Chaplain at FSSA dismisses criticism

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Chaplain at FSSA dismisses criticism

Blames job difficulties on upheaval at agency

By Benjamin Lanka, The Journal Gazette (Fort Wayne, Indiana), June 18, 2007

Despite facing difficult circumstances - and in the wake of criticism about his performance and qualifications - the Rev. Michael Latham said his first year-plus on the job with the state has been successful.

The Fort Wayne minister was hired in April 2006 by the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration as a chaplain. For $60,000 per year, Latham was to set up a network of clergy volunteers to help state government employees cope with their job stresses. He has recruited 21 volunteers, but some haven’t heard from Latham in months and said they forgot the program existed.

"We had a conference one day in October and have not heard anything from them after that," said Jim Ott, a volunteer from Anderson.

On Sunday, Latham said starting a program from scratch was difficult, but the program was able to touch many people in ways that are never publicly seen.

He said his program has helped employees deal with the loss of mothers and children, or with the onset of cancer and other diseases.

He said one of the reasons his tenure has been difficult was the numerous changes at the FSSA. The agency has privatized several services including closing the Fort Wayne State Developmental Center.

"I think it could have been better," he said of his tenure. "(But) there’s been a lot of changes with employees. All of the different departments have been changing."

Latham said things are finally straightened out, as he met last week with directors of county agencies to move forward with placing chaplains in county offices.

Andy Downs, director of the Mike Downs Center for Politics at Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne, said a program that has yielded such poor records should be examined to be fixed or eliminated.

He also questioned the claims that change made Latham’s job difficult.

"One could make the argument, during tumultuous times might be the time chaplains would be necessary," he said.

Mitch Roob, FSSA secretary, said he spent two hours meeting with about a dozen of the volunteers that Latham recruited in a meeting last October or November and was impressed with their commitment and diversity.

"We started on this program from a dead stop. We’re trying to feel our way carefully and develop a comfort level," he said.

Roob said he will evaluate the program’s results at 24 months.

"If we can’t show discernible progress then we need to say it didn’t work."

He also noted that he is comfortable with Latham’s level of commitment, despite having several other jobs in Fort Wayne.

Latham began preaching at 17, and is currently the pastor at Renaissance Baptist Church and president of the local NAACP chapter.

Latham never attended college or seminary and has no chaplain or counseling training.

Ministers must have a bachelor’s degree and a master’s of divinity to be hired as a chaplain in one of the state’s five psychiatric hospitals or in the state prisons.

Latham said he met all the qualifications for his job, and said his decades of preaching make him qualified. He said holding so many positions didn’t concern him.

"It’s all ministry," he said. "The way I view it, it’s all one job."

Roob said he interviewed about eight people for the position and talked to dozens of people -- black, white, male, female, Jewish and Christian -- about the skills needed to be a success in the new position.

Roob said Latham has the real-world experience of working with the disadvantaged and those in despair.

"He ministered to a population that was similar to the population we serve," he said.

"To be frank, hiring my white suburban pastor to do this job probably wasn’t the right answer."

Roob also noted he knew the hiring and the entire program would not come without controversy -- "It would be easy not to do this."

The Freedom from Religion Foundation, a national association of atheists and agnostics, sued last month challenging Latham’s hiring. The group’s complaint said the state should not pay a member of the clergy with taxpayer money to provide faith-based counseling and to develop a statewide network of volunteer ministers.

Latham was an active supporter of Gov. Mitch Daniels’ campaign in 2004, and the reverend said he was thankful if his relationship with the governor helped get the position.

"Knowing people is just a thing to do," he said. "I think a lot of people get jobs because they know people on the inside."

Roob said Gov. Mitch Daniels was not involved in the hiring, and Roob -- a campaign insider from 2004 -- was unaware whether Latham supported the governor.

Latham said he isn’t surprised to hear people critical of his job, but said it won’t stop his drive to create more successes.

"I’m very passionate about it (the job)," Latham said. "With the criticism, it makes you more determined to do it."

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