Pastor has a calling to serve firefighters

Pastor Craig Jenkins, head pastor of Beech Street First Baptist Church, shares his ministry with the Texarkana, Arkansas, Fire Department. Having an affinity for the fire service since he was a child, he has found the Lord had a purpose for that instinct as he offers spiritual counsel for the men and women of the Arkansas-side department. It is a blessing to serve them, he said, but it was a challenge learning how to fit in their community.
Pastor Craig Jenkins, head pastor of Beech Street First Baptist Church, shares his ministry with the Texarkana, Arkansas, Fire Department. Having an affinity for the fire service since he was a child, he has found the Lord had a purpose for that instinct as he offers spiritual counsel for the men and women of the Arkansas-side department. It is a blessing to serve them, he said, but it was a challenge learning how to fit in their community.

Pastor Craig Jenkins, head pastor of Beech Street Baptist Church of Texarkana, Arkansas, shares ministerial duties with the Texarkana, Arkansas, police department. But learning to serve people in crisis and their families started many years back.

"As a child, I've always had an affinity towards the fire service. Whenever I heard the sirens, I was always on the alert," he said. When is life turned to the ministry, little he knew that that instinct would lead him into that community.

In a way, getting to serve Arkansas-side firefighters got his start when he served as a hospital chaplain in his first position in ministry. He referred to it as a "learning season in my life." The clinical chaplain credentials he received in his time as a hospital chaplain, he considers some of the best education he has gotten in ministry.

"The senior chaplain who handled my training while I was a hospital chaplain told me that a year as a hospital chaplain-in-training would be the equivalent of many years in most other pastoral roles. And he was right," he said. "I got it all. I had to handle death, grieving families. I was involved in 92 death cases my first year. It was crisis ministry, intense. But it felt like I was doing something I was suited to do. Eventually, I moved on to the pastoralship. But the call to the chaplaincy continued. And after some time, the opportunity arose to serve in the fire service."

The biggest challenge in entering the fire service community was finding acceptance in that community.

"The fire services are a tight-knit community," he said. "These people train hard and learn how to do a hard, dangerous job. They love what they do, but they are close and don't easily allow others too far into their world. It took some time for them to get to know me, to develop trust. They are careful about who they let into the circle. But I was fine with that. Building relationships is a key part of being any kind of chaplain, and that motivates me, fires me up. This is not to say the firefighters were rude or unwelcome. It just is a process to be allowed into the community. They didn't shut me out or make me feel unwelcome," he said.

"I would just be considerate and make sure I went where I wanted. I would make it known I was available, that I was interested in what they were doing and if any of them wanted to talk, I was available to listen. Chief David Fletch is a Christian man and leads his service from the front. He would go out of his way to involve me in things like promotion ceremonies, where I would be invited to pray, Christmas parties, same thing. It helps that our community is faith friendly," he said

"If I were in, say, New York City, it might be different.But it was all about seeing where I could serve them. When on a call, I talk to people on the scene, ministering to familes who have lost their homes. I follow up on them after the fires, too. I offer care to the firefighters themselves. After a difficult call, difficult run, I visit them. But I let them set the tone. I listen to them, talk to them, get to know them. I'm not trying to be their pastor, just helping them to be the best they can be, man, husband, firefighter, best. I'm here to help," he said.

It was not just those in the ranks he had to learn to interact with. The leadership also took time.

"When on a job, I had to learn to follow protocol," he said. "If the chief on the scene told me to stay in a particular area nor not go into another, I needed to listen, regardless. He's in charge and I'm his responsibility, just like the firefighters in that respect."

As a chaplain, Pastor Craig did have to come to terms with a pluralistic environment, entirely different from the congregation from his church. Faith friendly though they may be, not everyone there was a Christian.

"Like my hospital chaplain experience, I didn't push myself on others, I just made myself available," he said. "As a hospital chaplain, most people did want to see me, I'd say about 98 percent. There were a couple who didn't, but there were no issues with me talking with them, praying or anything else. I could probably count on one hand those who I asked if I could pray for them, they told me no."

As the Texarkana, Arkansas, Fire Department has grown accustomed to having a regularly available fire chaplain around, Pastor Craig is now included in plans by higher-ups.

"Battalion Chief Jeff Tanner put together procedures and a plan for a firefighter support network. I'm now a part of it and I appreciate him doing that."

Pastor Craig's family is fully in support of this, as is his church. One of the things he likes about his role as a fire chaplain, beyond ministering and the thrill of being in the mix of fire operations, is just being in a different world.

"I'm in a different circle I don't normally see in church on Sunday morning," he said. "I connect with folks in a different walk. It is like my son's baseball activities, putting me in a different circle and allowing me to minister to others."

The roles of pastor and chaplain do compliment each other, according to Pastor Craig, and it is fortuitous that is the case.

"If the two did not compliment each other, it would be much more difficult to act in these two different roles," he said. "One of the hardest parts about doing this is the time constraints. There are five fire stations on the Arkansas-side of the city. 15-18 guys on duty with each station every given day. That's a lot of guys to help. Finding the time to cover them in the way you feel you should is hard, and you feel like you are neglecting something, given the constraints of time."

On preparing for the fire chaplaincy, he looks back at his hospital chaplain days as critical.

"My training there was vital in gearing me up for this. Now, the clinical credentials are not necessary to be a fire chaplain, but for me, they really helped," he said.

In considering parting thoughts, Pastor Craig said,"Know yourself, know your audience. Know your lane and stay in it. Remember, you are a spiritual presence, there in the worst day of the lives of some. It is powerful to be there not just for themen, but for the victims. Reach out to them, even with the time constraints."

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