Letter from President & CEO December 2023
“Spirituality involves our innate ability to connect. This includes our ability to connect with other people, with the environment, and with the creatures of our environment - a cat, a dog, or another pet, perhaps. Spirituality also includes our ability to connect with the transcendent mystery that many call God, or Allah, or Krishna, or that we choose not to name - simply standing in awe of the universe. Finally, spirituality involves the innate ability to connect with the deepest, most fundamental parts of oneself, which can be the hardest thing of all... In this relational definition, spirituality involves our ability to connect with all aspects of life."
— John K. Graham, MD, PhD, DMin, President Emeritus
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Dear Reader,
Last month, the Board of Trustees of the Institute voted to appoint me as President and CEO of the Institute, an honor and responsibility for which I am incredibly grateful. My motivation to share the mission of the Institute with as many people as possible has never been higher, and I am excited about what lies ahead. This final letter of 2023 is an opportunity for reflection on what has been a remarkable year.
Over the past 12 months, we have expanded our initiatives and deepened community connections across the board. Interfaith Spiritual Care Coalition volunteers have made over 1400 visits, the Faith & Diabetes Initiative completed trainings for over 75 people, the FaithHealth Vaccine Initiative reached more than 500, and the Greater Houston Healing Collaborative ran more than 40 workshops and skills groups. Our weekly bereavement, mind-body skills, and meditation groups have made over 1500 touches, and demand is ever-increasing. We hosted programs and internships for dozens of students in the healthcare professions, providing a foundation from which they can spring as they begin their careers.
We appointed two new staff members - Apro Choudhury, Director of the Greater Houston Healing Collaborative, and Maricela Caceres, Program Manager for Cities Changing Diabetes Houston - and our team advances our mission every day by working together.
Importantly, this year has brought dozens of collaborations with amazing local and national partners, resulting in four major conferences - the 12th Annual Collective Soul Symposium, the 11th Annual Conference on Medicine and Religion, the 31st Annual Nursing Conference, and the 32nd Annual Psychotherapy & Faith Conference - and dozens of workshops, seminars, and other programs. We are ever grateful for our amazing supporters, from Novo Nordisk, Inc., to Texas Children’s Hospital, to the many family foundations who have invested in our success, enabling our programs to reach new heights.
I believe that the programs and services we offer, and the perspectives that animate our work, are fundamental to alleviating much of the suffering that afflicts the world today. The work we do matters because, despite profound challenges in healthcare, technology, geopolitics, education, the social and cultural fabric, and beyond, by helping each other recognize that all humans are spiritual beings deserving of love, compassion, creativity, and connection, we can achieve a transformational level of wholeness and thriving.
The magic of this place comes partially from its unique mission and its status as a founding member of the Texas Medical Center. To my knowledge, there is no other freestanding, interfaith institution in the world that does the work we do. While our structure and charter are important, at the end of the day, the people who have been affiliated with the Institute over its history are its real lifeblood.
Early Trustees such as Ella Fondren, Eddie Scurlock, and Howard Tellepsen provided the foundation from which to grow. Later, the Institute’s spirit was infused with the insights of people like Pierre Slumberger, Eleanor Tinsley, Carolyn Clarke, Louise Wessendorff, and Bernard Weingarten. More recently, Rabbi Samuel E. Karff, Donald Nesti, Bonnie Weekley, Jim Walzel, Larry Payne, Jim Bankston, Jim Lomax, George Anderson, and so many others took up the mantle to carry us forward.
So, this place rests on the shoulders and legacy of an incredible cast of characters who bring not just dozens, but centuries (!) of experience to the table. And beyond the Trustees, the Institute continues to blossom due to the talent and hard work of staff, faculty, collaborators, and other supporters who have joined us in some way.
Little did I know that a simple Google search in the summer of 2011 would lead to a vibrant career at a place as special as the Institute for Spirituality and Health. At the time, I was desperately looking for an internship to keep me occupied before starting graduate school, but I just couldn’t find an opportunity that spoke to me. I sought to find a meaningful and soul-nourishing place to land for the summer, and while there are countless amazing institutions in Houston, nothing aligned exactly with my trajectory. I was searching for a place that could mirror and amplify my studies at the intersection of science, health, and religion - at the time a pretty rare combination! Then one day I found the ISH website. As I opened it up and began reading, something clicked within me. I knew I had found “home.”
Over these years, my journey with the Institute has been incredibly rewarding, and I am thankful for countless opportunities to grow, both personally and professionally. As we begin a new chapter in the Institute’s history, our shared vision is to expand our footprint while sustaining our nearly seven-decade history of programmatic excellence. Our team - composed of brilliant, compassionate, visionary people - will further advance our work within our four Centers of Excellence, focusing on evidence-informed decision-making, collaboration, operational excellence, thought leadership, and providing enriching experiences to those we serve.
If you’re not yet involved with the Institute, I invite you to join us. If you’re already involved, I invite you to deepen your connection. Spirituality is our birthright, and I can’t wait to continue cultivating it together.
With Peace,
Stuart
Stuart C. Nelson
President and CEO