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Training session for pastors focuses on potential violence
Written by Cheryl Anderson
Post-Crescent staff writer
1:15 PM, Sep. 23, 2011
A 57-year-old man in Lakeland, Fla. is accused of killing his wife, then walking into a Sunday church service and shooting two pastors in the back while they prayed at the altar. The clergymen are in critical condition.
Stories like that hit home for Cathy Wille, director of Clergy and Congregation Care at Samaritan Counseling Center of the Fox Valley in Menasha.
"Over the last couple of years, I've had a couple of clergy who have talked to me about difficult people in their congregation, and the fear of violence with some of these people," Wille said.
Violent situations can arise anywhere, and church is no exception.
The Samaritan Center’s Clergy and Congregation Care program is hoping to help pastors and their staffs learn how to defuse violent situations to prevent tragedy. They'll host two "Food for Thought" training sessions Thursday in Neenah, and another in Green Bay.
Joe Abhold, director of the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Counseling Center, will explore factors at play in violent behavior and actions that can de-escalate violence.
"The purpose of the training is not to increase anxiety, rather to reduce it,” he said. “The probability of extreme violence at a house of worship is not that great, but just like when we ride an airplane, being prepared justifies explaining safety procedures on every flight."
Faith communities, Abhold said, that are well prepared can confidently engage in providing support to troubled people and know that everyone will be safe. "It is important for them to understand how to help the person become more calm and focused in their interactions or set limits on the exchange. If a person’s behavior is intensifying to a degree that creates concerns for basic civility, it is time to end the interaction and return at a time when it can be more productive."
The Samaritan Counseling Center of the Fox Valley offers faith-sensitive mental health services through offices in Kaukauna, Menasha, New London and Oshkosh. The “Food for Thought” training sessions are sponsored by Samaritan Center’s CCC program and the American Foundation.
