How Sierra Chaplaincy Got Started
In 1990 Senior Chaplain Emeritus Tim Thompson began providing part-time Chaplaincy service to the El Dorado County Sheriffs Office. The need became very apparent for such a ministry. In that first year Tim responded to a deputy who was shot by a suspect and a deputy’s family who had been killed in a car accident. Two years later in 1992 Sierra Chaplaincy filed for a 501c3 and Tim launched a full-time program in El Dorado County.
In 2018 Tim retired for the second time and Senior Chaplain Betsy Vanderpool took the reins. Since then the chaplaincy has expanded through the efforts of Fire Chaplain Lloyd Ogan to also serve fire fighters in El Dorado County and to respond to calls for service from our fire partners.
This chaplaincy serves all first responders who work in El Dorado County and police officers in El Dorado County. We come alongside Sacramento’s fire chaplaincy as needed for fire fighters in the City of Folsom. We an ecumenical ministry that responds to the needs of victims, and first responders regardless of religion, faith or lack thereof, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity or socioeconomic status.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO VOLUNTEER TO BECOME A RESERVE CHAPLAIN:
Download the Chaplain Duty Statement, after reading the required qualifications and the duty statement.