In 1990, Tim Thompson began providing part-time Chaplaincy service to the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office. The need for such a ministry had become very apparent. In that first year, Tim responded to calls throughout the County, including a deputy who was shot by a suspect and a deputy’s family who had been killed in a car accident. Two years later, in 1992, Sierra Chaplaincy filed for a 501 (c) (3), and Tim launched a full-time Chaplaincy program in El Dorado County, then known as Sierra Law Enforcement Chaplaincy. During that period, we also began partnering with the City of Folsom Police Department, providing chaplaincy services to their officers and the community.
In 2018, Tim retired and became our Chaplain Emeritus, and continues to serve on our Board of Directors. In that same year, Chaplain Betsy Vanderpool took the reins as Senior Chaplain / Executive Director. Since then, the chaplaincy has continued to expand. Through the efforts of Fire Chaplain Lloyd Ogan, we began to serve firefighters in both El Dorado County and the City of Folsom. In 2025, after Betsy was called to join the United States Navy as a Chaplain, Lloyd accepted the position as our interim Senior Chaplain / Executive Director. After a brief interval, Lloyd became our permanent Senior Chaplain / Executive Director.
This chaplaincy serves all first responders who work in El Dorado County and the City of Folsom. In Folsom, we serve police officers and serve alongside fire chaplains affiliated with Sacramento Chaplaincy. We are an ecumenical ministry that responds to the needs of victims and first responders regardless of religion, faith or lack thereof, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status.