|
|
Staff and Students
|
Chaplain Aaron Alvarez serves Covenant as a resident chaplain. He graduated from Southern Nazarene University (Bethany, Oklahoma) in 1994 with a Bachelor’s of Science in Psychology and more recently an MA in Pastoral Ministry and an MDiv in Spiritual Formation from Northwest Nazarene University (Nampa, Idaho), 2010 and 2012 respectively. Aaron has been a youth pastor, associate pastor and senior pastor. He has served for 8 years as an on-call chaplain in Battle Creek. He completed his first unit of CPE in the fall of 2011 at Oakwood Hospital in Dearborn, Michigan. He is finishing up his ordination in the Wesleyan Church. He has been married for 16 years and has 3 children. Aaron can be reached at aalvarez@chs-mi.com. |
|
Bonnie Ballard, Administrative Associate, joined the Pastoral Care Department in January, 2009. Prior to joining the Pastoral Care Team, she worked in the Registration Department for almost two years. Before coming to Covenant HealthCare, Bonnie worked as a customer service representative/supervisor for many years. She received her Associates Degree in business from Delta College and became a certified professional secretary in 1985. Bonnie is a member/past president of the International Association of Administrative Professionals. Bonnie can be reached at 989.583.6042 or bjballard@chs-mi.com. |
|
Chaplain Londa Bishop is serves Covenant as an occasional employee (after completing a CPE residency unit in August 2012). She is a credentialed minister in the Seventh-day Adventist Church completing her Master of Divinity Degree in 1996 from Andrews Theological Seminary in Berrien Springs and a CPE internship here at Covenant in August 2011. She has had a varied experience including nine years of being a boarding academy chaplain and bible teacher as well as 5 years of associate pastoring. Londa can be reached at londabishop@chs-mi.com. |
|
Kathy Bonn, Director of the Pastoral Care Department, is a consecrated diaconal minister in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. She brought a variety of experiences to the role of director in July 2007, including being a high school math teacher, college professor, and Hospice volunteer. During her chaplaincy training, Kathy did her CPE internship at Gunderson Lutheran Medical Center (in La Crosse, WI) and her CPE residency at St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center (in Toledo, OH). For her Master of Arts in Diaconal Ministry she specialized in hospital chaplaincy, and her Ph.D. is in Curriculum & Instruction. Kathy can be reached at 989.583.6037. |
|
Chaplain Anne Breitag is a Roman Catholic Dominican Sister who has worked on Covenant's Pastoral Care Team since August 2000 after completing her Clinical Pastoral Education studies. Before joining Covenant, she was in active parish ministry for 33 years as a teacher, principal, religious education director, and pastoral minister. Sister Anne became a certified chaplain in the summer of 2002. Sister Anne can be contacted at 989.583.4398. |
|
Chaplain Cathy French is serving as an occasional employee at Covenant, having completed and served as a resident chaplain here at Covenant 2011-12. She has spent much of her adult and childhood growing up in the northeast region of Massachusetts. She received her Master of Divinity degree from Andover Newton Theological School and completed a CPE internship at Haven Wood-Heritage Heights in Concord, New Hampshire. Prior to seminary, Cathy worked in human services most recently as an intensive case manager/family liaison with children and their families in crisis. She is a lifelong Unitarian Universalist with an interest in serving in an ecumenical interfaith setting as a chaplain. Cathy can be reached at cathyfrench@chs-mi.com. |
|
Chaplain Denise Gundersen is an Evangelical Lutheran Church in America pastor who is serving as an occasional chaplain at Covenant. She brings 20 years of pastoral experience and a diverse background. Denise earned a B.S. in Accounting at Thomas College in Waterville. She became a CPA and then an accounting manager in the corporate headquarters of a Fortune 100 company. After 10 years in accounting, she felt the call to serve God’s people and earned her Masters of Divinity at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary in Berkeley, CA in 1993. Denise served two congregations in Florida and two in Michigan. She has been married for 33 years, has three children and a therapy dog that works in church with her. She can be reached at 989.392.6364 or dgundersen@chs-mi.com. |
|
Chaplain Mike Herner has served as an occasional employee since 2007. He has completed one unit of CPE and is a licensed minister in the Church of the Nazarene. He is currently working toward his ordination with the church of the Nazarene. He has served in ministry since 2002. Before that he worked for the Genesee County Road Commission and retired with 25 years of service. He also had 20 years of service as a firefighter with the Forest Township Fire Department. Mike can be reached at mherner@chs-mi.com. |
|
Chaplain Bob Koch joined the Covenant staff in September 2009 following a CPE residency. He brings 35 years of high-level community and pastoral experience. Bob earned his D. Min. degree from the Methodist Theological School in Ohio specializing in grief ministry and bereavement support. Since 2004 he has been an adjunct faculty member at Saginaw Valley State University teaching communication courses in the behavioral and health science curriculums. Bob can be reached at 989.583.6042 or rkoch@chs-mi.com. |
|
Chaplain Connie Leininger serves Covenant as a resident chaplain. She grew up in the Philippines where her parents were missionaries. She went to Carroll College in Waukesha, WI and worked in child welfare, youth and senior services before she went to McCormick Seminary and became an ordained Presbyterian pastor. She worked in an inner city church in Chicago and at South Park Presbyterian in Rock Island, IL. More recently, she has been an adult educator in a county jail. She likes to cook, read, and enjoy outdoor beauty. She dreams of a world that works for everyone. Connie can be reached at cleininger@chs-mi.com. |
