OTTUMWA, I.A. - Skyler Skinner has always wanted to make a difference. It wasn’t until he found himself in a dark spot with drugs and alcohol that he realized he was made for more than what he was allowing himself to be.
“I consider it an honor and a privilege to be the chaplain and to serve. I do not take what I do for granted. The truth is Jesus … and my goal is to help others know the one who is truth,” said Skyler, now the chaplain at Good Samaritan Society, The Lodge and Timber Ridge.
Every weekday morning, residents gather in the small chapel area to listen to the sermon and worship. In the beginning, chapel attendance was low but eventually the little chapel was packed.
As a chaplain, Skinner takes his job very seriously. ”I consider myself a watchman," he said. "It is my responsibility to see that the people who live here are receiving the Word and in the right way.