Rev. Dr. Granger Westberg
Granger E. Westberg (1911-1999) was a pioneer who, over the course of a long and rich career, broke new ground in the areas of theology, clinical pastoral education, and whole person healthcare. Westberg was a Lutheran clergyman who had been a parish pastor, hospital chaplain, professor of practical theology and teacher of medical students. His work was based on his belief that healthcare transcends physical care because true healing involves the whole person in the context of their community.
One of Westberg’s most significant contributions to the church and the community at large was the founding of the Parish Nurse Movement. Originally developed in 1984 as a partnership between Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, Illinois and six area congregations, this new ecumenical movement soon grew to encompass nurses and churches around the country.
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Resourcing Parish Nurses
As the parish nurse movement grew, information was shared by word-of-mouth through advocates of whole person health. In 1986, Advocate Health Care in Chicago decided to establish the National Parish Nurse Resource Center (NPNRC) to provide a nationwide clearinghouse for information about this growing movement. In 1991, the first foundational course in parish nursing was taught in Wisconsin. As parish nursing grew to include sites in other countries, the center adapted its work and changed the name to International Parish Nurse Resource Center (IPNRC).
In 2002 the center moved to the Deaconess Foundation in St. Louis. The work of the IPNRC focused on the provision and promotion of education, research and support through curriculum, resources and continuing education opportunities.
The IPNRC and the Church Health Center
In 2011 the IPNRC moved again to its new home at the Church Health Center in Memphis. Yet the integrated history of the IPNRC and the Church Health Center began in 1978 when Dr. Scott Morris was in the chaplain’s office of the Yale Medical School. He saw a pamphlet on his desk titled, “How to Start a Church-based Health Clinic,” written by Granger Westberg. It was then, he says, he knew what he wanted to do with this life. The next summer, he spent several weeks with Westberg and, with Westberg’s inspiration, founded the Church Health Center in Memphis in 1987.
In 2007 the
Church Health Center in Memphis, Tennessee launched its new magazine
Church Health Reader, which provides health ministry tips and ideas for churches and church leaders. The magazine’s growth, in turn, led to the development of more and more resources. Through all this, an ongoing relationship developed between the staff of
Church Health Reader and the staff and supporters of the IPNRC. This relationship was the beginning of an organizational partnership that led to the transition of the IPNRC from the Deaconess Foundation to the Church Health Center.