On Sunday night I got a call from Billy Elias of my that shook my world. "Pastor Bill, Jamie's died." I could not believe the words I was hearing. "What?" Again those terrible words, "Jamie died. He died in Tommy Boyd's arms." My heart sank to a depth of pain and grief that I haven't experience in many, many years. Immediately Matt Jacopec and who had come over our house to watch "Bend It Like Bechem" and Christine began to cry and call out to God for Ellen, for the kids, for me, for the church.
Jamie Chaney was a great man. That is the only words I can use to describe him, especially after the overwhelming expressions of love I witnessed over the past few days. He was a very humble guy from a simple little house on the beach in the Seaside. He never was into power plays or politics, but his great heart toward people eventually landed him as the chief of police at Seaside Heights, NJ. He ministered the love of Jesus to that department after a terrible tragedy that hobbled the chief that preceeded Jamie. But that is not surprising because Jamie ministered the love of Jesus to everyone, everywhere he went.
Jamie and Ellen became part of our church within the first weeks of our new church plant while we were still doing informational meetings at the Girl Scout building in Toms River. There was an immediate heart connection. Although we both had been believers for most of our lives or at least raised in the evangelical sub-culture or hearts had been recently ignited by the renewal that swept through the church in the late 90's. Jamie and Ellen had been touched by God at the Toronto Airport Vineyard in the first few months of that renewal and I had been touched by God during the move of the spirit that took place at King of Kings Community Church in Manahawkin. The move at King of Kings was a couple of generations removed from the move at Toronto and I always felt Jamie and Ellen got a stronger dose of the stuff than I did. Because of what God did for Jamie and Ellen they brought an inpartation to our church that was very unique. They brought to us a blessing of peace and wholness that we have been able to give away to many hurting people. Jamie had a strong gift of healing. When he prayed for people they would come away changed. Unlike many of the TV healing ministries, there was nothing phoney or worked up about anything that Jamie did. It was very real.
Jamie was retiring from the force in about two months and had begun studies at the King of Kings School of ministry. He was going to become more involved in the pastoral ministry of our church upon his retirement. I am trying to sort out what God is doing in this whole thing.
I experiencing deep grief mixed with deep peace that God is incontrol and that his providence is a work in this whole very bad situation.
We had set the Jamie Chaney Memorial Forum for people to post their thoughts about Jamie's home-going. Maybe you stumbled by this page looking for something on the web about Jamie. If so, here's the link to the forum: jamie forum.
