Servant Leadership in a Public Health Crisis

By J. Lewis Saylor

The faith community, like the rest of the world, is being confronted by the potential of a public health crisis -- the H1N1 (swine) flu. How will we respond? What is the faith community's role in this situation? I would suggest that houses of worship, religious schools, faith-based nonprofit organizations and related groups have a great potential for involvement, not only for our own constituencies but for the greater community.

In fact, the faith community is in a unique position because we are servant leaders. We interact with a wide range of people - the haves and have-nots of society; the young and the not-so-young; those who are single and those who have families. Our spheres of relationships encompass members, visitors, and many people who use our facilities. Then there are our friends, neighbors, coworkers and civic group colleagues. It is through these relationships that even the smallest of congregations have an amplified reach of thousands. Our larger faith communities often reach multiple thousands of people in a given locality.

Because of this unique position and our tradition of being stewards of both body and soul, many of us participate in preparedness. Preparedness is an intentional approach of thinking forward and then becoming ready on a personal level, leadership level, and community level.

As we confront the current H1N1 flu outbreak (and consider future crises), we can enhance our care for and ministry to people by focusing our energy, our resources, and our faith.

Some of the tools that we have at our disposal include:

• Our relationships with local health departments, other government agencies, non-profit organizations, and faith based groups that bring a wealth of experience related to community preparedness and disaster response.
• Congregational based readiness campaigns such as READY-PACK-GO that help to frame the detail of how a house of worship can prepare people for the unexpected.
• Particularly for clergy, staff, and lay leadership, access to material like "Preparing For A Major Public Health Crisis - Ministry & Hope During The Pandemic Influenza." This practical guide asks tough and candid questions about being prepared from a faith perspective.
• And, our core competency of providing spiritual care and compassion. We have a rich tradition of being present in the midst of uncertainty/crisis whether it's on a personal level or a much larger context.

Applying the wisdom and information from these elements in a spirit of grace and peace to those around us will always be a tremendous good. In the process of doing good, we build relationships that create a closer knit and more resilient community.

We are people of faith, not fear. Hope, not despair. We lean on the Eternal to help us with the immediate needs of the now. Join us.

J. Lewis Saylor serves on the executive committee of the Northern Virginia Voluntary Organizations Active In Disasters (VOAD) and is active with the Faith Communities In Action Interfaith Emergency Planning Steering Committee in Fairfax County, Virginia. Mr. Saylor is a former Director of Staff & Planning for a large church in northern Virginia.

By J. Lewis Saylor |  May 1, 2009; 8:39 AM ET Save & Share:                 
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