Christopher Kreider
Kaneohe
Summary
Reverend Christopher (MA, MDiv, MA, BCC) is dedicated to integrating biblically grounded truths into practical application to address the needs of an increasingly secular and pluralistic society. He currently teaches in the graduate chaplaincy and counseling programs at Pacific Rim Christian University in Honolulu, HI, and feels called to bring his extensive ministry experience to the local church as lead pastor.
Christopher is board-certified through the Association of Professional Chaplains, holds ecclesial endorsement and ordination via the Venture Church Network, and possesses a ministry license from Moody Church in Chicago. He earned a BA in Sociology and an MA in Rehabilitation Teaching from Western Michigan University, an MDiv from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and an MA in Bioethics from Trinity Graduate School. Additionally, he completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Chicago’s MacLean Center for Clinical Medical Ethics, serving as an ethical consultant for University of Chicago Medicine. He is currently working on his dissertation while pursuing a PhD in Practical Theology at Columbia Biblical Seminary.
Overview
18
18
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Faculty
Pacific Rim Christian University
08.2025 - Current
- Adjunct Professor for the school’s graduate program. Courses taught include Introduction to Chaplaincy Ministry, Crisis Counseling, Group Counseling and Short-term Care, and Marriage and Family Counseling.
- Designed and taught graduate-level courses that introduce students to the principles and practices of chaplaincy, including spiritual care, ethics, and interfaith sensitivity.
- Led instruction on methods of crisis counseling, focusing on trauma-informed care, grief and loss, suicide prevention, and pastoral presence in high-stress situations.
- Developed curricula that combine theory, case studies, and practical role-plays to prepare students for vocational and clinical ministry settings.
- Mentored students in professional development, self-care practices, and reflective theological integration of counseling skills.
Intensive & Community-Based Forensic Case Manager
Care Hawaii, Inc.
02.2025 - 08.2025
- Facilitated consumer recovery towards independence by delivering a comprehensive suite of intensive case management services for individuals with diverse psychiatric needs and actively in recovery.
- Identified the client’s problems and needs, created a service or treatment plan, started and carried out the plan, and tracked the services while assessing the client’s progress.
Chaplain/Chaplaincy Department Coordinator
Pacific Health Ministry – Hawaii State Hospital
08.2023 - 09.2024
- Independently conducted weekly religious services to 300+ patients.
- The sole staff chaplain responsible for providing complete spiritual care services for 400+ adult forensic mental health patients on 13 inpatient units and 700+ staff members, providing 24/7/365 on-call coverage, including all overnights, weekends, and holidays.
- Supported coping strategies for adults experiencing cognitive and personality difficulties secondary to severe mental illness requiring court-mandated hospitalization.
- Provided spiritual guidance using oral history, story theology, pastoral intervention, empathic listening and counseling, prayer, ritual, anointings, room blessings, post-code, and post-death debriefs, initial visits, pre- and post-court appearance counsel, end-of-life preparation and documentation, referrals for continuity of spiritual care, answering spiritual questions, addressing ethical and moral concerns, and through the offering of compassionate engagement.
- Established core working relationships with local faith leaders and laity.
Chaplain
Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital – Northwestern Medicine
08.2018 - 03.2021
- Dedicated staff chaplain providing complete spiritual care services for patients, caregivers, and staff on the Inpatient Pediatrics, Stroke, Spinal Cord Injury, Musculoskeletal, and Post-COVID units.
- Independently conducted weekly religious services and disseminated self-authored spiritual reflections and devotions.
- Assumed Director of Spiritual Care duties as needed.
- Maintained department records and facilitated daily chaplaincy operations for all 11 chaplains and 40+ volunteers as de facto chaplain administrator and volunteer trainer.
- Supported coping strategies for patients experiencing cognitive and personality difficulties, e.g., Alzheimer’s’ disease, CVA, delirium, brain trauma, dementia, and developmental disorders, and provided crisis support for adults and children experiencing traumatic stress reactions due to sudden onset of unintentional injuries, major acute or chronic illness, disability, cancer treatment, sexual assault, amputation, and organ transplantations.
- Provided appropriate support for patients experiencing post-traumatic stress, moral injury, vicarious trauma, suicidal ideation, and withdrawals secondary to tobacco, alcohol, and opioid cessation.
- Served as an ethical resource, utilizing formal training and past professional experience as a clinical medical ethicist in addressing routine and emergent moral concerns of patients, caregivers, and staff.
Post-Doctorate Fellow - Clinical Medical Ethics
University of Chicago Medicine – MacLean Center for Clinical Medical Ethics
07.2018 - 05.2019
- On-site and on-call clinical medical ethicist for the large 800+ bed medical center.
- Participated in weekly curriculum instruction.
- Assisted in supervised research with the University of Chicago faculty.
Chaplain
Edward Hospital
09.2018 - 02.2019
- Provided complete spiritual care services for patients, caregivers, and staff during overnight hours, weekends, and holidays.
- Facilitated advance care planning, end-of-life preparation, and documentation.
- Facilitated late viewings, bereavement support, and funeral home transfers as needed following patient demises.
- Provided early morning pre-op visitation and emergent spiritual care assistance by responding to all codes and rapid responses.
Chaplain
Linden Oaks Behavioral Health
09.2018 - 02.2019
- Provided spiritual care services for pediatric and adult patients presenting with addiction, depression, anxiety, behavioral health disorders, eating disorders, and self-injury.
- Facilitated weekly, 30-minute spiritual care groups for each service demographic.
Chaplain
Rush University Medical Center
01.2017 - 09.2018
- Dedicated staff chaplain providing complete spiritual care services for patients, caregivers, and staff in the Palliative Care, General Medicine, Cardiac Intensive Care, General Pediatrics, and Pediatric Intensive Care units. Second chaplain for the Labor & Delivery, Mother-Baby, Neonatal Intensive Care, and Inpatient Hospice units.
- Taught general medical ethics theory to chaplain peers, new residents, and interns.
- Led quarterly memorial services for loved ones of deceased pediatric and adult patients.
Graduate Assistant – Chaplaincy Department
Trinity International University
01.2014 - 12.2016
- Assisted the chaplaincy studies coordinator as directed.
- Located and categorized existing and forthcoming literature on the topics of moral injury, vicarious trauma, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Chaplain
Skyword Ministries – O’Hare and Midway International Airports
10.2012 - 11.2016
- Provided weekly and holiday interfaith services and counseling to airport visitors and staff.
- Served as chaplain in a central transportation hub, providing spiritual and emotional support to travelers, airport employees, and first responders.
- Offered crisis intervention, grief care, and pastoral counseling in a high-stress, multicultural environment.
Pastoral Resident
The Moody Church
12.2015 - 05.2016
- Completed a structured residency program in pastoral ministry at a multi-staff, high-capacity congregation.
- Provided impromptu spiritual counseling to public walk-ins during open-office hours.
- Assisted in planning and executing church events, enhancing congregation participation and outreach efforts.
- Facilitated weekly Bible study sessions, fostering community engagement and spiritual growth.
- Provided pastoral care to members, addressing spiritual needs and promoting well-being through counseling.
- Mentored junior staff and volunteers, cultivating leadership skills and improving team collaboration.
- Led small group discussions, encouraging open dialogue and deeper understanding of faith principles.
- Evaluated program effectiveness through feedback collection, driving continuous improvement in ministry activities.
- Promoted unity within the congregation by resolving conflicts through mediation and effective communication strategies.
- Provided spiritual care through visitation, counseling, and prayer.
- Led programs such as worship, study, fellowship, and service opportunities.
- Officiated special services such as weddings, funerals, baptisms, and nursing home services.
Veteran Outreach Coordinator
Hadley Institute for the Blind and Visually Impaired
05.2012 - 11.2012
- Connected blinded and visually impaired Veterans to school grant programs and free course offerings.
- Acted as liaison between the school and the local VA Blind Rehabilitation Center at Hines.
Post-Graduate Fellow – Polytrauma
US Department of Veterans Affairs – Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital
05.2011 - 05.2012
- One-year appointment studying the residual visual effects of multiple traumatic injuries experienced by active-duty service members and Veterans.
- Authored substantial curriculum for iOS devices geared towards Veteran utilization as part of a comprehensive polytrauma/traumatic brain injury initiative of the VA.
- Trained fellow staff and coordinated individualized rehabilitation programs for Veterans, focusing on the assistive technologies available and running the Apple iOS.
Blind Rehabilitation Specialist – Technical Career Field Participant
US Department of Veterans Affairs – Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital
07.2008 - 07.2010
- Two-year appointment as Veteran instructor at the nation’s largest VA Blind Rehabilitation Center.
- Developed and coordinated individualized, comprehensive rehabilitation programs for Veterans who were blind, visually impaired, and multi-disabled. Areas taught include braille, assistive technology, visual aid devices, manual skills, activities of daily living, and caregiver support.
- Provided vision-related education to Veterans’ family members, friends, and hospital visitors.
Graduate Intern – Vision Rehabilitation Therapy
US Department of Veterans Affairs – Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital
01.2008 - 04.2008
- Duties included acquiring the skills to successfully implement and teach an appropriate rehabilitation program for blind and low vision Veterans while functioning as a blind rehabilitation specialist.
- Areas taught include braille, touch typing, activities of daily living, and basic assistive technology.
Education
Doctor of Philosophy – PhD - Practical Theology
Columbia Biblical Seminary
Columbia, SC01-2028
Post-Doctorate - Clinical Medical Ethics
Univ. of Chicago Medicine
Chicago, IL05.2019
Master of Divinity – MDiv - Chaplaincy
Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
Deerfield, IL12.2017
Master of Arts - MA - Bioethics
Trinity Graduate School
Deerfield, IL12.2017
Master of Arts - MA - Rehabilitation Teaching
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, MI04.2008
Bachelor of Arts - BA - Sociology
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, MI04.2005
Skills
- Pastoral care
- Spiritual growth facilitation
- Team leadership
- Volunteer coordination
- Instructional expertise
- Crisis intervention
- Grief counseling
- Sermon development
- Spiritual leadership
- Preaching
- Spiritual guidance
- Spiritual mentorship
Certification
- Board Certified Chaplain, Association of Professional Chaplains (APC), October 2024.
- Ecclesial Endorsement, Venture Church Network, Longmont, CO, April 2023.
- Certificate of Ordination, Cityview Community Church, Elmhurst, IL, part of Venture Church Network, January 2020.
- Certificate of Ministry License, The Moody Church, Chicago, IL, November 2014.
Timeline
Faculty
Pacific Rim Christian University
08.2025 - Current
Intensive & Community-Based Forensic Case Manager
Care Hawaii, Inc.
02.2025 - 08.2025
Chaplain/Chaplaincy Department Coordinator
Pacific Health Ministry – Hawaii State Hospital
08.2023 - 09.2024
Chaplain
Edward Hospital
09.2018 - 02.2019
Chaplain
Linden Oaks Behavioral Health
09.2018 - 02.2019
Chaplain
Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital – Northwestern Medicine
08.2018 - 03.2021
Post-Doctorate Fellow - Clinical Medical Ethics
University of Chicago Medicine – MacLean Center for Clinical Medical Ethics
07.2018 - 05.2019
Chaplain
Rush University Medical Center
01.2017 - 09.2018
Pastoral Resident
The Moody Church
12.2015 - 05.2016
Graduate Assistant – Chaplaincy Department
Trinity International University
01.2014 - 12.2016
Chaplain
Skyword Ministries – O’Hare and Midway International Airports
10.2012 - 11.2016
Veteran Outreach Coordinator
Hadley Institute for the Blind and Visually Impaired
05.2012 - 11.2012
Post-Graduate Fellow – Polytrauma
US Department of Veterans Affairs – Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital
05.2011 - 05.2012
Blind Rehabilitation Specialist – Technical Career Field Participant
US Department of Veterans Affairs – Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital
07.2008 - 07.2010
Graduate Intern – Vision Rehabilitation Therapy
US Department of Veterans Affairs – Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital
01.2008 - 04.2008
Post-Doctorate - Clinical Medical Ethics
Univ. of Chicago Medicine
Master of Divinity – MDiv - Chaplaincy
Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
Master of Arts - MA - Bioethics
Trinity Graduate School
Master of Arts - MA - Rehabilitation Teaching
Western Michigan University
Bachelor of Arts - BA - Sociology
Western Michigan University
Doctor of Philosophy – PhD - Practical Theology
Columbia Biblical Seminary
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