Spiritual Pathways

ASSOCIATION OF PROFESSIONAL CHAPLAINS OUTSTANDING LOCAL LEADERSHIP AWARD
Steven Spidell DMin BCC Houston, Texas
The Outstanding Local Leadership Award is given to a member in good standing who has exhibited outstanding dedication to and promotion of the Association of Professional Chaplains through active involvement at the substate, state and/or multi-state level.
Steven Spidell, from Houston, TX, is executive director of Presbyterian Outreach to Patients. He interfaces regularly with chaplains at Methodist Hospital, MD Anderson Hospital and St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital, among others in the Houston area.
About nine years ago, Steve instituted the first annual APC South Texas Chaplains' meeting, which continues to this day under the leadership of another chaplain. e purpose of these annual meetings is to promote fellowship, continuing education and peer review. A consummate learner, Steve also has taken the lead for several years in organizing a monthly brown bag lunch for the chaplains in the Texas Medical Center. His roster of lunchtime presenters has included theologians, educators, medical practitioners and chaplains from a variety of ministry settings. One colleague writes, "Without Steve's leadership role, it could have been difficult for many of us to meet our continuing education requirement to maintain our board certification."
Long an advocate for chaplains writing and conducting research, Steve embarked on a wide-ranging research project to detail the types of interventions chaplains most frequently utilize. From this work, Steve was able to delineate more clearly how professional chaplains function with those they serve. Another colleague states, "We at our hospital have benefitted from Steve's educational research projects. His published work has enhanced the profession of chaplaincy."
Currently, Steve is meeting with several other chaplains to address the topic of hospital chaplaincy best practices. One chaplain writes, "Steve personally challenged me to convene a group to develop a best practice protocol for the chaplain's response to codes. His leadership and direction for this process has been fruitful in furthering collegiality as well as producing a useful protocol that will benefit the profession... I can say with certainty that any contributions Ioffer to APC began as a result of Steve Spidell's gentle and continuing leadership in the Texas Medical Center. An alumnus of both Wesley eological Seminary in Washington, DC and Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Austin, TX, Steve is endorsed as a chaplain with the Presbyterian Church USA. He was ordained in 1990
and board certified in 2000. He is married to the Reverend Cheryl Smith, associate pastor of First United Methodist Church in Pasadena, TX. They live in Pearland, TX, a suburb of Houston, with their 17-year-old son, Robin. Steve is also a parent to two
stepdaughters, Colly and Cayce.