One of the whole-person care contributors at Chippewa Valley Hospital and Oakview Care Center in Durand, Wisconsin, is chaplain David Guerrero. Guerrero’s path to ministry was a walk of faith full of obstacles. His family moved to a small community in upstate New York when he was 14. There, Guerrero felt a call to ministry serving as a youth elder in his church. Following graduation from Alfred State College in New York, he briefly pursued a theology degree at Oakwood College in Huntsville, Alabama.

He later returned to New York, where his mother faced a serious illness, and worked at a diagnostic treatment center. After working his way up to manager, Ted Lopez, Guerrero’s pastor, encouraged him to consider ministerial training again by suggestion they pray together about it for one week. “He was convinced I was being called to pastoral ministry, but I had reasons why I questioned his resolve,” explained Guerrero. “I was happy with my job and serving the church as an elder.” At the end of the week, they visited Atlantic Union College in S. Lancaster, Massachusetts. “I thought the visit was a waste of time, but by the end of the day I was accepted [into the school]. What I thought was previously out of my reach became attainable through a financial-aid package,” Guerrero recalls.

During his schooling, Guerrero was able to pastor in the Greater New York Conference. After graduation he was invited to be an associate pastor and Bible instructor for the Southern New England Conference. While there, Guerrero received Clinical Pastoral Education and a certificate for outstanding chaplain from The Hospital of St. Raphael in New Haven, Connecticut.

Guerrero knew he was now at a crossroad in his ministry. “I asked the Lord where I should serve,” Guerrero remembered. Four days later he received a call from Don Corkum, Wisconsin Conference president. “He spoke as if he was responding to my inquiry. I knew it was the Lord telling me to go there,” Guerrero remarked.

For three years Guerrero provided leadership for the development, integration, and coordination of spiritual care activities for Chippewa Valley, while also serving as pastor of the Durand and Menominee churches. He was ordained at the Wisconsin camp meeting last June.

Guerrero attended seminary at Andrews University and completed concentrations in chaplaincy, youth ministries, and church growth. His ministry provides creative opportunities. He has begun a curriculum for developing volunteer chaplains with two having completed the program and he is an American Lung Association certified facilitator of a stop smoking program. In addition, he is a prison ministries' coordinator and founder of The Spiritual Renewal Bible School at Yale University. “I find ministry is much more rewarding as you build friendships, and these people see and feel your genuine concern for them. They accept your appeal for them to accept Christ more [easily] after they give you the invitation to share with them about your faith,” stated Guerrero.

Lynn Larson, Adventist Health System Midwest Region Lake Union Herald correspondent