Bespoke baptism for Tony - 92 years young

There was joy all round in Great Bookham!... says Anne Milton-Worssel:

'In Great Bookham Surrey, as Anna Chaplain, I work through the Meeting Place which is a charity funded through local Churches. I have been there about two years with a wonderful team of volunteers many of whom are members of local churches.

Besides organising events and working with the elders’ ministry in the local churches, we have had a number of lonely and isolated people referred to us through social prescribing.

Tony was one of those people. His wife had recently died having lived with dementia. He had cared for her – but at the same time kept himself busy – learning to play an electronic organ, painting pictures and other things.

He had been playing hymns on his organ, and when I visited him I felt he would benefit from being visited by someone from the local Baptist Church. Over a period of about eighteen months Tony has become more and more involved in church events at the Baptist Church, and not long ago he decided he wanted to be baptised, because faith had become real to him.

So, you can imagine the joy when a group of us from Anna Chaplaincy went along to the Baptist Church to see Tony baptised! Tony is 92 years young – so he was ‘let off’ being baptised by immersion. His chair was put in a paddling pool and water from the Baptistry was poured over his head from a jug.

He had chosen for us to sing ‘Amazing Grace’ and for the event he had produced cartoon drawings that expressed his faith far more than words could.

A couple of days later I saw him and he said he felt completely different inside – and he was so excited!! What a way to celebrate age and what God can do!'

Anne Milton-Worssell, Anna Chaplain, Great Bookham