|
Jill Rasmussen-Baker is the supervisor for our Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) program. Certified as an Associate Supervisor with the Association of Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE), she is an ordained Minister of the Word and Sacrament/Teaching Elder in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). She did a CPE internship at Penrose-St. Francis in Colorado Springs, CO; seven units of CPE residency at St. Joseph Regional Medical Center, South Bend, IN; and her CPE supervisory education at Riverside Methodist Hospital and Grant Medical Center, Columbus, OH. She then became the Clinical Pastoral Educator at a Columbus hospital. She served five years full-time in parish ministry, four years as a solo pastor. Her first career was in software engineering with five years in supervisory management. A board certified chaplain, Jill can be reached at 989.583.4279. |
|
Chaplain Elaine Raymond is a Mission Sister of the Holy Spirit and has been an occasional employee at Covenant since 1984 when former director, Ray Dice, was the only full time chaplain. Ray saw the need for round-the-clock chaplains and prepared four ministers for this ministry on a volunteer basis. At that time Sr. Elaine was a full-time pastoral associate at St. Andrew Catholic Church after which she was appointed Pastoral Administrator at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Merrill from 1989-1999. During this time she continued her chaplaincy with Covenant. She also directs the Special Religious Education Program (SPRED) for developmentally disabled people throughout the Diocese. In 1999, Sr. Elaine returned to St. Andrew and continued there for 9 more years before retiring. She continues chaplaincy at Covenant, the SPRED program, and is also a hospice chaplain for the Visiting Nurses Association (VNA) of Covenant. Sr. Elaine can be reached at eraymond@chs-mi.com. |
|
Chaplain Rob Schmidt serves as an occasional employee at Covenant. Rob is an ordained clergy in the ELCA and serves as pastor to a local congregation since 2006. Rob has completed one unit of CPE as part of his seminary education at Trinity Lutheran Seminary in Columbus, OH where he earned his masters of divinity. Prior to ministry Rob earned a masters in counseling education counseling psychology from Western Michigan University and a bachelor’s of science with secondary education teaching endorsement. Rob served in the public school system in the state of Michigan where he taught, coached and served as a counselor prior to pursuing his ministerial credentials. Rob can be reached at robertschmidt@chs-mi.com.
|
|
Chaplain Caleb Walcott serves as a CPE resident. Caleb recently graduated from Calvin Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids. While in school, Caleb did his first unit of CPE at the Washington Hospital Center in Washington, D.C. Caleb also had internships at churches in Jackson, Michigan, and Orillia, Ontario. While in school, he worked part-time at Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services as a Patient Care Provider. Caleb did his undergraduate work at Hope College he can be reached at cwalcott@chs-mi.com.
|
|
Chaplain Trish Ware has been married nearly 20 years and has four children and four grandchildren. She has worked in the health care field for over 20 years, 17 in public health (Ingham County Health Department). She is associated with the Pentecostal Churches of the Apostolic Faith (PCAF) in the process of License and Ordination. Trish has served faithfully in the Care Ministry for 12 years and Assistant Superintendent for the Sunday School Department. She graduated with an Associate’s in Applied Science and a Bachelor’s of Business Administration in Health Care Services from Davenport University in Lansing, Michigan. She has a Master of Arts in Theological Studies and an M.Div. in Chaplaincy from Liberty University. She completed one unit of CPE at Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services in Grand Rapids, Michigan in March of 2012. Trish is currently a resident chaplain at Covenant HealthCare and can be reached at tware@chs-mi.com. |
|
Chaplain Carol Wesolek is serving Covenant as an occasional employee. She has completed 4 units of CPE at Covenant, which included a year residency. She has been a licensed ordained chaplain through the International Fellowship of Chaplains since 1999, with emphasis on trauma, grief and loss. Carol is a member of a Critical Incident Stress Debriefing and Management team, having taken training through ICISF (International Critical Incident Stress Foundation) of which she is a member, and the IFOC (International Fellowship of Chaplains). She also attended Mid-Michigan Bible Institute. Carol is also employed as a hospice chaplain. She can be reached at cwesolek@chs-mi.com. |
|
Chaplain Betty Zeestraten received her Bachelor of Education from the University of Toledo in 1987 and taught in Catholic schools in Northern Ohio. From 1992-1998, her church ministry led her to inner-city Detroit. In 1998, she began working in churches in the Saginaw area. She received her MA in Pastoral Ministry from Marygrove College in 2003. She was the Administrator of St. Patrick, Palms, MI from 2002-2005. In 2005-2006, she enhanced her ministry to the sick by further training as a chaplain through the Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) program at Covenant. After her training, she continued on as an occasional employee at Covenant, becoming a part-time staff chaplain in April 2012. Betty can be reached at bzeestraten@chs-mi.com. |
|
|
?
|
|
|
|