Anna Chaplaincy was founded and established in Alton in 2010 to provide spiritual care for older people and it has now spread across the country. There are 35 Anna Chaplains across churches in our diocese!
Anna Chaplaincy is a ministry of the Christian charity Bible Reading Fellowship (BRF). The Diocese of Winchester has entered into a new Head License Agreement with BRF to develop Anna Chaplaincy as a ministry and enable all our parishes to license an Anna Chaplain, under a single umbrella license, funded by the diocese. An Anna Chaplaincy launch service for the Winchester Diocese will be held at Winchester Cathedral on Sunday 22nd February.
Candlemas, or the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus Christ, is when we recognise Christ as both ‘a light to lighten the Gentiles’ and ‘the glory of God’s people Israel’. The biblical story highlights the figures of Simeon and Anna, two older people who encounter Jesus in the Temple and recognised him as the Messiah. They embody wisdom and faithful waiting in old age, and Candlemas serves as a day to celebrate the role of older people in faith communities, particularly through initiatives like Anna Chaplaincy.
On 1 February, as part of their Candlemas service, Holy Epiphany Bournemouth celebrated the age diversity in the benefice – families of three and four generations worship at the church, aged between 2 and 90! A new Anna Chaplain, Joanne Davis, was also commissioned during the service – the parish now has two Anna Chaplains who minister to older people in the parish and wider community.
During the service, Girl Guide Annabelle Hedgecock also interviewed retired vicar’s wife, Marion Ingleby, bridging the generation gap and sharing wisdom and fun stories.
The same week saw the launch of a new community Memory Café, which was set up by Frances Attwood, who worships at Holy Epiphany, and was the first Anna Chaplain to be appointed under the new Head Licence Agreement. We spoke to her about her calling and her current role….
Why did you feel God leading you into the role of Anna Chaplain?
I had been a music therapist particularly in the field of dementia. I used to run music groups, not just for the person with dementia but for their family and carer too. I found there was such need. So many couples get really isolated and for many of them it was the only thing they could get out to, that wasn’t a doctor’s appointment.
I began to think about churches and how we could do more. Then Covid happened and we couldn’t meet and it was so sad. By the time lockdown ended, all the members of my group had either died or gone into care and I was just devastated.
Then one thing after another either failed to start, or closed and I was really confused. I prayed ‘Lord I thought I was doing the right thing but what should I be doing’. I went to see my vicar at the time and she said ‘here’s a few things you might explore’ and number one on the list was Anna Chaplaincy.
I thought it drew on the experiences that I’d had but particularly that experience of working with people with dementia, so that fired me up. I felt I would like to do more theological training so I did a Masters in Applied Theology at Moorlands College, specialising in chaplaincy, and I found it really interesting. My dissertation in my third year was about how churches could better support families living with dementia so I did research and interviewed families and carers.
One thing stood out for me was that churches are very focused nationally on youth and families, but I feel that older people are not valued as much and that’s in terms of resources and paid positions within churches. I thought we should be looking at the whole family and generations, particularly with the demographics of our country where there are more and more older people and they’re living longer. Most excitingly, BRF are going to publish a book later this year which I’ve co-written about how you can support somebody in their own faith with dementia.
Anna Chaplaincy does specific training and I did that as well. It was a six-week course looking at the sort of issues that occur particularly in older age; bereavement, maybe physical disabilities, family breakdowns and that need to resolve issues, and of course death. I really valued the training and also being part of a network. It’s really heartening to meet with others who get it.
I was very interested, when Bishop Rhiannon came into post, that she’d been involved with ‘Inspiring Ipswich’ and the work of the whole town and now she wants to do ‘Believing in Bournemouth’. I really want older people to be part of that. There’s such potential for us to share our knowledge, experience and resources in older people’s ministry.
What’s your role now as Anna Chaplain?
Next week I’m starting a new reminiscence group ‘Memory Lane’ at the church. We have a long history with Muscliff Nursing Home and so I’ve been invited to take regular services there. I hope also do some more education and awareness. I feel that’s the key.
I think one of the lovely things about Anna Chaplaincy is it’s non-denominational and so there’s this lovely ability to work across churches, across denominations. I’m employed two afternoons a week to do a reminiscence session at the United Reform Church. With my background as music therapist, I always have a music spot and it’s a great way to stir up memories. The lovely thing is how connected that makes people feel, such as the hymns they knew as children.
How much is there a need for Anna Chaplains in our communities?
We have got an increasingly aging population and for those folk, who maybe have been faithful worshippers or even ministering within churches, if they physically can’t get there anymore that’s really hard. When you are in a care home or a nursing home there can be a dislocation with community and I think it’s really important to try and keep those links strong, so I think there’s a great need.
There are many voluntary organisations that care for older people but why is it important for the church to be at the centre of this role?
There are many organisations who offer practical help and it’s more sort of pragmatic. When I’ve spoken to people in care homes and talked with individuals struggling with issues of older life, what they need more than anything is somebody to talk to, somebody who can listen to them and to talk about those existential things. Previously I was going into another care home and I always felt my role was to go and visit people who couldn’t get to the activities that were organised within the home but I found the lovely thing about being known as a chaplain is that you go straight into the important things. Some people knew they were terminally ill and they had an urgency to talk about what mattered. Other people were lonely or maybe bereaved and so there is a need for that spiritual care and support.
The diocese now has a new Head Licence Agreement, what difference do you think will this make?
I’m excited that the Diocese of Winchester is really saying that we want to up our game on this and support Anna Chaplaincy at a diocesan level. I’m hoping it will join up what is offered across the diocese, that we will share resources and have that sense of support at diocesan level. Sometimes it can feel quite isolated if you’re doing your own little bit so that sense that we’re doing this together is really helpful and encouraging.
I think it could also raise the profile of Anna Chaplaincy. Some people haven’t even heard of Anna Chaplains but once there are more of us and it’s made known at diocesan level, I think it might increase awareness.
What do you think it takes to be an Anna Chaplain and what would you say to others who are considering this?
Number one is a heart for older people and being interested in hearing about different people’s journeys. It doesn’t matter where you’ve come from. Some people come from health backgrounds or some from social services backgrounds and some it’s because of their parents. Debbie Thrower started Anna Chaplaincy because she wished it had been there for her mum when she went into a care home.
Number two is a strong motivation to make a difference and I suppose having enough time too. One of the most important things I feel I give is time. Time to listen, time to just be with people.
What are you hopes for the future of Anna Chaplaincy?
I think, in line with the national team, that we would have an Anna Chaplain in every parish. That would be wonderful.
This Candlemas, not only was ministry to older people celebrated, but the ministry of older people to the youngest in our congregations was too! Normally held on the first Sunday of the month, the Thorngate and Blackwater Messy Church services in West Wellow are run by a fantastic team of volunteers, many of whom are retired.
Along with Anna Chaplaincy, Messy Church is a ministry of BRF Ministries, and is a form of church for children and adults that involves creativity, celebration and hospitality. Spanning across more than 30 countries, Messy Church can be a great way to encourage young people and families to come along to church and encounter Jesus.
Revd Sara-Jane Stevens, Associate Priest of Thorngate and Blackwater Benefice, said, “I am regularly bowled over by the enthusiasm, energy and love our Messy Church Team have for this service and everyone who attends. We have had over 80 people of all ages come, at least once, to Messy Church since it started in October 2024. Each one has been welcomed with open arms and hearts by the Team. God has sufficient love for everybody, and our Team demonstrate that every month!”
