The Reverend Asa Hunt, III Lecture Series draws from the fields of spirituality, arts, sciences, and medicine to provide renewal and education for those who follow Jesus Christ’s commission, “I was sick and you visited me.” As a Pastor and Chaplain who deeply loved God and God’s people, hallmarks of Asa’s ministry included counseling, mentoring new Pastors, and motivating hundreds of volunteers and service ministries. As a consummate compliment to their work, Asa and his wife Annette often counseled and taught together. Asa will always be deeply loved by his children and innumerable others whom he brought into the security of Christ’s saving grace.
The Reverend Asa Hunt, III Lecture Series is presented during POP Shines at Christmastime where POP annually honors its Lay Chaplains and the beautiful ways God has worked through them during their Spiritual Care with patients, families, caregivers, and staff in the hospitals every week throughout every year. Churches, organizations, POP staff and board, and POP’s Lay Chaplains gather in fellowship to celebrate this transforming ministry and receive poignant education for the well-being of those in healthcare settings in which they serve.
POP has been proud to offer the following Lecturers who have presented tremendous insight for the ministry of Spiritual Care
in Healthcare and community settings.
The Reverend Dr. Luis Elier Rodriguez
On Significant Components of Spiritual Care
December 2, 2022
The Reverend Dr. Luis Elier Rodriguez was born in Puerto Rico. He is an ordained Mennonite Pastor and System Manager of the Clinical Pastoral Education program at Houston Methodist Hospital. He holds a Master’s Degree from the Divinity Evangelical Seminary of Puerto Rico and a Doctor of Ministry degree from McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago, Illinois. He completed a Residency in Clinical Pastoral Education at the Presbyterian Hospital in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Dr. Rodriguez spent three years completing his Supervisory CPE Training at the Baptist Health System in San Antonio, Texas. He is a Chaplain, certified by the Association of Professional Chaplains in the USA. Dr. Rodriguez is a Certified Educator of CPE by the Association of Clinical Pastoral Education in the USA. He has experience teaching and as a consultant in countries outside of the USA. Dr. Rodriguez’s legacy is one of Training many CPE students who have been able to reach a greater understanding and practice of Spiritual Care.
The Reverend Kathy Escobar
A Weary World
Reflections for a Blue Christmas
December 3, 2021
The Reverend Kathy Escobar co-pastors The Refuge, a Christian community and mission center in North Denver. Her passion is creating safe and brave spaces for transformation and healing in a variety of contexts. A speaker, spiritual director, group facilitator, and organizational consultant, she is author of several books including her most recent, Practicing: Changing Yourself to Change the World and A Weary World: Reflections for a Blue Christmas as well as founder of the non-profit #communityheals–Making Spaces for Transformation Accessible for All. More at kathyescobar.com. Rev. Escobar is also a frequent lecturer at Fuller Theological Seminary.
The Reverend Thomas C. Tucker, Ph.D
A Conduit
Diary of an Emergency Department Chaplain
December 11, 2020
Pictured are POP Lay Chaplain Tom Tucker with Todd Caliva, CEO HCA Healthcare, Clear Lake
The Reverend Dr. Tom Tucker has been an ordained Elder in the Presbyterian Church for 52 years and has served in a variety of positions at the local, regional, and national levels of the church. He is currently a member of Clear Lake Presbyterian Church where he is a member of the Choir and the Congregational Prayer Team, as well as a commissioner to Presbytery. He leads Bible Studies and fills in when needed to provide Sunday morning sermons from the pulpit. Due to his unwavering commitment and compassion for those in crisis and suffering, he is affectionately known as “Dr. Tom” to the Staff and Faculty at HCA Healthcare Houston – Clear Lake.
The Reverend Samson Naidoo, MDiv, ACPE
The Language of Letting Go
Daily Meditations on Codependency
December 11, 2020
Within the Reverend Samson Naidoo’s many years as a Certified Educator of CPE, Sam has wisely added authorship from the important field of Recovery in his presentations. This education for Chaplains contributes to self and clinical awareness in the practice of Spiritual Care. Due to epidemic proportions, Sam presents this illuminating work which helps all humans look at addictions, including one key addiction humans wrestle with — perfectionism.
The Reverend Dr. Dave Peterson
In collaboration with Photographer,
Sam Gainer
The World Through Our Eyes
December 6, 2019
People describe Reverend Dr. Dave Peterson as a pastoral storyteller. He prefers to think of himself as a Biblical Illustrator, not with brushes and pens, but with words. He finds it difficult to communicate the complexities of theology, psychology, and philosophy until he can find a way to illustrate them with the quirky, humbling and ordinary events that make up our daily lives.
Sam Gainer has traveled the world using the lenses of his cameras to record reality. Occasionally a scene has presented itself spontaneously- not time to think. Just aim and click. But far more often, his photos are the result of months of painstaking research and planning. Sam’s photos allow people to travel the world without leaving their living room couch.
Read more about Reverend Dave Peterson – Reverend Lawrence Johnson Award, 2022 Chaplain of the Year
The Reverend Dr. Nathan Carlin, PhD
Pastoral Aesthetics:
A Theological Perspective on Principlist Bioethics
December 6, 2019
The Reverend Dr. Nathan Carlin is Associate Professor in the McGovern Center for Humanities and Ethics at the University of Texas Health Science Center, where he directs the Medical Humanities Scholarly Concentration for medical students.
He also holds appointments in the Department of Family Medicine, the Department of Psychiatry, and the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, as well as the Samuel Karff Chair. Nate is married to Rev. Keaton King and they have one daughter.
Alan D. Valentine, MD, Chair
Department of Psychiatry
Control is an Illusion and Certainty is a Myth:
A Conversation with a Cancer Psychiatrist
December 8, 2017
Alan Valentine, MD, is Professor and Chair, Department of Psychiatry, and Professor, Section of Integrated Ethics, Department of Critical Care and Respiratory Care, at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Dr. Valentine is author or co-author of over 75 peer reviewed manuscripts and book chapters. His primary clinical and research interests are in the neuropsychiatric side effects of cancer therapies. He is a Fellow and former President of the American Psychosocial Oncology Society.
Rev. Dr. Steve Spidell, Director of Spiritual Care and Values Integration
Houston Methodist Hospital, San Jacinto
The Hidden Strengths to Come Through Trauma
December 9, 2016
Pictured are POP Lay Chaplain Dot Uthlaut with Rev. Dr. Steve Spidell
In Loving Memory of Dot Uthlaut Click Here
In Loving Memory of Rev. Dr. Steve Spidell Click Here
Rev. Dr. Charles Millikan, Vice President for Spiritual Care and Values Integration
Houston Methodist Hospital
Fill the House and Tell the Story
December 3, 2015
Pictured are POP Board Chair, John C. Marshall, III; POP President, AnneMarie Wallace &
The Reverend Dr. Charles Millikan
In Loving Memory of John C. Marshall, III Click Here
Reverend Dr. David A. McKechnie
Empathetic Spiritual Care in The Holy Scriptures
December 3, 2010
The Reverend Dr. Dave McKechnie and his wife Linda, an accomplished pianist, served as Senior Pastor at Grace Presbyterian Church in Houston, Texas for 25 years. They continued their profound ministry across the country with Dave serving as Interim Pastor for several Churches such as First Presbyterian – Houston; Bel Air Presbyterian Church in Los Angeles, California; Carmel Presbyterian Church, Charlotte, North Carolina. Dave was instrumental in expanding Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, California by building its significant seminary campus in Houston, Texas for Master and Doctoral Divinity degrees.
Pictured are Linda & Reverend Dr. David A. McKechnie