Take a Breath: Sheriff’s chaplain provides more than religion

Published 1:30 am Saturday, February 28, 2026

Some of our neighbors are lucky enough to find a calling, a sweet spot where they make a difference, they’re good at it, and they love doing it. It’s an honor for this writer to feature so many here on Whidbey who model those gifts.

Faith leaders have a unique role, on point 24/7, always in demand, ready to serve. They ride the heights of joy at weddings and baptisms, and navigate the lows of tragedy and heartbreak. Through it all they’re expected to give wise counsel, preach lively sermons, and never make a mistake or be wrong.

In baseball terms, fans expect a no-hitter whenever their preacher takes the mound.

Jeff Humphrey spent 25 years as a full-time pastor. He carried his passion to work every day, giving his flock all he had, and eventually — he won’t use the words “burned out” — he needed to regroup. So, in 2012, he and his wife Dawn moved from Idaho to Whidbey Island.

Humphrey now volunteers as Senior Chaplain for the Island County Sheriff’s Office and for North Whidbey Fire and Rescue, along with other agencies. “I fully intended to pastor again,” he says. “But we started a business (Humphrey Signs), and I realized I could still serve the community that way. Then, this chaplain opportunity just lit me on fire.”

It’s a big job. It might be a call to an emergency in the middle of the night. A crime victim or a family member might need his quiet support. Or a first responder may need his counsel amid their own stresses and traumas.

Citizens and emergency pros trust him with their emotional burdens, and Humphrey is committed to honor that trust and respect their privacy. In keeping it confidential, he keeps it all inside. That gets to him sometimes. “I need time to decompress too,” he says … even though his job is to help others do so.

It was a surprise to hear Humphrey say how seldom religion plays directly into his work with emergency responders and the public. “I’m there mostly to be present, to be with a person facing trauma. We might pray, or I might just be quiet. I try to read the situation.”

That said, he’s quick to acknowledge a holy presence. Humphrey lowers his voice and humbly describes his service following the 2014 Oso landslide. It was an intense, exhausting search that lasted over a month. The crew paused in reverence to honor each victim recovered. “Those were sacred moments,” he says, grateful for the honor of walking through those days with searchers and survivors.

Humphrey can’t do it alone. Chaplains are needed all over Island County, and Whidbey Resource Chaplains (WRC) provides an on-ramp for those with a desire to serve. Humphrey, who directs the program, says it’s crucial that chaplains understand their professional boundaries, especially around privacy and confidentiality. He insists that they show no religious bias as they work with first responders and the public. After training and vetting by WRC, candidates are connected with police, fire, and rescue agencies who need them.

Humphrey’s years of service have earned him the admiration of Whidbey’s first responders. North Whidbey Fire and Rescue Chief Ray Merrill has known him for 15 years,and says Humphrey provides comfort to NWFR members, who know he’s available, and that he represents a safe place to talk.

“Jeff is a warm, compassionate person,” says Merrill. “He provides a non-judgmental listening ear. He does not push religion, but has a passion for being a sounding board, and, more importantly, making the person talking feel listened to.”

Why is that important to the community? “Because,” says Merrill, “our community needs more people like Jeff who can listen without judging, provide positive comments or affirmation, build a person up, or just provide support.”

Island County Sheriff Rick Felici calls Humphrey a godsend. “He does great work with our deputies, and it’s not all about religion, he’s just someone whose ear you can bend.” Felici says chaplains have talents that “just aren’t in our wheelhouse. They have done a ton of good consoling people who have had tragedies,” a skill set that most deputies aren’t trained for.

Felici admires Humphrey’s relentless devotion to his volunteer work. “He’s the little engine that could. He keeps recruiting more volunteer chaplains. And when our deputies have personal issues, like a death in the family, all I have to do is call Jeff to help out. His kindness serves the whole community, not just first responders.”

Humphrey appreciates the words of support, but doesn’t see himself as a leader or a hero. Life, he says, is about loving God, loving people, and using our talents for good. “I just do it the best way I know how,” he says. “There is joy and honor in serving, especially working with law enforcement in this crazy world.”

His admiration for those who serve and protect inspired Humphrey to serve them, in return, through chaplaincy. After more than a decade, he finds himself in that sweet spot where his work has value, he loves what he does, and he’s appreciated by the men and women he serves. He mentions the words of Scottish Olympian Eric Liddell, made famous in the movie “Chariots of Fire.” Liddell said “God made me fast. And when I run, I feel His pleasure.” Humphrey sees his work in the same light: that God gave him the skill, and using it is a way to serve God and show his gratitude.

Humphrey’s thoughts about public attitudes toward law enforcement lead to discussion of polarization in general. His words were refreshing. It starts with us, as individuals, he says. “We need to be able to say, ‘I don’t have to be right.’ Instead, we should listen, and walk with others.” Stop watching TV, he advises. “Go fishing. Work in the yard. Your head will be clearer.”

There’s a tragic kind of irony as we fight so bitterly over politics. “The ones we’re arguing about,” says Humphrey, meaning political and media figures with their divisive rhetoric, “don’t even care about us or what we think. So let’s build our relationships. Let’s decide that family, love, and friendship are more important.”

If it’s true that grief shared is halved, and joy shared is doubled, then pastors are often the catalyst that makes that formula work. It takes a special kind of person. For many, even if it’s their true calling, it’ll wear them right out.

That happened to Jeff Humphrey. He regrouped, reenergized and now he serves all of us here on Whidbey. Which puts our island in a truly sweet spot.

William Walker’s monthly “Take a Breath” column seeks paths to unity on Whidbey Island in polarized times. Find his opinions on sports, politics, and culture at https://playininthedirt.substack.com/.