Healthcare Services Disrupted by Presence of Blessing Ceremony
In the city of Hagen, Germany, the Evangelical Church has a significant presence in the healthcare sector, providing spiritual support and emotional solace to patients, families, and staff in local hospitals. This is evident in the work of Pastor Frauke Hayungs and Pastor Jürgen Krullmann, who are currently serving as hospital chaplains at the Agaplesion Clinic Hagen (AKH) and the Evangelical Hospital Haspe, respectively.
Pastor Hayungs, the new hospital chaplain at Mops - the Evangelical Hospital Haspe, continues to organise the memorial service for the forgotten and the monthly burial for stillborn children, alongside her colleague Pastor Krullmann. The two pastors, who previously worked together at the Agaplesion Clinic Hagen (AKH), also oversee a small choir that was founded as a project of hospital chaplaincy at the AKH.
The weekly church services at both the AKH and Mops are recorded and shared via WhatsApp, offering a spiritual connection for those who may be unable to attend in person. Pastor Hayungs notes that people are deeply moved by the offer of blessing, while Pastor Krullmann performs ritual accompaniment such as praying with people or celebrating devotions.
The Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD) has a long-standing history of involvement in hospital chaplaincy and spiritual care. Their role typically includes offering spiritual and emotional support, conducting religious services, and participating in patient care teams to address holistic well-being beyond physical health. This service is part of a larger movement known as spiritual care, which emphasises respecting patients’ values and beliefs within healthcare settings.
The impact of the Evangelical Church’s presence in hospitals often involves contributing to improved patient coping and comfort, enhancing the ethical climate of care, and serving as a bridge between medical treatment and spiritual needs. Services provided by the Church might include chaplaincy programs, prayer meetings, individual counselling, and support groups tailored to various patient populations.
While specific details about the involvement of the Evangelical Church in Hagen hospitals were not readily available, it is clear that the Agaplesion Clinic Hagen (AKH) is cared for by evangelical clergy, as stated by the Evangelical Church Circle Hagen. The Evangelical Church Circle considers hospital chaplaincy an important church location, and the special aspect of hospital chaplaincy, according to Krullmann, is the short but intense contacts.
The Evangelical Hospital Haspe is a non-profit society under the Evangelical Foundation Volmarstein, and the Agaplesion gAG, a large diakonic health corporation, is behind the AKH. Course offerings on "dying" and "death" are part of the nursing training at the AKH, and the hospital is guided by a human image that is founded in Christian faith. Pastor Hayungs and Krullmann agree that their Christian faith embraces joy and sorrow in the hospital context, with humanity at the centre of their hospital work.
In conclusion, the Evangelical Church plays a vital role in providing spiritual care and emotional support to patients, families, and staff in Hagen hospitals. While specific details about the involvement of the Evangelical Church in Hagen hospitals were not readily available, it is clear that they contribute significantly to the holistic well-being of patients beyond just physical health. For more precise, localised data on Hagen hospitals’ evangelical church involvement, further direct inquiry with the hospitals or the regional church office would be recommended.
- Pastor Hayungs, who is now serving at the Evangelical Hospital Haspe, continues to facilitate the memorial service for the forgotten and the monthly burial for stillborn children, demonstrating a strong commitment to health-and-wellness and mental-health initiatives within the hospital.
- The small choir overseen by the two pastors, Pastor Hayungs and Pastor Krullmann, was initially founded as a project of hospital chaplaincy at the Agaplesion Clinic Hagen (AKH), suggesting a link between science (medicine) and spiritual care, with mental-health support being an integral part of this connection.
