- Staff Pastoral Psychotherapist at Winter Park Recovery Center & Life Sciences Academy
- Board Certified Pastoral Counselor & Christian Counselor; Diplomate through AACT as a Clinical Pastoral Counselor & Marriage & Family Pastoral Therapist; Master Life Coach
- Doctor of Child and Family Therapy; Doctor of Ministry in Organizational Behavior and Transformation
While growing up in the Pacific Northwest, I was privileged
to have a solid family environment, excellent college preparatory schooling, and
close, personal relationships--all of which added up to a very enjoyable
childhood. Emerging from this safe place, however, I soon discovered a world
beset by torment, angst, rigidity, and societal apathy in helping our fellow
brothers and sisters in creation, who were in need of life's basic necessities.
I emerged from my college years with a passion to find ways to bring aid and
compassionate action to those who could not recover from tragedies and loss.
As an Ordained Minister of Word and Sacrament in the Lutheran Church, I am
honored to be a representative of the Church in the ministry of social and
restorative justice. Through collaboration with congregations across the USA, I
have been supported in my endeavors to reach out to those who could not afford
access to mental health therapy and utilize the training I have been blessed
with receiving. While the numbers of people requesting services exceeded my
availability during my time serving on the staff of different congregations, I
was able to expand the depth of therapeutic care by developing a lay ministry
group called "Passionate Priestly People" (or "p3" for
short). It comprised fifty hand-picked lay members who were felt to have the
spiritual gifts of compassion, empathy, and desire to help those experiencing
difficult times. This organization was developed in 2005 and is now celebrating
its tenth anniversary, with over 8,000 contacts made between the caregivers and
care-recipients. This invaluable ministry group has deeply impacted the large
3,000 member congregation in Charlotte, NC through its continual training in
the art of Pastoral Care and leadership under an Ordained Clergy who sets the
vision and the tone for these most blessed angels of mercy.
I also have instituted a social justice program in Winter Park, FL for a
congregation in need of becoming more active in the community from which it was
birthed. Despite ailing from an ecclesial implosion (losing 850 active members
in 6 years to bottom out at 160 weekly worship count, and dropping from an
annual budget of $1.5 million to $575,000), it was imperative to end the tunnel
vision focused on the need to survive and re-orient the Church towards service
in mission. In 2012 the Church started a program named "Bread of
Angels" (taken from Psalm 72). The Lutheran Church joined forces with a
Disciples of Christ Church and focused on feeding the homeless or working poor
around Lake Eola. On the first Saturday there were 145 recipients in
attendance. Each week (on Saturdays, regardless of weather or if it was a
Holiday), a meal was served, along with a bag of food to take with them. As
time progressed, the program moved beyond merely food and incorporated:
representatives of local government offices to help with obtaining proper
Identification and access to government programs through assistance in filling
out application forms properly; clothing and shoes for free; job fair and
resume writing assistance to help obtain employment; legal aid representatives
to help with any legal issues people might have; and mental health workers to
assist in identifying and helping those who would benefit most from such
services and referrals. This program has four rotating teams and has served
approximately 12,000 in its three years of existence! It is amazing how much
impact can be made through collaborative efforts of like-minded people who care
to see healing brought into a world that desperately needs it.
Therefore, my ministry orientation is primarily towards facilitating groups of
people to function in the capacity of caregivers to those who truly need it
through a four-fold process of:
1) Identifying those with the heart for service and willingness to engage
others for the sake of inspiring wellness and health in others
2) Equipping the assembled team(s) through training in healthy boundaries /
referral / termination; caring for yourself to avoid compassion fatigue; active
listening; the power of empathy (and the difference between empathy and
sympathy); the mission and vision of the group; and role playing exercises to
learn through practical experiences before entering the mission field.
3) Sending the teams out on assignments selected by the Team Leader for optimal
match-ups / successful relational outcomes.
