Pastoral Services at Robert Packer Hospital

Robert Packer Hospital* is committed to providing care that encompasses the needs of the whole person, and has offered formal pastoral care services since 1983. As part of the health care team, Pastoral Services staff works with patients and families to provide spiritual, emotional and religious support. For more information about pastoral services at Robert Packer Hospital, choose from the options below:

Pastoral Care Services
Interfaith Chapel
Pastoral Services Team
Frequently Asked Questions
Local Places of Worship

* Pastoral services are also available at Corning Hospital and Troy Community Hospital. For more information about pastoral care at Corning Hospital, call (607) 937-7378; for Troy Community Hospital, call (570) 297-2121.

Pastoral Care Services

The goal of pastoral care services is to assist you as you confront and deal with the spiritual and faith issues which may arise while you are in the hospital or receiving treatment as an outpatient. To assist you in this, a chaplain can offer:

Attentive presence in difficult times
Catholic sacraments - a priest can be called for: anointing, sacrament for the sick, communion and confession.

Coordination with patient’s own clergyperson
Ethical counsel when difficult decisions need to be made
Listening with a caring ear
Prayer, scripture and sacraments
Protestant communion
Spiritual care to patients and family as they face concerns of faith
Support for family and friends

Pastoral services staff are available to patients of all denominations. The chaplain who covers the hospital during business hours (8 AM to 5 PM, Monday through Friday) is affiliated with the American Baptist Churches, USA; if you would like a clergyperson of another faith to visit you, we will endeavor to contact one on your behalf.

"Artist: Ellen Mandelbaum

Queens NY c 2006."

Interfaith Chapel

The Robert Packer Hospital interfaith chapel is located on the third floor of Robert Packer Hospital, between the C and D elevator banks. It is open to people of all faiths 24 hours a day for prayer, meditation and special services. Copies of the Bible and Koran are available for public use.

If you enter the hospital through the Bird Sumner Lobby, the chapel is located up the stairs and is the first door on the right after the column. (If you pass the C elevators, you’ve gone too far). Hospital greeters or employees will be more than happy to escort you to the chapel if you are unsure of its location.

Pastoral Services Team

Chaplain David Martin, D. Min, BCC, is Director of Pastoral Services for Robert Packer Hospital. He attends to the spiritual needs of patients and families receiving treatment at RPH.

Chaplain Martin earned his bachelor’s degree from the United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD; his master of divinity degree from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, South Hamilton, MA; and his doctor of ministry in religion, culture and personality from Boston University, Boston, MA. He completed a residency in pastoral counseling at Onondaga Pastoral Counseling Center, Syracuse, NY.

Volunteer Pastoral Staff

Night and Weekend Chaplains - local clergy and trained lay persons who volunteer their time to offer pastoral care in the evenings and on weekends
Pastoral Services Volunteers – work out of the volunteer office and visit newly-admitted patients to provide information about Pastoral Services at Robert Packer Hospital
Chaplain Interns - receive training in hospital ministry under the supervision of the Director of Pastoral Services

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I request a visit from a pastoral services staff member?

Patients or family members can ask a nurse or other staff member to call pastoral services on their behalf. In other situations, the minister from a patient’s home church may call and ask for the hospital chaplain to visit. You can call the chaplains office directly at 570-882-4309.

Is everything I say to the hospital chaplain confidential?

If a patient tells the chaplain something the doctor or nurse needs to know, the chaplain will ask for the patient’s permission to share this information. The chaplain is the only person in the clinical setting who has an obligation to hold back information if it’s regarded as confessional and who can keep things confidential if a patient requests it.

How can the hospital chaplain help me?

The hospital chaplain offers a wide variety of services (click here to see a complete list). He is also available to support patients and their families during difficult times and can act as an impartial participant in cases when family members and physicians disagree about continuing treatment.

Can the hospital chaplain help me with special religious needs?

We will endeavor to meet any special religious or spiritual needs you have during your stay. If you require a special diet, would like to have a minister of your own faith contacted on your behalf, or would like communion or other special rites (including marriage) performed in the hospital, the chaplain can help.

Local Places of Worship

These local houses of worship, listed by denomination, are open for your attendance. Asterisks indicate churches within walking distance of the hospital.

American Evangelical Christian
Talmadge Hill Gospel Chapel	Talmadge Hill Road S.	Waverly	NY	(607) 565-4074
Assembly of God
Greater Valley Assembly of God*	200 W. Lockhart Street	Sayre	PA	(570) 888-3202
Baptist
Calvary Baptist Church	701 W. Pine Street	Athens	PA	(570) 888-5324
Faith Baptist Church	20 Garfield Street	Waverly	NY	(607) 565-7040
First Baptist Church of Waverly	23 Tioga Street	Waverly	NY	(607) 565-9593
First Baptist Church of Sayre*	221 N. Elmer Avenue	Sayre	PA	(570) 888-2237
Keystone Baptist Church	351 Fulton Street	Sayre	PA	(570) 888-2347
Christian Missionary Alliance
Christian Missionary Alliance Church	135 Chemung Street	Waverly	NY	(607) 565-2492
North Waverly Chapel	40 State Route 34	Waverly	NY	(607) 565-9342
Church of God
First Church of God	416 N. Keystone Avenue	Sayre	PA	(570) 888-9671
Disciples of Christ
Sayre Christian Church	427 S. Keystone Avenue	Sayre	PA	(570) 888-2683
Episcopalian
Church of the Redeemer*	201 S. Wilbur Avenue	Sayre	PA	(570) 888-2270
Grace Episcopal Church	439 Park Avenue	Waverly	NY	(607) 565-2608
Trinity Episcopal Church	701 S. Main Street	Athens	PA	(570) 888-5715
Holiness Church
Pilgrim Holiness Church*	701 S. Wilbur Avenue	Sayre	PA	(570) 888-2417
Independent Christian
Christian Life Church	207 Broad Street	Waverly	NY	(607) 565-9777
His Majesty Fellowship	201 Pennsylvania Ave.	Athens	PA	(570) 888-4000
Islam
Islamic Association of Sayre	102 Desmond Street	Sayre	PA	(570) 888-0832
Jewish
Penn York Jewish Community	21 Lincoln Street	Waverly	NY
Temple Beth Israel	Chemung St	Waverly	NY
Congregation B’Nai Israel	900 W. Water Street	Elmira	NY	(607) 734-7735
Congregation Shomray Hadath	1008 W. Water Street	Elmira	NY	(607) 734-8122
Jehovah’s Witnesses
Jehovah’s Witnesses	62 Pitney Street			(570) 888-9602
Lutheran
St. John Lutheran Church	207 S. Hopkins Street	Sayre	PA	(570) 888-2412
Mennonite
New Life Mennonite Church	Front Street	Athens	PA	(570) 888-5704
Nazarene
First Church of the Nazarene	18 Lincoln Street	Waverly	NY	(607) 565-2286
Presbyterian
First Presbyterian Church	622½ S. Main Street	Athens	PA	(570) 888-2269
First Presbyterian Church*	203 S. Elmer Avenue	Sayre	PA	(570) 888-2143
First Presbyterian Church	459 Park Avenue	Waverly	NY	(607) 565-4034
Roman Catholic
Epiphany Roman Catholic*	304 S. Elmer Avenue	Sayre	PA	(570) 888-9641
St. James Roman Catholic	503 Clark Street	Waverly	NY	(607) 687-1068
St. John the Evangelist Roman Catholic	85 Division Street	Waverly	NY	(570) 888-2123
St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church	205 N. Main Street	Athens	PA	(570) 888-2129
Salvation Army
Salvation Army*	314 S. Elmer Avenue	Sayre	PA	(570) 888-2153
Seventh Day Adventist
Seventh Day Adventist Church	RR2, Wilawana Road	Sayre	PA	(570) 888-1448
Ukrainian Catholic
Ascension Ukrainian Catholic Church	110 N. Higgins Avenue	Sayre	PA	(570) 888-2207
United Methodist
Athens United Methodist	118 S. Main Street	Athens	PA	(570) 888-2241
First United Methodist*	200 W. Lockhart Street	Sayre	PA	(570) 888-2243
United Methodist Church	158 Chemung Street	Waverly	NY	(607) 565-8650
Unitarian Universalist
Unitarian Universalist Church	112 North St,	Athens	PA	(570) 888-0252
Wesleyan
Athens Wesleyan Church	RD2, Wilawana Road	Sayre	PA	(570) 888-6734