A milestone in the history of chaplaincy was reached when the Multi-Faith Group for Healthcare Chaplaincy (MFGHC) was launched on 25th June 2003 in Westminster.

 

The evening was hosted by the Rt. Hon. Peter Bottomley, MP. Rosie Winterton, the new Minister of State at the Department of Health was unable to attend, but the Chief Nursing Officer, Sarah Mullally, was present at the launch of the Group and the new guidance on healthcare chaplaincy (NHS Chaplaincy: Meeting the Religious and Spiritual Needs of Patients and Staff). Within the Department of Health, Sarah Mullally carries the portfolio for chaplaincy in England.

This Group has the support of the nine major world Faiths and alongside the Faith Spokespersons will be working chaplains from the Faith Communities. The Honourable Barnabas Leith (Secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'í’s of the UK) has been elected as Chairman, and the Revd. Edward Lewis is the Chief Officer. Barney Leith has already begun to meet chaplains and once the programme of work has been planned it is hoped to arrange a series of meetings during the coming year. Many of the Faith communities are beginning to put national structures into place for their hospital chaplaincy involvement.

The Group builds on the work of the Multi-Faith Joint National Working Party who were charged by the Department of Health to produce the Chaplaincy guidance "NHS Chaplaincy: Meeting the Religious and Spiritual Needs of Patients and Staff". The Revd. Edward Lewis, (Chief Officer of the MFGHC and Chief Executive Hospital Chaplaincies Council) paid tribute to his predecessor, the Rev Robert Clarke OBE whose vision and enthusiasm initiated the group.

Link to: