by Emily McDonald | South East Correspondent

Victims and survivors of violent crimes and their families are often a forgotten element in the church’s ministry, according to the Rev. Hunter Huckabay, rector of St. Paul’s, Chattanooga.

“The Christian church seems to be very well-organized in ministry to people in jail and in ministry to families of people in jail,” he said. But he sees a “glaring gap” in ministry to individuals victimized by violent crime.

“We have prayer partners for people on Death Row, but there is no corresponding ministry for victims,” he said. Two DOCC programs -- Kairos and Kairos out -- serve individuals in prison and families of those in prison.

In an effort to fill the gap, St. Paul’s recently began a ministry to victims and survivors of violent crimes and hopes to spread the outreach to other churches in Chattanooga and, ultimately, the diocese. The new ministry, however, is not designed to be competitive with any ministries to people in prison nor is it designed to be a political action group.

“Our emphasis and focus is to stay in the context of ministry instead of advocacy,” said Caldwell Huckabay, a member of the steering committee for the new ministry. “We want to offer some ministry to people who have been victims.”

The idea for the ministry evolved from the resolution at the diocesan convention that called for Gov. Don Sundquist to issue a stay of execution for convicted murderers Philip Workman and Robert Glen Coe, Hunter Huckabay said. The resolution was passed after an intense debate and he then asked where was the compassion, where was the energy for ministry to victims and their loved ones. “There was no response from the floor.”

“Everybody knows Robert Glen Coe’s name,” Caldwell Huckabay said. “Nobody knows Cary Ann Medlin’s name. We really ought to know her name.” (Cary Ann was Coe’s victim.)

The ministry was kicked off with a panel discussion featuring Dr. Charlotte Boatwright, of Chattanooga, whose daughter and grandson were victims of violent crime; Bea Chadburn, a St. Paul’s parishioner whose brother was murdered, and Lt. Mark Rawlston of the Chattanooga Police Department.

Boatwright pointed out that churches can be a safe place for victims to come and talk about their problems. “Victims are five times more likely to go to a church than to any other mental health agency,” she said.

Chadburn talked about the isolation a victim’s family feels and how there is no advocate for victims until someone is arrested. In addition, she said, “When you get in the court system, you find yourself in a totally different world.”

Rawlston said that law enforcement officers involved in a violent crime case don’t have the time to sit down with victims and families and explain what is happening. Nor can they reveal details of the investigation. “we would love to have someone available for the family to talk to,” he said. He added, however, that some families don’t want this type of help and the assistance should not be pushed on them.

Providing that person is part of what St. Paul’s hopes to do. Those involved in that effort would have to be trained first and the training should include development of an understanding of the stages of grief as well as knowledge of the justice system.

The church can offer space for a victims’ support group to meet, he said. There is also talk of holding a memorial service in honor of victims of crime and their families that would be similar to services that have been held at St. Paul’s in memory of AIDS victims.

An effort to educate the parish will also be made by inviting experts in various areas related to victims of crime to speak and also by providing reading material on the issues in a special are of the parish library. Parishioners have also been given the opportunity to sign up for areas of the ministry that interest them and several have indicated an interest in attending the Citizens Police Academy presented by the Chattanooga Police Department.

Members of the steering committee have met with Chattanooga Police Chief Jimmie Dotson and the chief talked about developing some sort of pilot program at St. Paul’s that would assist victims. The chief suggested holding prayer at the site of a violent crime, which has been done by the ministerial association of Houston. He also told the group that crimes were never again committed at the sites where these prayers were held.

“Chief Dotson is interested in the preventive,” Hunter Huckabay said. “He wants to teach strategies to avoid domestic violence.”

The St. Paul’s vestry has been supportive of the efforts to start the ministry,” said Senior Warden Chris Smith. “One of the things we look at on the vestry is our outreach,” she said. “We don’t always have to give money.

“People power is more important.”

“Bishop vonRosenberg has been contacted about the proposed ministry and he is very supportive,” Hunter Huckabay said.

For more information about the ministry to victims, call St. Paul’s, Chattanooga, at (423) 266-8195.