Crime Victims Advocacy Council

Crime Victims Advocacy Council

3101 Paces Mill Road NW

Atlanta, Georgia 30339

770-333-9254

www.cvaconline.org

Rev. Dr. B. Bruce Cook, Chaplain and Director of Pastoral Care for the Crime Victims Advocacy Council (CVAC) in Atlanta, GA, was commissioned as a 10-10-10 Missionary by the General Board of Global Ministries from June 2002 to June 2005 to serve crime victims in Atlanta, Georgia. He is an endorsed Chaplain (since 1990) through the Section on Chaplains and Related Ministries of the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry. From November 2005 to November 2006 he was given a GBGM grant to recruit, train and supervises crime victim’s chaplain across the country. He is an affiliate member of AAMFT, NOVA, ACA, and has been trained by ICISF, UMCOR and the Red Cross as a disaster chaplain.

Chaplain Cook founded CVAC in 1989 after his step-brother was murdered in 1977. He was ordained in 1971and appointed to the chaplain’s position by the North Arkansas Conference but is serving and ministering to victims of serious violent crime in 19 counties surrounding Atlanta, which is in the North Georgia area. His reason and rationale for accepting this call to missionary service lies in Jesus’ words to help the wounded crime victim in the Good Samaritan Parable by providing unlimited mercy and compassion to him.

Chaplain Cook believes the church can provide spiritual healing to those suffering from violent crime. He offers pastoral care in individual, group, family, and support group sessions and guides crime victims through the maze of court hearings, filing for victim compensation, restitution, victim impact statements and victim notification. He offers prayer and coping skills to those suffering from trauma after the crime (PTSD, Acute Stress Disorder, inability to relax, sleep or work normally). He operates a 24 hour crisis hotline in which crime victims call him for help and referrals. He conducts an annual memorial service for families who had a murder and this service is a healing service at the beginning of National Crime Victims Rights Week in April. He has over 3,000 names on memorial walls who have been murdered in Atlanta since 1991. Crime prevention/victim education safety tips are available by request.

Chaplain Cook believes in the connectional structure and UM churches partner with him in prayer and with financial and volunteer support to help crime victims. As Christians we are all called to obey Jesus’ words in the Good Samaritan Parable to “Go and do thou likewise.” Any church in the USA who cares for the wounded victimized neighbor can be in a covenant relationship with CVAC and Chaplain Cook will offer to help any church start a support group for crime victims or conduct a memorial service. After September 11 the nation needs spiritual care and healing for the horrible bombing of the World Trade Center, Pentagon and crashed airplane in PA. He spent a week counseling victims of crime of the WTC in NYC.

He held four jobs with agencies that were within the U.S. Department of Justice for almost 25 years, LEAA, OAI, U.S. Parole Commission, and Bureau of Prisons. He retired as a federal prison chaplain and his wife, Claudia is a retired elementary school teacher. Chaplain Cook received his B.A. in religion from Rhodes College and his M. Div. and D. Min. from Drew Theological School. He has a Masters in Public Administration from Georgia State University. His passion is for making disciples of Jesus Christ and alleviating suffering of crime victims in the Lord’s name. His pastoral counseling strengthens churches and congregations by working with and helping local clergy and laity and family members of crime victims respond effectively when there is a murder or violent crime in the “churched or unchurched.” He would love to see CVAC chapters and chaplain for crime victims across the USA and see crime victim ministries in every area where there is a need. He requests your prayers and your support for God’s business -- the ministry of reconciliation and restorative justice.

To contact CVAC call 770.333.9254 (hit 0) or email askcvac@aol.com or visit the web Site at: