Ministry in Disaster Settings

Ministry in Disaster Settings: Lessons from the Edge studies the issues for clergy and church leaders during disasters. It is based on interviews with a number of ministry agents who cared for their communities during and after major tragedies. It seeks to understand what were the issues for them, including how they were affected, if and how they were cared for, and what lessons the church can learn in doing this work and caring for the carers. this is a valuable resource to all people involved in ministry, chaplaincy and caring for pastors and other religious helpers. Ministry in Disaster Settings came second place in the 2007 Australian Christian Book of the Year Awards. Since that time it has been republished four times and continues to be a standard text in well-regarded ministry and chaplaincy training courses.

Ministry in Disaster Settings: Lessons from the Edge studies the issues for clergy and church leaders during disasters. It is based on interviews with a number of ministry agents who cared for their communities during and after major tragedies. The book seeks to understand what were the issues for them, including how they were affected, if and how they were cared for, and what lessons the church can learn in doing this work and caring for the carers. this is a valuable resource to all people involved in ministry, chaplaincy and caring for pastors and other religious helpers. Part One is a series of Case Studies of individual ministers and chaplains involved in: The Granville Train Disaster; The Kempsey Bus Crash; The Port Arthur Massacre and the Thredbo Ski Resort Landslide. Part Two examines the nature of ministry "on the edge" and its affect on ministry agents. Part Three is Biblical and Theological Reflections on Ministry in Crisis times. Part Four consists of lessons for ministry on the edge; for pastors and their carers.

After 21 years of ordained ministry, Rev. Dr. Stephen Robinson is the National Disaster Recovery Officer of the Uniiting Church in Australia. Dr. Robinson has been a volunteer firefighter and chaplain with the NSW Rural Fire Service since 1996 in three fire districts. His book, "Ministry in Disaster Settings: Lessons from the Edge" is the fruit of his D.Min Doctoral Dissertation with Fuller Theological Seminary. Dr. Robinson coordinates the NSW Disaster Recovery Chaplaincy Network (DRCN) an ecumenical network of chaplains deployed in the state to evacuation and recovery centres during emergencies. He has written numerous training resources on the topics of chaplaincy, ministry peer support and clergy care.