{"id":293739,"date":"2026-06-11T10:07:07","date_gmt":"2026-06-11T15:07:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/christianchronicle.org\/?p=293739"},"modified":"2026-06-16T12:20:57","modified_gmt":"2026-06-16T17:20:57","slug":"cancer-can-be-a-ministry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/christianchronicle.org\/cancer-can-be-a-ministry\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Cancer can be a ministry\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><b>DICKSON, TENN. \u2014 <\/b>The sound of victory echoed throughout the halls of Nashville\u2019s Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center on May 7 as Chris McCurley <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/share\/v\/14gbHXjjLTP\/\">pulled the rope and rang the gold bell<\/a>, ending eight weeks of radiation treatment.<\/p>\n<p>For many cancer patients, ringing the bell signals the end of their journey. But it marked another milestone in an ongoing battle for McCurley, minister for the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wscoc.com\/\">Walnut Street Church of Christ<\/a> in Dickson, 40 miles west of Nashville.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"border: none; overflow: hidden;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/plugins\/video.php?height=314&amp;href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Freel%2F993626573634892%2F&amp;show_text=true&amp;width=560&amp;t=0\" width=\"560\" height=\"429\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>The preacher has spent the past two years navigating prostate cancer, a journey that led to a diagnosis of stage four metastatic disease. In its most advanced stage, the cancer spread outside of its original location earlier this year. While radiation successfully targeted tumors, his treatment continues through hormone therapy and medication.<\/p>\n<p>Yet throughout daily chemotherapy treatments and hour-long commutes to Nashville, McCurley has embraced a phrase that has shaped his outlook: \u201cCancer can be a ministry.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t believe God gave me cancer, but I certainly believe he\u2019s used it,\u201d the husband and father of three said.<\/p>\n\n\t\t<div class=\"inline-ad\">\n\t\t\t<promotion-zone zone-id=\"59619\" class=\"ad instory\"><\/promotion-zone>\n\t\t\t<promotion-zone alt-zone-id=\"59698\" class=\"ad instory mobile\"><\/promotion-zone>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n<h2><b>\u2018Why am I scared?\u2019<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>McCurley\u2019s cancer journey began in February 2024, when rising <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cancer.gov\/types\/prostate\/psa-fact-sheet\">prostate-specific antigen<\/a> levels signaled to doctors that a malignant growth could be developing. An MRI and biopsy confirmed a small cancerous tumor, measuring about 1 millimeter in diameter, or about the tip of a needle.<\/p>\n<p>Doctors offered the 49-year-old preacher several treatment options, including radiation and proton therapy. He ultimately chose radical prostate surgery to remove the tumor.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTo me, I had cancer and I wanted it out,\u201d McCurley said. \u201cAnd it wasn&#8217;t hard to convince me.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_293745\" style=\"width: 610px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/christianchronicle.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/CHRIS-3.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-293745\" class=\"size-resp600 wp-image-293745\" src=\"https:\/\/christianchronicle.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/CHRIS-3-600x398.jpg\" alt=\"Chris McCurley preaches at the Walnut Street Church of Christ.\" width=\"600\" height=\"398\" data-photocredit=\"Photo by Ephraim Rodenbach\" srcset=\"https:\/\/christianchronicle.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/CHRIS-3-600x398.jpg 600w, https:\/\/christianchronicle.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/CHRIS-3-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/christianchronicle.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/CHRIS-3-1024x680.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/christianchronicle.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/CHRIS-3-768x510.jpg 768w, https:\/\/christianchronicle.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/CHRIS-3-1536x1019.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/christianchronicle.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/CHRIS-3-2000x1327.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/christianchronicle.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/CHRIS-3.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-293745\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Chris McCurley preaches at the Walnut Street Church of Christ.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Although the surgery appeared successful, post-operation pathology revealed that the growth extended beyond the prostate capsule. Still, for nearly a year and a half, McCurley\u2019s prostate-specific antigen levels remained undetectable.<\/p>\n<p>In early 2026, as he prepared for the birth of his second grandchild, doctors found that the cancer had returned and progressed to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.prostatecancerfree.org\/prostate-cancer-stage\/?gad_source=1&amp;gad_campaignid=313919583&amp;gbraid=0AAAAADl5qMkhQVYYNNj8TrfDjSRZVs-JI&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQjw2_TQBhCnARIsAF3-XhzvQJh0kuCl2gq6BnBlRH9xn1jJiHMsJ4fuBgE3HLD8RTlIjkw0TRkaAvmsEALw_wcB\">stage four metastatic prostate cancer.<\/a><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"pullquote\"><p>\u201cI was scared. And I feel bad about that. I\u2019m a man of faith. I\u2019m a preacher. Why am I scared?\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>\u201cI was scared. And I feel bad about that,\u201d McCurley said. \u201cI\u2019m a man of faith. I\u2019m a preacher. Why am I scared?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As the cancer spread to the bones, including the spine, femur and iliac bone, McCurley said he found peace in his relationship with God, leaning on a saying: \u201cIt\u2019s you and me, no matter what, and it\u2019s going to be OK.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>From that point forward, the diagnosis \u2014 and the faith that came along with it \u2014 became a daily reality, defined by chemotherapy treatments, long drives to Nashville and what he describes as unseen opportunities to share his faith.<\/p>\n\n\t\t<div class=\"inline-ad\">\n\t\t\t<promotion-zone zone-id=\"59619\" class=\"ad instory\"><\/promotion-zone>\n\t\t\t<promotion-zone alt-zone-id=\"59698\" class=\"ad instory mobile\"><\/promotion-zone>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n<h2><b>\u2018This is life now \u2014 you\u2019re a cancer patient\u2019<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>After the stage four diagnosis, McCurley said the challenge shifted from treatment decisions to daily endurance. Working out at a higher intensity and taking naps on the couch in his church office became part of a new daily rhythm.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is life now,\u201d he said. \u201cYou\u2019re a cancer patient.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>For eight weeks, McCurley\u2019s routine began early in the morning, with coffee and Bible reading before departing his Dickson home for the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vicc.org\/\">Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center<\/a>. There, he underwent a series of 10- to 15-minute radiation treatments.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_293746\" style=\"width: 610px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/christianchronicle.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_9492-copy.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-293746\" class=\"wp-image-293746 size-resp600\" src=\"https:\/\/christianchronicle.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_9492-copy-600x800.jpg\" alt=\"Chris McCurley walks down the driveway holding the hand of his granddaughter, Ash Jobe.\" width=\"600\" height=\"800\" data-photocredit=\"Photo provided by Chris McCurley\" srcset=\"https:\/\/christianchronicle.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_9492-copy-600x800.jpg 600w, https:\/\/christianchronicle.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_9492-copy-300x400.jpg 300w, https:\/\/christianchronicle.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_9492-copy-1024x1366.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/christianchronicle.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_9492-copy-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/christianchronicle.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_9492-copy-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/christianchronicle.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_9492-copy-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/christianchronicle.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_9492-copy-2000x2667.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/christianchronicle.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_9492-copy.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-293746\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Chris McCurley walks down the driveway holding the hand of his granddaughter, Ash Jobe.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Waiting for him at many of those appointments was Trace Pierce, a radiation therapist at Vanderbilt and a fellow member of the Walnut Street church. Pierce first reached out after watching McCurley announce his diagnosis on Facebook, offering support and connections with medical resources at the hospital. As treatment progressed, the two developed a strong bond.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe hardest part sometimes is just waking up every day and driving in for 39 treatments,\u201d Pierce said. \u201cThat takes a toll in itself.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As the weeks passed, McCurley began to feel the side effects of radiation on his body. But even on days when the preacher wasn\u2019t feeling his best, Pierce said, few people in the waiting room and during his treatments would have known.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n\n<hr \/>\n<p>\u201cHe\u2019d still come in, talk to everybody, ask how they were doing and offer to pray with them,\u201d Pierce said. \u201cThat\u2019s just who he is as a person.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Those interactions became an unexpected blessing in a new season of life. McCurley said he does not miss the radiation, but he does miss the fellowship shared in waiting rooms and hospital hallways.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_293741\" style=\"width: 610px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/christianchronicle.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_9493.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-293741\" class=\"size-resp600 wp-image-293741\" src=\"https:\/\/christianchronicle.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_9493-600x450.jpg\" alt=\"Chris McCurley and his wife, Libby, pose for a picture during a University of Arkansas baseball game.\" width=\"600\" height=\"450\" data-photocredit=\"Photo provided by Chris McCurley\" srcset=\"https:\/\/christianchronicle.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_9493-600x450.jpg 600w, https:\/\/christianchronicle.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_9493-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/christianchronicle.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_9493-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/christianchronicle.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_9493-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/christianchronicle.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_9493-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/christianchronicle.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_9493-2000x1500.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/christianchronicle.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_9493.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-293741\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Chris McCurley and his wife, Libby, pose for a picture during a University of Arkansas baseball game.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\u201cThere is a sense where I\u2019m going to miss these because you develop these friendships,\u201d he said. \u201cYou sit in the lobby and meet these people who are there every day that had a brain tumor removed, and you get to sit there and counsel with them and do ministry, and they do ministry with you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The same openness that led McCurley in forming relationships at Vanderbilt reinforced a belief that had guided him throughout his walk: Even cancer can be a ministry.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCancer has been such a big blessing to me in so many ways,\u201d he said. \u201cThere are things I would never have experienced if not for this diagnosis.