Chaplaincy in New Zealand would not be the same without Chaplain Ray Bloomfield. Over the last 26 years he became the first Pentecostal Chaplain in all of Australasia, served for 16 years on the executive board of the New Zealand Healthcare Chaplains Association, and has served as President of the association for the last six. He has also planted and pastored three churches in unreached towns, supervises clergy and counselling students, and serves as a Justice of the Peace. As he nears retirement, Chaplain Bloomfield will continue many of these positions, while rebuilding the professional body of Chaplains, as well as volunteering through his local Hospice. Despite the work load, he says it doesn’t feel like work, and enables him continue the service he is passionate about.
Through his ministry, he has kept “one foot in the world”, working alongside non-Christian people and developing relationships with them before attempting to attend to their spiritual needs. His alternative methods of reaching out to individuals included working on farms, on forestry rigs, and a budgeter in a community health center. As he became well-known in the community for his ability to help people out of debt, they began to go to see him at church. Many were drawn to Christ because he demonstrated care for the community’s holistic well-being. After planting another church, his schedule became consumed with serving the church internally, and he realized how much he missed being out among the “unchurched”. It was an epiphany which sparked the idea of Chaplaincy as a career. Around this time, he was asked to serve part time at a hospital for the incumbent Chaplain, and says he was hooked from day one. He felt strongly called to the hospital and to the patients with problems too serious to ignore. After completing his Clinical Pastoral Education, he resigned the pastorate and was appointed Chaplain of Rotorua Hospital, the first Pentecostal Chaplain in Australasia.
Chaplain Bloomfield considers his service as a Church of God Chaplain in an ecumenical environment to be the pinnacle of his ministry. He has journeyed alongside scores of patients and staff through the high and low points of their lives, officiated their weddings as well as their funerals, dedicated their children to the Lord and counseled them in times of doubt and struggle. Although proselytizing is not allowed in the government-run hospitals, patients seeking answers to their life-long questions of faith have turned to Christ in their final moments, finally accepting His unconditional love and forgiveness. He has helped indigenous Maori believed to be cursed and demon possessed, and witnessed their transformation as their afflictions were lifted. Throughout his service as a pastor and Chaplain, simply entering other’s lives and seeking to help them in a personal way has opened the door for ministry. Chaplain Bloomfield is extremely grateful that God has entrusted him with this calling, and that he has not only been able to give to others, but has been greatly enriched in return.
She and Kelly Artemis founded Milspo Gurus for this community, and engage in honest discussion through blogs, Q&A videos , and a personalized course. Their course was recently featured in military family focused Legacy Magazine , and both are published in other military resources, found on their site. Claire shares more about the creation of Milspo Gurus here:
Dec. 6, 2018
Distance is no obstacle for students who take synchronous CSC Training Courses. The January course hosted by the Pentecostal Theological Seminary and the Church of God Chaplains Commission offers a unique opportunity to take part in the class from home and interact with students and presenters while thousands of miles...
Nov. 15, 2018
Faith-based retirement communities provide seniors with personalized care encompassing not only basic needs, but relational and spiritual needs as well. These communities offer service on a continuum from independent and assisted living facilities, to nursing care and memory support, and while many know of the opportunity to volunteer in these communities, fewer know of opportunities for Chaplaincy.
Nov. 29, 2018
Indivisible , a movie based on the true story of Army Chaplain Darren Turner and his family, was released earlier this year, has been described as “one of the most moving and powerful films” on Military Chaplaincy. This film depicts a realistic portrayal of military life and the strains that it can place on marriages and families...
Oct. 25, 2018
Chaplain Kimberly Belcher’s first extended unit of Clinical Pastoral Education at Erlanger Health System in Chattanooga, TN was responsible for derailing her path to “traditional” ministry. There, she was introduced to service that was entirely outside of the church, yet fundamentally focused on furthering her mission of caring for those in need.
Oct. 18, 2018
Chaplaincy in New Zealand would not be the same without Chaplain Ray Bloomfield. Over the last 26 years he became the first Pentecostal Chaplain in all of Australasia, served for 16 years on the executive...
CONTACT US
Church of God Chaplains Commission
900 Walker Street NE
Cleveland, TN 37311
Phone: (423) 478-7740
Fax:(423) 478-7954
Email: chapcm@cogchaplains. org