“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me. …whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”  Matthew 25:35-36, 40

I consider myself blessed to serve in a ministry authorized by the Synod that allows me to do these things “for the least of these” in the name of Jesus every day. Cathedral Clinic is a partnership between Christ Church Cathedral (Episcopal), Healthcare for the Homeless – Houston, and Baylor College of Medicine, and is part of a larger outreach ministry of Christ Church Cathedral to the homeless. The clinic provides free medical and psychiatric services, including medication, case management, psychotherapy, and substance abuse couseling for homeless patients who have no other access to care. Additionally, we have a partnershp with the Harris County Sheriff’s Department that allows us to visit inmates in the county jail who will be homeless and in need of our services upon release. 

Tom is 61 years old, and was a manager at the world famous Café Dumond in New Orleans. That is, until Katrina blew through the place. When the flood waters rose in his apartment, Tom fled to his roof, where he spent three days and nights until being rescued by helicopter. He lost everything. He was taken to the Astrodome, and eventually placed in an apartment in Houston. Unable to find a job, he was not able to pay the $50 per month required of him by FEMA, was evicted, and became homeless. I met him on a Sunday afternoon in May, 2008, eating lunch in the Beacon, a drop-in day center and soup kitchen for homeless. Since he had medical concerns, including high blood pressure and diabetes, but had no way to get medicine, I made an appointment for him to see a doctor the next day at the Cathedral clinic. When I met with him again at the clinic, I discovered that Tom sometimes heard things and saw things that other people didn’t. He did not know that these were hallucinations, symptoms of a mental illness, and that they were treatable with medication. I also learned that Tom used alcohol to escape when life got to difficult to handle, and it was becoming a problem. At the clinic, we provided him with medication for his blood pressure, diabetes, and mental illness. We helped him apply for social security disability and Medicare, we helped him overcome his alcohol abuse, and we helped him get his own apartment, a Single Room Occupancy (SRO) through New Hope Housing, another ministry of the Cathedral. This all happened over 3 years ago. Last I saw Tom he was doing great, staying sober, and helping others by volunteering at the Beacon. 

For more information about the outreach ministries of Christ Church Cathedral:  www.chomhouston.org

For more information about Healthcare for the Homeless – Houston:  www.homeless-healthcare.org

Pastor George Bement

New Pastor - Stephen W. Martin

Born October 13, 1965 in Tucson, AZ, Stephen is the son of Thurman and Mildred Martin.  He is the youngest of four siblings; he has two sisters, Shirley Lewis and Susan Dorsey and one brother Tim Martin all living in Arizona. 

Stephen married Diana on December 20, 2003.  They are the parents of five children Jessie Escamillas who resides in Savannah, GA, Sonya Escamillas, Melissa Franco, Edwin Martin, and Corbin Martin all living in Arizona.  He also has five grandchildren Isaiah, Billie, Elijah, Dakota, and Chloe.

He was baptized in October of 1975 at Columbia Street Baptist Church in Tucson, Arizona.  Stephen began to feel a call from God in High School and began to serve God’s people as a medic in the military.  He followed a family tradition that began with his Grandfather to serve in the military.

Stephen graduated from Sunnyside High School in May of 1984.  He entered military service in December of 1986 where he received his AS degree at the Community College of the Air Force in Physical Therapy and served as a medic.  He continued to serve as an Administrative Specialist after he received his BS degree in Human Resource Management from Park College. 

Fourteen years ago Stephen went through a series of events that changed his life forever.  It started with the death of his mother and his children being in a car that was struck by a drunk driver that put his oldest son Edwin in a coma for two days.  When Edwin woke up his entire left side was paralyzed.  Stephen lived in the hospital with his son for three months.  Edwin recovered but still has deficits on his left side.  Stephen continued to feel a call from God and he wanted to help others that were experiencing life changing events as well.  So he began his quest to become an Army Chaplain.

Being a member of the Choctaw Nation he received a Native American scholarship from the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary where he was able to attend Wartburg Theological Seminary as well in the fall of 2007.  He graduated with his MDIV in the summer of 2010 and began his internship year, where he served a two-point parish with St. Luke Lutheran Church in Fort Smith, AR and Faith Lutheran Church in Booneville, AR.

Stephen has been called as a Military Chaplain in the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center to serve Military Members, Veterans, and their families who are experiencing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, mental illness, and other physical ailments.