A person collapses during a worship service. What do you do?

Question

If a person suffers a heart attack / faints / collapses in the middle of the pastor's sermon. What is the appropriate thing for the pastor, and the congregation to do (after calling 911) while waiting for medical help.

Answer 1

That happened once at a church I attended. A lady had a fatal heart attack. Someone was quick to get a folding partition to surround the lady while they did CPR to help prevent everyone from just staring. Within a few minutes, the pastor had a prayer and dismissed everyone due to the circumstances.

Answer 2

Actually I have seen this happen in my church. The pastor (an older gentleman) actually had a mild stroke I believe. Several of the men in the congregation went up to help him and loosened his clothing, keeping him stable and cool.
Someone went to call 911 of course, and everyone else remained out of the way and some did pray until the ambulance got there.
Obvious kudos go to the people who helped him directly, but also to those who stayed out of the way of emergency personnel... I happen to volunteer with emergency workers often and am possibly going to enter the law enforcement profession, and the most idiotic/irritating/unhelpful thing you can possibly do is get in the way of the emergency professionals.
However as I took a bit of a tangent, I'd say it would be appropriate in the situation you describe for the pastor to keep the congregation calm and out of the way while the person was given first aid. The service can wait if somebody's life is on the line.

Answer 3

This actually happened in my church one Sunday years ago... it was an older man, and he actually suffered a massive stroke. The couple sitting in the pew behind him noticed his head hang and he seemed to lose form. It was right in the middle of a sermon.

One of the deacons, a younger man, started some first aid, while someone else called 911; but there wasn't much to do in that situation so far as first aid is concerned; they just kept talking to him and laid him down and took his shoes off and loosened his tie and shirt.

While we waited for the ambulance to arrive, the pastor and a couple of others held onto the older man's wife and comforted her, as she was a wreck.

The pastor asked the church to pray, and I think he even led the church in a prayer to get it started off while others still comforted the man. Then there was silence while many prayed except for some talking to and comforting the old man and his wife; finally the ambulance arrived, took them away. Some of the deacons and the pastor got into their cars to go be with the wife at the hospital; one of the deacons stayed behind, briefly led the church in prayer, said some fitting scripture, and sent us on our way.

I believe the man lived; he is dead now, but not from that stroke.. like I said this was years ago.

I've also had an older man pass out during a sermon; he was just tired and dehydrated. Again, it was sort of the same situation, minus the ambulance. When it happened the pastor stopped, excused himself from the pulpit, some of the men in the church loosened his clothing, took him into the lobby area and sat with him, he came to quickly and they offered to drive him to the hospital cause he said he was still dizzy. The pastor didn't go that time; he came back in and told us that they thought the man would be all right, that he was talking and it seems he's just light headed and that he has been taken to the hospital to get checked out. We prayed, the pastor then continued the sermon, and we went on our way.

So I think both situations were handled well. I think it's proper to stop the sermon, to ask dependable members of the congregation to get water, do whatever first aid is possible, call 911, etc. And then while waiting for the ambulance it is appropriate to pray, to ask the congregation to pray silently (minus those comforting the victim) and then it is appropriate for the pastor to accompany the family and/or the victim to the hospital while a deacon or associate pastor or other church leader completes a brief message and prayer for the victim and the church body as a whole.

Hope this helps!

Answer 4

Stop the service while awaiting emergency workers. As a congregation, you could lay hands on him/her and pray. If merely a faint, have ushers escort person from sanctuary to a place they can lay down and rest until ems aarrived. ASk family abt any medical history like diabetes, etc so you can inform ems.

I suggest training all ushers and staff in cpr. Most organizations will certify you for free or minimal cost if they hear you are from a local church. Please call the red cross and american heart association for info. Also, contact the manager of local emergency departments. Most woould be VERY happy to present a program on safety or first aide freely to your staff/congregation.

Answer 5

Some give assistance to the person who is ailing and some should be praying for Gods will to be done concerning that person. For the pastor to have that person removed from the sanctuary in order to promote his "sermonizing agenda" is appauling.

Answer 6

I went to a church for a funeral service and two people had heart attacks almost at the same time ! They performed CPR on both of them,one didn't make it though.
Both were family of the deceased ! That was a wild scene ! !

Answer 7

call 911 then apply cpr then ask if there is a doctor in the congregation

Answer 8

If there is someone that knows first aid then that aid should be given immediately.
The Pastor should stop and render aid immediately.
The entire focus of the Church should be on the one stricken with the heart attack.

Answer 9

Pray for that person. Follow God's direction on what to do whether CPR or calling 911 or let God. God might be taking Him/Her home. Or God may be healing that person. It could be God's judgment too.

Answer 10

Do nothing to the victim unless you have been formally trained in CPR. Maintain calm and make certain that emergency personnel have quick and unobstructed access to the victim. Personally, I don't attend church because Jesus said it is for hypocrites. I talk to God in my closet, like the Bible says. (Matthew 6:5,6)