Providence Church pastor finds helping the dying a rewarding job

The hospice patient was an atheist and did not want to talk about God or speak to a chaplain.

“She was overwhelmed with family issues. The case manager nurse explained to her that the chaplain is a spiritual caregiver who is skilled in grief support and emotional support,” recalled the Rev. Dean Knipe. “She allowed me to come. It required discipline not to invoke God’s name or anything related into our conversations. The day before she died, I asked if there was anything I could do to help her. She said, ‘Yes. pray for me.’ She opened the door to that conversation and it is one of my hospice special moments.”

Since 1999, Knipe has been the pastor at Providence Church, a place of worship for Baptist on St. Marys Road in Columbus.

Since 2012, the Phenix City resident has also been a chaplain with Gentiva Hospice, serving clients in the Alabama counties of Chambers, Lee, Russell, Macon and Bullock.

Knipe was asked the distinction in the two roles.

“One difference that comes to mind is that the pastor serves people at all stages of their life,” he said. “There is birth, christenings, baptisms, marriage, etc. The pastor focuses on pastoral counseling for growth and maturity. The hospice chaplain serves people who have a medical prognosis of six months or less to live. The chaplain provides pastoral counseling for end of life discussions.

“Another, is that a pastor serves a group of like-minded believers,” he added. “A chaplain ministers to people of other faiths and religions.”

He said at Gentiva, the hospice chaplain is not asked to violate their own conscience or beliefs and is expected not to evangelize.

“I am mindful of the traditions and rituals of another person’s faith,” he said. “I facilitate communication between the family and their spiritual leader. I connect them to community resources. I can provide resources that align with their views. I can provide grief support and emotional support for anyone.”

Knipe talked about the matters dealt with by people facing the end of life.

“One issue is the subject of the fear of death,” he said. “It is natural to have a fear of death because this is the person’s first experience with it.”

The chaplain said there are usually four reasons why someone has a fear of death: They wonder how much pain they will endure when they are dying; if they will die alone; will their family be able to cope when they are gone; and what will eternity or the afterlife be like after death.

The chaplain aids the patient and family in making funeral arrangements and planning for a celebration of life service. Knipe said many of the families have been isolated from their faith affiliation due to their illnesses and may rely on the chaplain to officiate the funeral.

“Some families ask the hospice chaplain to officiate because they feel the chaplain has gotten to know their loved one on a personal level,” he said. “It is always an honor and privilege to be asked to officiate a memorial service.”

Knipe’s job includes educating staff and team members on the traditions and rituals of other faiths and religions so every hospice member minds their boundaries and treats everyone with respect. He is pleased he is able to guide patients through different areas so they may experience “peace and calm.”

Knipe recalled meeting a young, recently retired soldier who had been diagnosed with cancer. When Knipe first met him, the soldier said, “you are just the person that I have been waiting to see.” The nurse, the CNA, the volunteer manager, the bereavement coordinator, the equipment company had already come and gone. The soldier was asked what the chaplain could do for him. “I am a Christian but I want to be sure I understand the plan of salvation and that I have done what I needed to go to heaven,” he told the chaplain.

“I was able to help him with that,” Knipe said.

He said he loves serving hospice patients but had never considered doing the work until a neighbor suggested he look into it. He shrugged his shoulders and said, “sure.”

“I had not considered it as a ministry,” he said. “I was not aware of the depth of work that hospice chaplains do.”

He was glad he looked into the position.

“When God opens a door, he opens it wide,” Knipe said.

Knipe is a Columbus native, the son of a soldier. He and his wife, Debbie, have been married for 24 years. They have three children and five grandchildren.

As a teen he got the calling to his current vocation. He knew he wanted to do something of service.

He attended Norris Road Baptist Church and at 18 began to preach, calling the pastor there and asking for opportunities, which were given.

“I am sure I was pretty long-winded,” he said, smiling.

He is grateful to pastors who believed in a shy boy. “I was fortunate. I was licensed and ordained before I even went to college,” Knipe said.

For 16 years, he did route sales for Frito-Lay while also doing ministerial work. He was pastor at Sunderlan Baptist Church in Phenix City before arriving at Providence.

“We are a small church but we have great members,” he said.

Knipe admitted that being a hospice chaplain can be “emotionally overwhelming” at times, but he looks forward to continuing both jobs for quite awhile.

“It is all very rewarding.”

This story was originally published August 18, 2016 at 6:27 PM with the headline "Providence Church pastor finds helping the dying a rewarding job."