Brent spends his days as Reverend Doctor Brent Easton or as Chaplain Brent. His job as chaplain for Mercy Health - Hospice, Paducah puts him at the center of a very unique time in a patient’s life and has him leading the way in the spiritual part of the care triad at the core of Mercy Health’s ministry of caring holistically for the mind, body, and the spirit. But, in November and December of each year, Brent puts on his other hat. And that one is red, furry, and has a little bell at the end, which gives a small tingle as he moves around. Because Brent is also a professional Santa Claus - one of the few souls deputized by the Big Guy himself to help spread joy to all the little girls and boys in their community. After all, Santa has a very busy time at the North Pole leading up to Christmas. Elves are notoriously hard to manage, and lists do not check themselves. As a certified professional Santa Claus, Brent works closely with Santa to messenger wishes. He knows the lists of who is naughty and who is nice, and he hands out candy canes and Ho Ho Hos with a twinkle in his eye. He even sometimes brings along Mrs. Claus (or, his wife who blessed with the Christian name Holly, was literally made for the role). The pair go by Jolly and Holly. But, as I said, for Brent, these roles are not really different at all. “My whole life is about ministry,” he says. He preached his first sermon at age 12, so for the better part of nearly four decades, Chaplain Brent has been living the ministry. “Everything I do has a ministry component to it.” “When it comes to Santa Claus, that is a ministry. It doesn’t always look like a forthright presentation of Jesus, because not every environment calls for that, but I pray for the kids,” he says. Not every visit with Santa is joyful. Brent has certainly heard his share of sad stories, of kids who are struggling. He prays for them especially. “Jolly and Holly is a ministry to those children, whether that’s overt or not.” Interestingly, Brent’s pathway to Santa-hood was born from unpleasantness. During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, he was at home suffering from COVID-19 pneumonia. As he was both quite sick and stuck at home without a reason to go into public, he decided to stop shaving neither his head or his face. He was shocked when, as the hair grew, he realized that it had abandoned his normal reddish hue and opted instead for snow white. “I don’t know if it was part of the COVID-19, but it was all white,” he says. “I remember looking in the mirror getting ready for work, and I said to myself, ‘Oh my gosh, you’re Santa Claus.’” As soon as the pandemic walls came down, out came Brent with a brand-new hat to wear. His first year, he booked 40 Santa appearances in December and has been going strong ever since. “I love spreading the true joy and true spirit of Christmas.” It can be very akin to the joy and peace that Reverend Doctor Brent shares with his patients every day. As a board-certified professional chaplain, Brent knows the unique role of chaplaincy and now, even teaches it to others. “When patients receive a diagnosis of a chronic and/or terminal illness, it changes everything for them emotionally and spiritually,” he says. “Their whole life has been turned upside down.” “To just receive a medical help isn’t sufficient because God created us body, mind, and spirit.” “It’s not just the physical that is affected, and chaplains are trained listeners to hear how this diagnosis has affected them and their families, and then we walk with them.” This year, amid the hustle and the bustle of the season, both Santa Brent and Reverend Doctor Brent share some wisdom about how we can all approach the holidays: “The greatest Christmas message is through Christ. Remember, at some point, all of us are on the naughty list, but through Jesus we can all be on the nice list.” HATS 8 DECEMBER 2025 | INTHEVUE.COM
