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Stephen Ministry

What We Do

Stephen Ministry is grounded in Jesus' command to love one another. Through confidential one-to-one caring relationships, those who are hurting receive the love, care, and support they need.

Who are Stephen Ministers? Stephen Ministers are lay Christians trained a minimum of 50 hours and supervised by clergy and trained Stephen Leaders to provide effective Christian care to others in our community (both BUMC members and non-members).

The Referral Process

Step one is to reach out. You can initiate the conversation one of three ways:

  • Contact the Pastor of Caring Ministries, Rev. Casey Orr, at 615.324.7244 or corr@bumc.net.
  • You can also contact the Confidential Hotline at 615.577.4881 
  • Fill out the confidential request form below.

Casey Orr or one of our six Stephen Leaders will contact you to discuss your particular needs and explain the process to you.

  • With your permission, a Stephen Minister of the same gender will be assigned to you.
  • The Stephen Minister will contact you directly to schedule your first meeting.
  • The Stephen Minister will continue to provide distinctively Christian care for you in strict confidentiality.

To contact a Stephen Minister, please call 615.577.4881. If you have a more urgent need, contact the Pastor-on-call at 615.969.3086.

Request a Stephen Minister

Want to Become a Stephen Minister?

  • Commitment

    A Stephen Minister is called to provide Christ-centered care for a care receiver and receives support, encouragement, and guidance from fellow Stephen Ministers.  A Stephen Minister devotes time (serving a minimum of 2 years), energy, and resources to this ministry.  He or she serves wholeheartedly.  This isn't a casual ministry.  It involves prayer, thought, consideration, and study.  In return, a Stephen Minister participates in meaningful ministry, makes a difference in another person's life, and grows in their own personal faith.

  • Training + Continuing Education

    A Stephen Minister completes 50 hours of training (weekly for 2-3 hours in length, typically starting in the fall) before ever meeting with a care receiver. He or she learns about listening, assertiveness, confidentiality, and other aspects of caregiving. After completing the initial training, there are Stephen Ministry meetings 2 evenings a month (2nd and 4th Thursdays). SM's also benefit from Continuing Education during the bi-monthly meetings on topics related to our caregiving skills.

  • Next Steps

    Questions? Contact Stephen Ministry Recruitment Coordinators Hal Bumbalough or Jan Jamieson.

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