4) Monthly, Scheduled Follow-up Sessions with team leaders and teams for review
of cases / experiences; Continued Training; Prayer Tree; and Checking in with
each member to see how they are doing and how this ministry is impacting them.
Also, for the sake of perpetuity, the group needs to be on the look-out for
additional team members to create additional resources from which to draw upon
and spread out the work of the organization.
This system has worked well for organizing ministry teams in place, whether it
be for personal care offered by trained lay members or social justice
ministries designed to assist the impoverished. It is far better to multiply
one's self and train others than to attempt to be a lone wolf in the work of
helping others. It is simply too vast and too extensive in terms of the depth
of needs for a single, specialized care agent to truly make a dent by
functioning solo. This is where organizations, such as the Church and other
non-profit agencies, need to do a better job of in order to help those hurting
in society. The ability to rally, train, and equip an army of aid workers is
one that will always be useful since it is the most efficient way to confront
catastrophic loss and tragedy.
WORKSHOPS, PRESENTATIONS AND SEMINAR TOPICS AND DESCRIPTIONS
Who am I? Exploration of Identity in the Aftermath of Loss
and Tragedy
This two-day workshop focuses on providing workshop participants with practical
tools on how they can reassess their identity, create a vision for the person
they want to become, and set a course to turn possibility into a livable
reality. The workshop is helpful for anyone who has experienced tremendous
grief and loss, whether it be triggered by the loss of employment, disabling
illness or injury, divorce & loss of the family structure, experiences of
war with/out PTSD, or a multitude of losses caused by a variety of tragic
origins. The goal of the workshop is to get participants thinking and
reflecting on what has happened in their lives so that they may be empowered to
move forward in a new, transformed way.
Assembling an Army: A How-To Seminar on Developing a Caregiving Army to Wage a
Campaign of Hope
Pain, suffering, and loss are all around us and it often lurks quietly in the
lives of individuals who do not have anyone with whom to share their plight.
One psychologist has stated, "The post-modern age are marked by the days
where loneliness is an epidemic and the greatest threat to personal
wellness" (Collins). Communities and organizations of all kinds can
assembly teams of gifted volunteers who, with the proper training and
equipping, can function as agents of hope in a world. Loneliness is an illusion
that whispers to people that "no one cares about me" or "no one
wants to take on my problems by hearing them or participate in my life. The
truth is, we are called to be our brothers' and sisters' keeper. We have a
civic and moral duty to aid those who hurt and provide them with supportive
care so as to overcome the deficit caused by tragic circumstances. Any
organizations can develop a care team to operate within its walls and another
team to help out on the outside. It is a matter of dedicating time, teaching,
and materials to the cause of alleviating suffering through caring contact.
This seminar will show you how to craft such groups from inception to a state
of perpetual function and group replenishment.
"Daddy, Why did this Happen to Us?"- How to Respond to the Special
Needs of Children
While children have the ability to be extremely resilient, it is imperative
that special care be devoted to the needs they have in the immediate days
following a crisis, as well as over the long haul. Children need to be
reassured with definitive actions and authentic, truthful words what it means
for them having experienced a tragic circumstance. The safe haven of the family
structure may be destroyed by the serious injury or death of a parent(s),
divorce / separation, loss of the family home due to fire or unemployment, and
a host of other unfortunate changes. Children ask questions that are direct and
often not easily answered. The worst action people can do is offer false
platitudes of comfort that are demonstrated only shortly after to be erroneous
and untrue. Children deserve the truth, but in a manner that is age-appropriate
and conducive to the over-arching goal of helping them emerge positively
transformed (not stuck in the grief or pain of loss). This course will offer
participants a paradigm of care on how to secure the wellness of children. It
will begin with the tragedy itself and progress along the continuum of care of
acute healing needs to the long-term ones. This is a class that does not
presume to have all the answers, but certainly provides a usable framework by
caregivers and professionals alike as they address children during periods of
tremendous heart ache.
