Belmont Parish Nurse Ministry Mission: To provide the sponsoring congregations and the Belmont Community in general with a holistic approach to health, well-being and health management, while continuing to demonstrate the healing power of faith.
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History of the Belmont Parish Nurse Ministry
Parish Nursing became a topic of interest in Gaston County in 1995. As the result of that interest, the Parish Nurse Project Group was established in 1998. The project group became aware of the interest in Parish Nursing by First Presbyterian Church of Belmont, First United Methodist Church of Belmont and Queen of the Apostles Church of Belmont. Over several months, the project group developed a business plan than included grant and church funding for the 3 parish nurse programs, with sponsoring churches assuming full funding responsibility in the fourth year of the programs. Belmont was selected to implement the initial Parish Nurse program and grant funds were requested from the Duke Endowment in February 1999.
While awaiting a response from the Duke Endowment, representatives from each of the Belmont sponsoring churches formed the Belmont Parish Nurse Health Cabinet. Grant funds were awarded in June 1999 and the cabinet began recruiting for a parish nurse, securing office facilities and developing its mission. Cheryl Fleming was hired as the Belmont Parish Nurse in late 1999 and the Belmont Parish Nurse office opened in January 2000. Cheryl has continued to minister to the sponsoring congregations and community as Belmont Parish Nurse since that time. In July 2008, aided by additional Duke Endowment funding, the Belmont Parish Nurse Health Cabinet, hired Delta Sanders as Ministry Resource Coordinator. Her role is to assist the Belmont Parish Nurse by handling non-clinical aspects of the ministry.
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