or fear makes it hard to seek or accept assistance; those whose illness makes them feel isolated, unworthy, and hopeless. Working tenderly, Craig built trust, helped find shelter and care, and continued to walk alongside as each person made their way toward a new and stable life. Craig would also visit the mental health units at Harborview Medical Center, attending to patients who faced profound spiritual issues in the course of their illness. He worked with the medical teams and social work staff to lay the groundwork for a renewed and healthy faith. Many of us who have experienced mental illness turn to our congregation for crisis help and support in our journey toward health. Craig's work has been recognized nationally an internationally, and as a result he has shared his wisdom through teaching and presentations in many local, national, and international settings, including serving for ten years with an international, interfaith working group on Spirituality and Social Work active during and after hostilities in Croatia and Bosnia-Hercegovina. He has served on the national advisory board of Nami Faithnet and the Board of Directors of the UCC Disabilities Ministries and has provided consultation for Pathways to Promise, a national interfaith mental health resource. He received numerous recognitions for his Chaplaincy work, including the Tipper Gore Award of the National Health Care for the Homeless Council, a Carleton College Alumni Distinguished Achievement Award, and a Seattle Post-Intelligencer Jefferson Award. In 2008, he was honored by the Thomas C. Wales Foundation during its annual celebration of Passionate Citizenship. Most recently, he was honored by NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, with its 2009 Richard T. Greer Advocacy Award. Craig’s acclaimed book, Souls in the Hands of a Tender God, written with David Paul, was published by Beacon Press in 2008, and a paperback edition followed in 2009. The book tells uplifting stories of Chaplaincy experiences, takes readers into the lives of people with mental illness, explores what we can all do to help those in distress, and challenges us to create caring communities. Visit the website for more information about the book or pick up a copy at one of our Companionship Trainings. |