Chaplains’ Spouses Step Into Service at 4th World Chaplaincy Congress

First-ever participation sees families ministering with compassion in storm-affected St. Louis.

July 15, 2025 | St. Louis, Missouri | Dyhann Buddoo-Fletcher and Inter-American Division News

For Seventh-day Adventist church leaders, it was a momentous occasion when they welcomed the spouses of Adventist chaplains as active participants of the 4th World Chaplaincy Congress, held in St. Louis, Missouri, United States June 29 to July 2, 2025. But their involvement extended far beyond attendance. It became a ministry of compassion, intentional, missional, and transformational, they said.

The theme of the congress, “A Chaplain’s Response in a World of Crises,” took on tangible meaning as spouses and children joined forces to minister in a city still reeling from a devastating tornado in May 2025. St. Louis, particularly its vulnerable northern suburbs, bore the scars of storm damage, economic hardship, and emotional loss, leaders reported. Against that reality, the chaplain spouses came to offer not only care packages, but also presence, prayer, and the love of Christ.

A Mission Beyond the Walls

On the morning of July 1, a bus filled with 50 chaplain spouses and their children made their way to the Agape Seventh-day Adventist Church, a longtime beacon of community outreach in the University City suburb. There, they organized and distributed care packages filled with toiletries, canned and frozen meals, US$15 gift certificates, and the book Steps to Christ. Children eagerly helped to sort and pack supplies, their enthusiasm adding joy to the work and warmth to the outreach.

The initiative planned with Joyce Johnson, wife of Dr. Washington Johnson II, director of Adventist Chaplaincy Ministries for the North American Division, and Deborah Anderson, wife of retired U.S. Navy Chaplain Paul Anderson. Together, they served as designated spouse coordinators for the congress.

“We knew that God brought us to St. Louis for a reason,” Anderson said. “After the tornado and seeing the needs in this city, we felt strongly that we were not here just to fellowship, but to leave a spiritual footprint.”

“We came to serve,” Joyce Johnson added. “Our chaplain spouses are always compassionately present for others. Now it was our turn to embody that same presence in this hurting community.”

Love in Action: A Legacy of Service

The outreach effort was hosted in partnership with the Agape Church, where local community service leader Donnita Burnett, Patricia Andrews Peirre, Elder Lionel Bailey, and James Bell faithfully operated the church’s food pantry and community outreach for more than 32 years. The pantry, originally started by Lillie Folks, has become a lifeline for families across the greater St. Louis area, even reaching as far as Illinois. Burnett and her team serve at times, up to 140 families monthly, offering both food and fellowship.

Burnett, deeply moved by the outpouring of support, shared her gratitude: “Before opening the door, I told our guests, none of these women live in St. Louis. They’re from all over the world. They came here for you. These are the wives of chaplains, servants of the Lord. And they chose to serve us on a day we don’t even normally open the pantry. That means so much.”

The outreach also brought moments of profound connection. Beatrice Mesa, spouse of Chaplain Marco Meza, chaplaincy ministries director from Puerto Rican Union, recounted her interaction with a shy Hispanic woman who had never visited the church before. “She wasn’t planning to come, but someone knocked on her door. Her children received snacks, and we prayed with her. It was a reminder that sometimes people live right beside a church and never know the love that’s inside, until someone reaches out”.

A City Responds with Gratitude

The impact rippled through the neighborhood. Mary Hayes, a 78-year-old resident of the University City suburb, beamed with gratitude. “What they gave me helped not only me, but also my neighbors,” she shared. “I’m so thankful and blessed.”

Local church member Elsa Gordon Whitfield, who has served in the area for more than three decades, noted the devastation left by the May tornado. “Our church members were affected. Many homes were destroyed. Some residents had no insurance at all. This outreach reminded us that we’re not forgotten that God sees us and sends help.”

Beyond relief, the outreach planted seeds of spiritual renewal. Burnett noted that several families who first came to the pantry have since joined the church. “We don’t just serve meals,” she said. “We share Christ.”

A New Chapter in Chaplaincy

This inaugural involvement of chaplain spouses marked a shift in Adventist Chaplaincy Ministries’ vision, ministry leaders said. For decades, the focus has been on the chaplains themselves, those who serve in hospitals, prisons, military bases, and institutions. But the 2025 congress made it clear: families are part of the mission too.

One such family is that of Alla Velichko, spouse of a Seventh-day Adventist pastor serving in the Far Eastern Union of Churches Mission in Russia. “We do ministry together—more than 8,000 kilometers [5,000 miles] from Moscow. I serve as director of women’s ministries and family Ministries. Being here in St. Louis, seeing this love in action, has inspired me to take these experiences back home.”

Ivan Omaña, Adventist Chaplaincy Ministries director at the General Conference, affirmed the moment’s significance. “This isn’t just about pastors and chaplains. It’s about families serving together, shoulder to shoulder, heart to heart,” he said.