Serving Jesus in the Workplace – Converge Chaplaincy

Around 60 years ago, the Inter-church Trade and Industry Mission (ITIM) was formed in Australia by 13 Christian denominations. Its purpose was to provide a formal organisation for clergy, who were being increasing requested to come into industry, to support struggling workers.

This was the beginning of workplace chaplaincy. It was on the back of World War Two veterans, who were battling with issues such as domestic violence and alcoholism (today we would recognise this as typical symptoms of PTSD). ITIM’s purpose was to provide pastoral care to those in need.

Jump forward 60 plus years and the Mission of ITIM continues through a mission organisation named Reventure and its social enterprise Converge International.

Whilst Converge provides front line mental health support and is largely comprised of mental health clinicians, it has always maintained its link with its heritage and continued to provide Chaplaincy services. Interestingly, the last few years has seen a rapid increase in demand for these services.

[Jesus] went to the synagogue every Saturday, the rest of his time was out within the community. Not a bad model to base a ministry on. Mick George

As the Principal Chaplain and National Onsite Services Manager for Converge, Mick George’s role is to listen to the needs of the many different organisations they serve as for the best solution to assist them and their workers.

Increasingly, Mick is finding that there is both mental health and moral injury needs within the workforce. He finds himself recommending that organisations look to job share both a mental health clinician and a pastoral carer (chaplain) with very encouraging results.

In August 2021 Reventure will launch a Pastoral and Spiritual Care Helpline.

This Helpline will allow workers in need to call in and through a process of screening questions, link the caller with an appropriate consultant. The consultant will be dual qualified, with both with mental health and theological (or equivalent) credentials. They have also initiated a trial approach to provide pastoral counsellors into the urban CBD of Melbourne.

Community Chaplaincy in Business

Another way Converge is looking to provide increased services to industry, is through our Community Chaplaincy Program. This program is aimed at small to medium businesses who would like Chaplaincy support.

The program includes monthly professional development sessions, where topics such as Bystander Behaviour, Peer Group Pressure and Stress are covered, through facilitated conversations.

It also provides everyone in the business access to ‘their’ chaplain. This is a reactionary service and involves normal pastoral care support, in the case of emergencies, workplace conflict or difficult individual circumstances.

There will be other options that allow for personal mentoring and regular site visits.

The strength of this program is that it is backed by the largest Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provider in the country – namely Converge International. The advantage for its chaplains is that it offers them access to best-practice materials and mentoring.

Emerging Opportunities

The initial trials of the program were extremely successful and showed that both individuals and businesses saw a marked, beneficial change in their workers.

The prospect of seeing a new generation of faithful Christian chaplains connecting into local businesses is something to get excited about.

Mick George said, “When I look at the Gospel stories of how Jesus completed his ministry, so much of his time seemed to be spent amongst the people as they went about their daily business. Sure, he went to the synagogue every Saturday, the rest of his time was out within the community. Not a bad model to base a ministry on.”

Mick George is the National Onsite Services Manager and Principal Chaplain for Converge International. Mick has spent the majority of his working life in the Army – the first 20 years as an Infantry Officer then he transferred to become an Army Chaplain being ordained in the Anglican Church. Mick is married with four teenage children. When he is not looking to place Chaplains into industry around Australia you will find him gasping for air, trying to wrestle people in the sport of BJJ (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu).