A New Call for John Bethell ’13
The Rev. John Bethell, Class of 2013, is the new chaplain to the Laconia Fire Department, Laconia, New Hampshire.
Bethell had been serving as a chaplain in the U.S. Navy before moving to Laconia and starting a business. He began his path in chaplaincy working with the FDNY while at General. Before his appointment as command chaplain of Naval Support Activity Souda Bay on the island of Crete, he served as Chaplain at the Federal Correctional Complex (FCC) in Hazelton, West Virginia, one of only three Episcopal priests in the Federal Prison System. Bethell previously served as Assistant Priest at Holy Trinity, Clemson, South Carolina, as well as the Episcopal chaplain to Clemson University and the Clemson Fire Department.
After settling in Laconia, Bethell found himself drawn once again to the communal aspect of being a chaplain. “I got here about two years ago,” said Bethell, who owns Piedmont Print & Frame downtown, “and I think Laconia is small enough that everyone should do something for the town,” “Whatever your strength is, I think you should apply it to where you’re living to make it better.”
“I missed the firehouse,” Bethell said. “The dining table in a firehouse is the most sacred space in the building. That’s where real community is built. In the Episcopal Church we call that a table fellowship. I missed that.” It’s the sense of community and service that compelled Bethell back into the role of chaplain. “I thought I would get away from it by coming here and opening up my shop,” Bethell said, “but I couldn’t.”