Pastoral Care

African American Pastoral Care by Edward P. Wimberly is a supplement to the book written in 1979 on Pastoral Care in the Black Church. Pastoral Care by African Americans shows pastoral counselors how to care for African Americans through a narrative methodology. By linking personal stories and the pastor's stories to the heart language of the Bible stories, counselors can use God's unfolding drama to bring healing and reconciliation to human lives. Further, demonstrating that caring can be shown through story telling and is widely used by the black church.

The stories relayed are basic methods used in the past by black clergy, seminary students and lay people. Using the methodology of storytelling can build and improve the care given by our black pastors. Black Pastors share stories how caring for their members rely on seven needed narratives gained from stories and metaphors. They motivate their members to action by: helping them to see themselves in a new light, help them recognize new resources, enable them to channel behavior in constructive ways, sustain them in crisis, bring healing and reconciliation in relationships, heal scars of memories, and provide guidance when direction is needed. The African American Pastor tell stories that help people gain a glimpse of hope in the midst of suffering. Metaphors have been used for centuries to link Christians to positive directions in life. God from the very beginning uses identifying through biblical stories to heal, provide wholeness, and liberation for the sake of others. God provides four major functions to act in our lives: to unfold, link, thicken, and twist to arrive at the final outcome of our purpose in life.

In examining the Pastoral Care shared through God's four major functions we begin to understand what is meant by unfold, God plans our lives one scene and one chapter at a time, and the purpose is not revealed until the complete story is complete. We then rely on Gods guidance to link the unfolding story to their lives. The scriptures help to relate the plot of the story to themselves. Black Pastors sharing their stories with members who see from the unfolding events and how they relate every day. Thickening refers to those events that intrude into God's unfolding story and seek to change the direction of that story from all involved. Suffering sometimes stakes its claim on our lives and hinders our growth and development. However from examples and stories from others we learn that God really cares and has never forsaken us. The things involved in us finding the true meaning of unfolding, linking and thickening our lives brings us through negative interruptions and things that assist in our growth then we begin to twist the story back around to where we fit in. The interruptions are only temporary and the story again begins to unfold in ways that help us to envision God at work in our lives.

Black Pastors by listening and telling stories have helped their congregation acknowledge God's work in the midst of storms and suffering that come upon our lives.

Pastoral Care for the African American takes on a different meaning than Preaching and Worship. In preaching, the purpose is to assist in disclosing the gospel and worship uses storytelling to celebrate God's plans for salvation and often invites worshipers to participate in the worship. Pastoral Care uses storytelling in relation to helping remove the personal and interpersonal obstacles that can hinder people's ability to grow. It is used to strengthen people's personal and interpersonal growth, so that they can respond to God's salvation as it relates and impacts their lives. Pastoral Care brings all resources of the story of faith into the context of caring relationships. The gospel must respond to the congregations personal and family needs as they face life struggles that interrupt their lives. This is best done in a private setting rather than a public worship or preaching session.

In order to provide positive Pastoral Care, Story listening is also an important dimension of African American Pastoral Care. Story listening involves empathetically hearing the story of the person involved in life struggles, being able to communicate that the person in need is cared for and understands as a result of the story that has unfolded in his or her life through Christ. African American Pastors must place lots of