Faith-Based Examination of Trauma & how Spirituality is
Tested by the Chaos and Uncertainty of Life
This two-day seminar is focused on how multiple Religions understand tragedy
and loss with the goal of then looking at the Spiritual Self amidst the
backdrop of tragedy. What does spirituality mean for a world set in secular
ways and why does it still matter to address the spirit in healing the self
from experiences of loss? These questions will be examined and the need for
professionals to address the full human spectrum of existence if true healing and
integration is to come about. The Book of Job from the Hebrew Bible will be
used as a literary case study, along with the story of Siddhartha, the founder
of Buddhism. This east meets west examination of narratives will reveal the
universal truth: that suffering is a condition from which no one can escape,
but it isn't one that must define our lives nor end in tragedy. Hope burns
eternal and this is the power of the human soul and indomitable spirit that
lies within each of us. The course will also provide meaningful techniques for
reaching one's central plane of existence, the soul, through meditation,
prayer, and creative ritual practices.
REVIEWS
"Rev. Dr. Ehlke is a compassionate, loving person who
truly wishes to alleviate pain in those he meets. He understands that ministry
is about uniting forces in the vineyard and organizing a systemic response to
tragic circumstances. While he is gifted and well-trained, his greatest
strengths lies in his ability to unite people under a banner of hope in action.
The Churches he has served in his pastorates were fortunate to have his vision
for multi-layered active responses to crises inside and outside their
walls." - Member of St. John Lutheran Church, Winter Park, FL.
"I joined St. John because of Rev. Dr. Ehlke's preaching and gift for
delivering the Word of God. In fact, I moved from Jacksonville, FL to Winter
Park, FL having been inspired to live near the church where I felt most
inspired to belong. He speaks from the heart, with certainty of the truth,
humility of self, and passion for the Word." - Member of St. John Lutheran
Church, Winter Park, FL.
"Rev. Dr. Ehlke's spirituality group is my favorite one to attend. I love
it because I get a chance to tap into a part of me I never knew was there
previously. He has helped me see that who I am is precious and not trash, which
is how I used to view myself. Today, I am a new creation because I am more than
just a collection of my past mistakes. I was made with a purpose and that
purpose is grounded in unconditional love." - Group Participant from
Winter Park Recovery Center, Winter Park, FL.
"Troy's preparation is noteworthy and his delivery superb, regardless of
the topic being spoken on. I could listen to him for days and not be tired of
his speaking. He brings humor, insight, and personality to his speeches and
that is a rare combination to find anywhere." - Member of Christ Lutheran
Church, Charlotte, NC
"Pastor Ehlke has spend years upon years in just graduate school and
seminary alone, yet he isn't arrogant about his education, nor does he speak at
a level above his audience. Instead, he is a down-to-earth speaker who relates
exceptionally well with those he is talking to. It feels so personal and the message
directly from his heart, that even though hundreds may be in the room, I feel
like he is talking right to me. I walk away from his sermons feeling God's love
as close to my heart as my own breath. Only a truly gifted minister of the Lord
can help facilitate such a union between those he is preaching to and the
divine." - Member of Christ Lutheran Church, Charlotte, NC
PAST ORGANIZATIONAL CONSULTATIONS, TRAINING AND INTERVIEWS
Winter Park Recovery Center and Life Sciences Academy, Winter Park, FL
St. John Lutheran Church, Winter Park, FL
Christ Lutheran Church, Charlotte, NC
St. Luke's Lutheran Church, Federal Way, WA
The Neuropsychiatric Institute, Tampa, FL
Ehlke Law Offices, Federal Way, WA
Faith Lutheran Church, Cambridge, MA
Gladstone Library, Manchester, Wales, United Kingdom
United States House of Representatives
Harvard University
Pacific Lutheran University
Calvary Lutheran Church, Federal Way, WA
Mecklenburg County School District, Charlotte, NC
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Florida-Bahamas Synod
US Navy Chaplain Corps, NETC, Newport, Rhode Island (Presentation on PTSD from
a cross-generational