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t\t<div class=\"inline-ad\">\n\t\t\t<promotion-zone zone-id=\"59619\" class=\"ad instory\"><\/promotion-zone>\n\t\t\t<promotion-zone alt-zone-id=\"59698\" class=\"ad instory mobile\"><\/promotion-zone>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n<h2><b>\u2018This is a God story\u2019<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>For the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wscoc.com\/staff\/\">Walnut Street minister<\/a>, that ministry did not end when he left Vanderbilt&#8217;s waiting room. Even with stage four metastatic cancer and ongoing hormone therapy through medication, McCurley continues preaching the glory of God. The cancer and an uncertain future remain, but so does his trust in faith, family and his belief that \u201cGod wins.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Between treatments and sermon preparations, McCurley avoided turning his cancer journey into the focus of his mission. Instead, he documented every step through a series of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/chris.mccurley3\/\">Facebook posts<\/a>, providing updates and showing appreciation for prayers.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"border: none; overflow: hidden;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/plugins\/video.php?height=476&amp;href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Freel%2F999287989149140%2F&amp;show_text=true&amp;width=267&amp;t=0\" width=\"267\" height=\"591\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>What started as simple updates became a lifeline for many members of his congregation looking for ways to support their preaching minister.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe videos keep us informed so we know how to pray for him,\u201d said Joanne Brown, who has attended Walnut Street since 1976. \u201cHe&#8217;s definitely seeing that love and support full-fledged because of what he&#8217;s going through.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_293756\" style=\"width: 610px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/christianchronicle.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/CHRIS-4.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-293756\" class=\"size-resp600 wp-image-293756\" src=\"https:\/\/christianchronicle.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/CHRIS-4-600x400.jpg\" alt=\"The Walnut Street church\u2019s sign references the hymn \u201cGoodness of God.\u201d\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" data-photocredit=\"Photo by Ephraim Rodenbach\" srcset=\"https:\/\/christianchronicle.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/CHRIS-4-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/christianchronicle.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/CHRIS-4-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/christianchronicle.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/CHRIS-4-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/christianchronicle.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/CHRIS-4-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/christianchronicle.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/CHRIS-4-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/christianchronicle.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/CHRIS-4-2000x1333.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/christianchronicle.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/CHRIS-4.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-293756\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Walnut Street church\u2019s sign references the hymn \u201cGoodness of God.\u201d<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The updates also reflect a philosophy that, church leaders say, has defined McCurley\u2019s ministry since he joined the congregation in 2022, long before his diagnosis.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMinistry is not a thing you do on Sundays. It\u2019s your life,\u201d Walnut Street shepherd Brian Reagan said of McCurley, who\u2019s authored multiple books and hosted over 200 episodes of the \u201cDear Church\u201d podcast.. \u201cChris has extended that into speaking in very real, transparent terms about what\u2019s going on in his life.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"pullquote\"><p>\u201cIt\u2019s a story about how God has navigated Chris McCurley through cancer, and how Chris McCurley is going to win because God wins.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Even as the possibility of recurrence remains, McCurley said he does not view his story as one defined by illness but by faith. The bell at Vanderbilt marked the end of his radiation treatment but not of his ministry.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is not a Chris McCurley cancer story. This is a God story,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s a story about how God has navigated Chris McCurley through cancer, and how Chris McCurley is going to win because God wins.\u201d<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>EPHRAIM RODENBACH<\/strong>, a sports journalism major at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, Tenn., is a <em>Christian Chronicle<\/em> intern. Contact <a href=\"mailto:ephraim@christianchronicle.org\">ephraim@christianchronicle.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>DICKSON, TENN. \u2014 The sound of victory echoed throughout the halls of Nashville\u2019s Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center on May 7 as Chris McCurley pulled the rope and rang the gold bell, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":64,"featured_media":293741,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"give_campaign_id":0,"_price":"","_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_header":"","_tribe_default_ticket_provider":"","_tribe_ticket_capacity":"","_ticket_start_date":"","_ticket_end_date":"","_tribe_ticket_show_description":"","_tribe_ticket_show_not_going":false,"_tribe_ticket_use_global_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_global_stock_level":"","_global_stock_mode":"","_global_stock_cap":"","_tribe_rsvp_for_event":"","_tribe_ticket_going_count":"","_tribe_ticket_not_going_count":"","_tribe_tickets_list":"[]","_tribe_ticket_has_attendee_info_fields":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[65,75,70,77],"tags":[4012,5900,1925,1713,5899,248],"class_list":["post-293739","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-features","category-national","category-people","category-top-stories","tag-cancer","tag-chemotherapy","tag-healing","tag-health","tag-sickness","tag-tennessee"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - 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