Subject Area
Religion, Theology/Religious Education
Abstract
Social isolation and loneliness have become familiar terms since the COVID-19 pandemic, but the problem did not start there. We have seen a steady rise in the number of people who face social isolation and loneliness over the past fifty years, and now research shows that this problem is impacting people’s health, especially in adults sixty-five and older. These social diagnoses are being addressed by public policy and in health care settings, but they should also be addressed by United Methodist clergy in their care for their parishioners. Therefore, I am writing this dissertation to my clergy colleagues to raise more awareness in hopes of inspiring change. I will argue that United Methodist clergy empowering adults sixty-five and older in their congregations to become hospital spiritual care volunteers is one way to embody a Wesleyan understanding of sanctification and vocation, while addressing the problem of social isolation and loneliness for this population.
I will use current research being done by hundreds of agencies and organizations across the United States to identify the trends, factors, and effects of social isolation and loneliness, as well as current strategies to increase social connection. I will use various sermons from John Wesley to illustrate how our theology on human nature, salvation, and visiting the sick supports our need for connection and encourages us to participate in acts of mercy. I will spend some time exploring a Wesleyan understanding of vocation and how adults sixty-five and older might come to understand vocation in their season of life. Finally, I will use the Houston Methodist Spiritual Care Volunteer Program as a case study to illustrate how a program like this intentionally supports our discipleship journey towards holiness, gives adults sixty-five and older a meaningful way to live out their vocation, and decreases social isolation and loneliness.
Degree Date
Spring 5-16-2026
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
D.Min.
Department
Perkins School of Theology
Advisor
Rebekah Miles
Second Advisor
Ted Campbell
Number of Pages
109
Format
Auld Dissertation 2026 Final.pdf
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License
Recommended Citation
Auld, Stacy L., "A Hospital Spiritual Care Volunteer Program: Embodying Vocation and Decreasing Social Isolation and Loneliness in Adults Sixty-Five and Older" (2026). Doctor of Ministry Projects and Theses. 60.
https://scholar.smu.edu/theology_ministry_etds/60
Included in
