Tyson chaplain ministers to bodies, souls at Perry plant

0
571
Terry Wilkinson, left, chaplain at Tyson Fresh Meats, told the Perry Kiwanis Club about the ways he serves the bodies and souls of the 1,200 workers at the Perry plant. He was welcomed by fellow Tyson employee and 13-year Perry Kiwanian Alberto Olguin. Photo by Perry Kiwanisn Club Secretary Doug Wood

With about 1,200 workers, Tyson Fresh Meats is the largest employer in Perry. The factory’s labor force includes a wide variety of people, including many immigrants who live in Perry or commute from the Des Moines area.

Tyson Chaplain Terry Wilkinson recently stopped by the weekly meeting of the Perry Kiwanis Club to discuss his role with the Tyson company.

Wilkinson previously served as a Baptist pastor for 31 years. He has been married for 38 years, and his family and he moved to Iowa in 1986 to start a church. In 2000, he became the chaplain for the city of Clive, and he also worked for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for 11 years, including three years with hospice and palliative care.

Wilkinson said he began his career with Tyson Sept. 8, 2015, and he is currently a Chaplain III. He discussed the origins of the chaplaincy position within the Tyson corporate structure.

Tyson bought out Hudson Foods in 2000 and terminated all the Hudson Foods chaplains.  Not long afterward, the company’s owner, John Tyson, had a religious experience that made him reconsider the chaplaincy program. He brought back the terminated chaplains from Hudson Foods and expanded the program to all of the Tyson plants.

A Tyson chaplain serves at the discretion of the plant manager. Wilkinson said there are 140 Tyson plants and 95 chaplains, with a plan to hire 10 more. He said one out of every four meals consumed in the U.S. contains a Tyson product.

Wilkinson said 19 different languages spoken at the Perry plant. There are even many staff members of the Muslim faith. Wilkinson said many people find this fact odd because Muslims are prohibited from eating pork products.

There are many interpreters to help translate between languages, but for some of the languages there is not always someone available to translate, he said.

Wilkinson is free to go anywhere in the plant, talking and meeting with the Tyson workers. He said his job is not to promote any particular religion but to help employees work through the problems and stresses of day-to-day life as a slaughterhouse employee.

He said many issues arise because employees from different cultures and with differing languages simply might not understand common everyday issues that we who grew up in the U.S. understand but they might not.

Wilkinson said he sometimes helps employees work through the citizenship process or guides workers to the proper resources for helping bring their spouse and children to the U.S. He sometimes helps workers who face depression or anxiety and at times has performed funeral and memorial services for employees who died.

He said he does what he can and helps direct staff to the services that they may need. His helps is not just for immigrant employees but for all employees.

Welcoming Wilkinson to the Tuesday luncheon was 13-year Perry Kiwanian Alberto Olguin.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.