by Christine Beech
I remember distinctly when my husband, George, first brought up the idea of serving as a chaplain to the Rochester Police Department (RPD). It was 2020, and police departments nationwide were seeing their officers suffer under an incredible amount of stress. Recognizing
the need for support, RPD Chief Franklin asked George what he thought about developing a chaplaincy program to support to his department.
When George raised the idea to me, we both agreed that the need was great and that it might quickly evolve into a full-time commitment. I knew he was ideally suited to the role, and that with his background in the military and federal government, as well as his pastoral experience, he would connect with and serve the officers well.
In January of 2021, we spent time in prayer and discussion to determine if we should do this, and if so, what it might look like to move forward. It was during that time I remember telling George it sounded to me like the core work would involve lifting others up and just being there for them in the hard moments. George agreed and described it as a ministry of presence. We knew at that point it was a calling, and we were going to take the leap of faith. It was during that time the name Salt & Light Partners took form. Our reading of scripture (Matthew 5:13-16) tells us that being the salt of the earth suggests being willing to preserve and influence others for good, while serving as a light offers an opportunity to speak truth in love and point others to Christ – or at a minimum allows us to share why we are called to serve. Partnering with our first responders, and the community as a whole, seemed like a natural structure. From the moment we decided to move forward, this effort has been showered with numerous blessings. My hope here is to share just a few of the ways in which we have seen God at work and felt His blessings.
While I had no doubt as to his ability to do the work, as someone with a background in building businesses, my initial thoughts centered around how to operationalize the idea. What would the chaplain role look like? Knowing that RPD was not alone in this need, how could we build something that could grow if the need grew? What would it mean for our family to start this new endeavor? There were so many unanswered questions and it was going to entail a true leap of faith to decide to move forward.
One of the first blessings that comes to mind is that the police officers themselves embraced the idea of chaplaincy! While we had heard it might take years to build trust, God allowed it to happen from the first time there was a call for a chaplain. Within a short period of time the word spread and we were getting calls to accompany officers on death notifications, being asked to help navigate stressful situations, and jump in on ride-alongs with officers just to give them someone to talk to and process with.
The next blessing was that as we expanded our support to the first responder families, as well as the Rochester Fire Department and Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office, we were able to find ideally suited local pastors who were willing to come on board as chaplains. Over the course of the last three years we have brought on 16 chaplains and their work has fed the souls of thousands in our area.
A final blessing that I’d like to share is where I see God using me and my talents in support of this ministry. My background has been described in many ways, but to say it has been unconventional is probably an understatement. Now, with the blessing of hindsight, I am able to see that the years I spent serving in the military, building businesses, working with nonprofits, chairing boards, and obtaining my doctorate in business, were all part of a path to equip me to be the right partner in this ministry. Those experiences have allowed me to help create an organizational structure that is strong, sustainable, and capable of growth. It provided me the background and ability to serve as board chair to a strong board for Salt & Light and set strategy and direction. It has been an honor to serve in this way and I remain excited to see what God has in store going forward.
Recently, we were blessed to have over 500 people attend our Heart for Heroes Gala and to be able to life up our first responders and honor them through that event. I hope you are encouraged to see how God is using this ministry in our community to lift up and provide
blessings and hope to those who remain faithful to dedicating their life to the service of others. If you would like to learn more or get involved, I’d love to talk. You can send me a note at: christine@saltandlightpartners.org.
Christine Beech is married to George and they have two adult daughters, two sons-in-law, and four grandchildren. Christine had a 20-year career in military intelligence, spent 6 years building a large business in the defense sector, served as an FBI instructor in Quantico for 5 years, and taught as a university business professor for 5 years. These days, in addition to supporting Salt & Light Partners, Christine serves as the Director of Entrepreneurship at Ignite, and runs Copiavia, a consulting firm she founded that specializes in strategy and team development.
2 thoughts on “The blessing of serving those who serve”
So encouraging, Christine! May God continue to bless you as you bless so many others.
Thank you Jeni!