This award is presented to a United Church of Christ Professional Chaplain or Counselor who has demonstrated dedication and commitment to serve persons in the name of Jesus Christ and in the spirit exemplified by the first full-time Protestant chaplain in the United States, Rev. Julius W. Varwig. Download Varwig 2008 nomination form.
The award is named for the father of the modern chaplaincy movement. During the late 1800s, Julius Varwig was instrumental in serving people in need regardless of religious affiliation rather than the conventional practice of presiding over a church-affiliated congregation.
The Rev. Julius W. Varwig first served as an aide in the internationally acclaimed Bethel am Bielefeld Institution in Germany caring for epileptic and mentally deficient patients. He then studied at the Berlin-based Johannes-Stift before coming to the United States where he concluded his theological training at Eden Theological Seminary in 1898.
After spending a quarter of a century in the pastoral ministry during which time he faithfully visited persons under care whether they were members of his congregation or not, he resigned from his position as pastor of a very active congregation . Without a basis of support, the Rev. Varwig committed himself to full-time service as a hospital mission chaplain serving primarily under care in public institutions in the metropolitan St. Louis area. In doing so, he is the first known Protestant pastor in the United States to limit his primary ministry to public health care institutions.
When Chaplain Varwig made his decision to limit his pastoral services to a chaplaincy ministry, he and his family prayerfully risked everything in the faith that God had called him to this service to the poor and to the "strangers" within society. Many were the moments that his faith was tested and, in time, his unique chaplaincy ministry was recognized by the church and the community as well. It was, in part, from such a humble response to God's call that the modern chaplaincy movement to serve persons under care had its beginning.
Written by the Rev. Carl C. Rasche St Louis, Missouri
If there is a UCC Chaplain or Counselor whom you believe should be honored, please submit a nomination to the President of the UCC-PCC.
Past Honorees are:
1989 - The Rev. Dr. James T. Wagner, University of Florida
1990 - The Rev. Richard P. Fehnel, Riverside Medical Center, Kankahee, IL
1991 - The Rev. Herbert Hildebrand, Jacksonville, FL
1992 - The Rev. Ann Schoup, Christ Hospital and Medical Center, Oak Lawn, IL
1993 - The Rev. Arden Yakimow, The Riverside Community, Cincinnati, OH
1994 - The Rev. David C. Rohlfing, Milwaukee Council on Alcoholism & Drug Dependency
1995 - The Rev. William Nisi, Advocate Health Care System, Oak Brook, IL
1996 - The Rev. Dr. Harold Wilke, Healing Community/The Caring Congregation, Claremont, CA
1997 - The Rev. Robert L. Bayler, Advocate Health Care, Oak Brook, IL
1998 - The Rev. Sally Brown, Veterans Affairs Health Care Systems, Palo Alto, CA
1999 - The Rev. Dr. George Fitz, Bethany Counseling Ministry, Womelsdorf, PA
2000 - The Rev. David B. McCurdy, Park Ridge Center, Chicago, IL
2001 - The Rev. William A. Derstine, UCC Chaplains in Healthcare, Pleasant Hill, TN
2002 - The Rev. Dr. Martha R. Jacobs, The Healthcare Chaplaincy, New York, New York
2003 - The Rev. Dr. Edward Bastille, VA Medical Center, Palo Alto, CA
2004 - The Rev. Jan Summers, Cedar Community, West Bend, WI
2005 - The Rev. Dr. Allan Kramer-Moyer, Phoebe Ministries, Allentown, PA
2006 - The Rev. Dr. Robert Morse, Maine Medical Center, Portland, Maine
2007 - The Rev. DeLois Brown Daniels, Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, Chicago, IL
2008 - The Rev. Dr. Laurie Etter, York Correctional Institution for Women, Niantic, CT
