Elizabeth Soule

21 March 2016
ENL 310-02
Professor Anne OToole-Bolthrunis
Scripture and Service: Profile of Reverend Charles K. Soule
For the past six years, Reverend Charles K. Souleaffectionately known as Pastor Chuck
has served as the reverend for West Yarmouth Congregational
Church. He sometimes jokes about the ease of his job. I only
work Sundays, he says, repeating the commonly held
misconception. Truthfully, Pastor Chuck works a full work
week. Like many religious leaders, this pastor works tirelessly
not only to serve the needs of his congregation, but the needs
of the outside community as well.
A large part of Pastor Chucks job comes in the form of pastoral care. Several times each
week, he can be found visiting members of his congregation in hospitals, rehabilitation centers,
and homes. When asked what qualifies someone for pastoral care, he explains, Pretty much
anything thats got to do with anyone in my congregation being in need of help, whether its
spiritually or emotionally. In addition to these visits, he also helps members of his congregation
in need through organizing or offering hands-on assistance within the home.
While pastoral care typically refers to the care of the congregation, Pastor Chuck also
extends this care and concern to individuals outside of it. Frequently, he receives requests from
people within the community for assistance. Sometimes these requests can be resolved simply,
such as providing needy individuals with money for groceries or rent. Other times, they involve

coordination with multiple community members. One story he tells is of a local woman in need.
Her home was in need of repair, and she was without heat and hot water. I was able to make a
few phone calls and got the local housing assistance group to contact an HVAC contractor to fix
her heat, he explains.
One of the functions of the church he oversees is the mission work of the church. This is the
arm of the church that handles community outreach. This includes both charitable outreach
through donations, as well as more hands-on outreach through volunteerism. Speaking to the
churchs passion for giving, he says, We have a whole list of local charitiestwenty or thirty
different groupsthat we give amounts of money to. The names he lists range from the widelyknown Salvation Army, to the local homeless shelter. Through the United Church of Christ, the
church also contributes to global outreach programs that seek to provide better living conditions
for people worldwide.
However, Pastor Chucks real passion for outreach comes in the form of hands-on
volunteerism. Up until two years ago, this was something that the church struggled with. This all
changed with the creation of the Mission team. From how Chuck describes it, the team began as
a group of congregation members who wanted to do more. They found fulfillment in working in
the local Salvation Armys soup kitchen. The Mission team members prepare, set up and serve
the food to members of the community, feeding 50-100 people each visit. Speaking to the teams
success, he says, Its a continually growing group. We started out with eight of us, and now
theres as many as fifteen people. Even for those not involved with the team, it appears to be
inspiring, leading some to volunteer at other local non-profits during their spare time.
Pastor Chucks commitment to serving the community spans beyond the normal constraints
of his job. I firmly believe that its a pastors job to find stuff outside of the church to be

involved in, he explains. For the past six years, Pastor Chuck has acted as a chaplain for the fire
department. When there is a situation that may result in emotional or spiritual distress, he is
available for counsel. In addition to this, he is a part of a local substance abuse action committee
which is dedicated to slowing the impacts of addiction on the surrounding community. Pastor
Chuck has previously served on the local food pantrys board of directors. Once he was
confident that the food pantry had become fully established, he left it in the competent hands of
the remaining board members.
Why is it that Pastor Chuck focuses so intently on the concept of outreach? Churches are
often viewed as self-containedspiritual organizations that only take care of their own. Pastor
Chuck says that cannot be so: Worship is one thing, but if you dont take that worship and go
out into the community and do things in the community out of that worship, then youre not
doing the whole job as a church. You cant have one without the other. While some view the
relationship between church and outreach to be highly complex, Pastor Chuck sees it rooted in
scripture: Jesus says the greatest commandment is to love God with all your heart, soul, mind
and strength. Youre also supposed to love your neighbor as your self. If you love God with all
your heart, soul, mind, and strength, you will love your neighbor as your self. And by loving
your neighbor as your self, you are demonstrating that you love God with all your heart, soul,
mind and strength. Its that simple.