MAKING IT OFFICIAL … Williams County Sheriff Tom Kochert was happy to give badges to his two newly trained Chaplains, Daniel Fernihough and Ben Harris, on Friday morning, April 23,2021. (PHOTO BY REBECCA MILLER, STAFF)
By: Rebecca Miller
Area pastors, Ben Harris from House of Prayer in Montpelier and Daniel Fernihough from New Hope Community Church in Bryan, humbly accepted their official Sheriff’s Deputy badges on Friday afternoon, April 23, 2021.
Harris and Fernihough have taken on the position of Chaplains for the Williams County Sheriff’s Department, after being asked by Sheriff Tom Kochert.
Fernihough, who was born and raised in Fort Worth, Texas, has been serving at New Hope for a little over four years.
He is married to his “high school sweetheart” for 21 years and has two high school age children. Harris is the son of Don and GayLynn Harris, who started House of Prayer in 1993.
When Pastor Don retired in 2012, his youngest son, Benaiah, stepped into the leadership position, with his dad’s blessing. He and his wife and children are very involved in the community.
Kochert, who is a strong believer in Christ and feels that the spiritual care of the Sheriff’s Deputies is as important as all other care, chose to ask these two gentlemen to take this position.
“It was fortuitous that almost immediately after I asked them, I was made aware that the ICPC (International Conference of Police Chaplains) was going to be holding a training right nearby, in Shipshewana, Indiana. Normally they are held quite far away and it involves a lot of expense, but here they were!”
So, Harris and Fernihough packed their bags and headed for Blue Gate Motel in Shipshewana, for three very full days of training in a wide variety of topics. They heard from Chaplains who spoke about what they do on a daily basis and how they do it most efficiently and professionally.
Ethics, understanding the feelings of officers, ceremonies and events, and many ways they can help support the department, were part of it.
“There were around twelve to fifteen classes over the three day period, and they were all very eye opening,” Harris said. “
There was an entire class on death notifications (which is accompanying someone from the department to inform family members of a death, either of an officer or of a related civilian).
As a resource they were given a list of things to say and things not to say, as well as a “Go bag” of items that might be useful, such as a stuffed animal in case there is a young child present during the notification.
Pastors Fernihough and Harris were both so impressed by ICPC, and all that they have to offer, that they have become members and look forward to all they can keep learning through this organization.
ICPC covers seven states, thus making it possible to have training from Chaplains in some of the large cities where the unrest has been active, such as Milwaukee, as well as from extremely rural areas across these states.
“Their requirements are stringent so we will have continuing training,” Fernihough said. “They cover protocols and relationships and much more. It will help us navigate the world of law enforcement.”
They were also delighted, while at the conference, to run into Chaplains from Stryker, Angola, Napoleon and Defiance, and look forward to building relationships with them and their departments.
As far as what they will be doing as Volunteer Chaplains, Sheriff Kochert said, “They are a welcome addition and have already started integrating themselves into the department. I am very grateful for them and look forward to using them more and more as ‘ambassadors’.
They are going to be an integral part of the hub,” which is what he considers the Sheriff’s Department of every county to be. He plans to have the two men at trainings and other events so that the deputies can bond with them and build confidence that will allow them to be most helpful when needed.
Fernihough stated that they will be “building relationships and serving in whatever way we can. These deputies face things most of us never do and we are going to help them out.”
“We want to represent the Sheriff’s Department well and be a serving resource in the county,” Harris added.
“Serve and encourage…show up and ask how we can help.” They both agreed that in their minds, this is literally no different than what they do everyday. They help and protect and love people who really need to be loved, right in whatever circumstance they find themselves.
When asked what they will do if someone who got arrested while they were present, shows up at their church, both of them said that would be great. They would already have made a connection and they would hope the person would be set at ease because they have already met and are aware of their needs.
The two new Chaplains are being given the shirt (with a Chaplain patch on the shoulder) needed to be official at events and trainings, as well as other items that will identify them as a part of the Sheriff’s Department, including their badges, but will not be carrying guns or handcuffs or any other equipment, except maybe a Bible in their back pocket.
They both look forward to ministering to the community through this new opportunity.
Rebecca can be reached at publisher@thevillagereporter.com