Older people need a voice, so I became a care home chaplain

When Anne Bowers became Elim’s first Anna Chaplain last year, she joined an organisation putting spiritual care for older people centre stage

“We rightly focus a lot on youth in church, but older people need a voice too,” says Anne Bowers. “We need to show them they are just as important to God now as when they were younger.”

It is this belief that prompted Anne to become Elim’s first Anna Chaplain last November, so she could bring much-needed spiritual care to older people in her community. This journey actually began seven years ago when Anne, newly retired, moved to Malvern to help her daughter Rachel and son-in-law Dan Bennett as they took on pastoring and leading what was then The Source Church.

Then things moved on. The church merged with a neighbouring Elim congregation to become Beacon Elim, more people stepped up to serve, and Covid turned church life upside down.

“All this left me asking, ‘What’s next?’” Anne says. “I prayed, ‘Lord please show me what you’d like me to do.’” Soon afterwards, she attended an Elim chaplaincy conference. Having previously been a prison chaplain, she was familiar with the role.

“I realised this was something I’d like to get back into, but in which area?,” she says. “There were people from the police and the hospitals but none of them made me think, ‘This is it!’

“It was only when I was talking about it afterwards that I realised what really stood out for me was ministry in care homes.”

Anne pursued the idea. At another conference she met Debbie Ducille from Anna Chaplaincy – an organisation run by BRF Ministries which provides spiritual care for older people.

Anne realised this was what she wanted to do and signed up for BRF’s Spiritual Care series. It was here that she received invaluable teaching.

“They taught us that everybody has a spiritual connection and it’s important to look for it. Someone might like music, for example, so you can talk about that and see where it leads.

“When people talk about chaplaincy you tend to think of spiritual things. But it’s not just that. We talk to everyone and anyone, whether they have a lot, a little or no faith at all.”

People light up

The course gave Anne the grounding she needed as, soon after, she met up with a local lay minister and began to join her on visits to care homes.

“I had no experience with dementia and memory loss, and came out with such a sense of sadness and despondency. It was heartbreaking and I wasn’t sure I could cope with it.

“But once I did the course things totally changed. Now, dementia homes are where I love to be because there is something you can give that lights people up.” Anne learned about the work of Anna Chaplains as she helped to run services for people with dementia or learning difficulties and deliver ‘Messy Vintage’ sessions with simple songs, readings and crafts.

Here, she experienced for herself how this aspect of chaplaincy can bless people with dementia.

“You can be sitting with them, not able to have a conversation, but when you play a hymn they’re familiar with or you say the Lord’s Prayer, they connect and are mentally in the room with you.

“Suddenly, they start singing because they know the tune or they pray the prayer right through. Somewhere inside the spirit is still alive and for that brief moment it’s beautiful because you see that Holy Spirit connection.”

Anne also learned the value of chaplaincy visits to residents without family living nearby and of talking with them about their lives.

By now, Anne was ready to be ordained as an Anna Chaplain. With the support of Dan, Elim and Debbie from Anna Chaplaincy, the service was held on Sunday 5 November at Beacon Elim.

Dan is excited about how Anne’s work will strengthen links between their church and community.

“Anne has a missional role,” he says. “Her work is a great way to help us care for people outside our church family.”

Anne is excited about this prospect too. She plans to continue in her supporting role, but also to make connections of her own.

“We have a residential village nearby called Clarence Park, where a few ladies from our church live and where we organise an afternoon cream tea for them and their friends.

“I’d love to extend that and do services or communion because there are people there who can no longer make it to church.”

Break down barriers

Anne also plans to visit other care homes and meet their activities coordinators to explain the value of chaplaincy.

“It’s about breaking down barriers and explaining that we’re not coming to thump the Bible but to sit, talk, listen and be there for people.”

Just as Anne has worked with Eileen, she is thrilled that her friend Margaret Allsop will be working alongside her as an Anna Friend – a volunteer who makes visits without the admin and organisational responsibilities of an Anna Chaplain.

“Margaret was commissioned alongside me and is interested in working in hospices and care homes. It’s great that we can pray and visit care homes together,” says Anne.

Anne is enthusiastic about the year ahead. She laughs about the prospect of being line-managed by her son-in-law – “We’ll do the pastor/chaplain bit then I’ll ask him what he wants for dinner!” But she also reflects on how the role is blessing her personally too.

“I had my 70th birthday last year. Psychologically it’s different to reaching 60 and I was determined I wasn’t going to go down the road of being 70 and feeling too past it to get involved in anything.

“I used to work for Care for the Family to support parents, so working with older people as an Anna Chaplain feels like a natural progression, and it’s one I’ve got lots of energy for!”

This article first appeared in Direction Magazine. For further details, please click here.

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