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09/07/2016 08:30 AMFor going on 12 years, Jim Detweiler has been the pastor of Hope Christian Church in North Haven. While he says he’s always had a calling for the ministry, he did not take on the role of a pastor until later in life.
Jim and his wife have been married for 37 years, getting married when Jim was just 18 years old. The couple has three children—Nathan, Nicky, and Josh. Nicky’s medical issues led Jim to continue his career as a truck driver for 18 years to maintain a good insurance plan for his family.
“Even during that time, we were always involved in ministry,” says Jim, a graduate of North Point Bible College (formerly Zion Bible Institute). “When [Nicky] passed away in 1988, we really started focusing more on my first full-time ministry position. It has something that has always been with me—to serve the lord and help people grow in their faith.”
In 2000, Jim and his wife moved to Groton, where Jim was named associate pastor at Seaport Community Church, which served many military families. Five years later, he heard about an opening at Hope Christian Church—then known as Calgary Temple—which had been without a pastor for nearly a year.
“From the time we drove into the driveway here, we knew we were home. There was never a doubt,” says Jim. “The job brought us to North Haven, but now the town keeps us here. We love the church, we love the community, and we love what God’s doing here.”
When Jim and his wife, Sharon, came to the church, they realized there was work to be done to rebuild the church and plant roots in the community. While Jim and his wife love the town of North Haven and now call it home, they travel back to Pennsylvania as often as allows to visit their two grandchildren, who are the “love of our lives.”
Sharon took on the role of the church administrator and Jim loves working alongside his “best friend.”
“My wife is the best part of the team,” says Jim. “She’s been so supportive and does a lot of the outreach.”
Jim started by reaching out to the North Haven Fire Department (NHFD) and the church began hosting Heroes Day with special services and lunches. In 2012, the Connecticut State Fireman’s Convention Parade was set to travel through North Haven and Jim approached the chief at the time to offer the church’s help.
“We just wanted to serve where we could, so we took a team from Hope out to help stage fire trucks and did what we could that day to serve in the parade,” says Jim. “Later on, he asked if I would consider serving as chaplain. I’d never really thought about that, I said, ‘Yes. What a great opportunity,’ and I was sworn in as a full member. For me it’s a perfect fit. I love our community and I love our Fire Department.”
As the NHFD’s chaplain, Jim is on the scene at serious fires, accidents, or events in town to not only lend support to the firefighters involved, but also to the victims affected. In the case of fires, he spends time focusing on the homeowners, helping them understand the process of what is happening and how to move forward.
“It’s the worst day of their life, so I am there with a warm blanket, an encouraging word, and the next steps—how to recover money and valuables and insurance questions,” says Jim. “I make sure they know I am there for counseling afterward.”
Jim also makes himself available to firefighters when they are not on the scene as well. He meets them to talk or have a cup of coffee. Jim is an endorsed chaplain and ordained minister with the Assemblies of God USA.
Since Sept. 11, 2001, he has seen the number of fire departments with a chaplain increase and he has been happy to help lead that effort in the area. Jim has trained other chaplains in the area. He has also been trained as part of a peer support team that responds to tragedies that may take place in Connecticut.
Jim is also an active member of the Ministers’ Association, which brings the leaders of 10 local churches together monthly. The Ministers’ Association works together to plan joint events, such as the 9-11 ceremony. In November, the group is bringing the Yale Baroque Orchestra to Hope Christian Church.
“It will kick off the holiday season, but we can’t do that alone,” says Jim, who is looking forward to watching the New England Patriots as football season starts. “I’ve been really blessed to be a big part of the Ministers’ Association in this community. It’s about doing things together as a faith community and meeting the needs of the community both spiritually and practically.”
This weekend, Hope Christian Church will reach out to children in the area at its booth at the North Haven Fair. They will have 1,000 backpacks to distribute as part of the “Blessing of the Backpacks.” One of Jim’s goals for the church is to bring in more young families. The church recently hired its first children’s pastor.
“We really want to extend our ministry to younger families and the next generation,” says Jim. “We look for ways to be rooted in the community because that is really important to us. We need to constantly be focused outward in our community so we can serve the spiritual needs of North Haven.”