Comings and goings in Alton - the Hampshire cradle of Anna Chaplaincy
One of the first people to welcome the Revd Tim Gomm and his wife Karen to Alton was Anna Chaplain Emily Spencer. The Benefice of the Resurrection which includes Alton and the villages of Holybourne, Beech, Bentworth, Lasham and Bentley is where this way of supporting older people through community-based chaplaincy began.
In the packed church of St Lawrence for his induction Emily declared:
'It is a real pleasure to welcome you both as you begin this new chapter with us. My name is Emily Spencer, and I am the Anna Chaplain for Alton.'
'Together with my dedicated team of volunteer Anna Friends, we offer spiritual, pastoral and emotional support to older people across our community. We work in partnership with local churches, care homes, families and organisations who share our commitment to the wellbeing of older people. At the heart of what we do is the simple gift of listening — offering people a safe and welcoming space where they can feel heard, valued and affirmed, whatever their faith or beliefs.'
'Our support extends not only to older members of our community, but also to their families, friends and those who care for them. We very much look forward to working alongside you in the days ahead. We hope to share with you our vision for Anna Chaplaincy in Alton, and together explore how we can continue to grow and develop this ministry so that it meets the needs of older people in our community.'
Tim and Karen (an Anglican Licensed Lay Minister, LLM) were married in Alton and his mother lives in the town. For the past fifteen years they have served in Portland, near Weymouth in Dorset.
Anglicans and Methodists in Alton signed a covenant in 2009 to work together more closely. Anna Chaplaincy stemmed from that initiative soon after the creation of their partnership - GAP, the Greater Alton Project .
The Bishop of Winchester who presided at the welcoming service that evening last month said he didn't think he had ever heard so many people wanting to welcome their new rector!
Meanwhile, the town's Methodist minister, the Revd Philip Simpkin is saying farewell after a decade serving in the Alton, Hale and Rowledge Circuit. It was fitting that a former Anna Chaplain, Kate Powell was the guest helping to celebrate Sea Sunday that day in her new capacity as Head Chaplain for the Mission to Seafarers in the port of Southampton.
Kate was an Anna Chaplain locally for three years and built up a large team of men and women Anna Friends to help extend the chaplaincy work among those in their later years. She spoke movingly on Sunday Aug 30 of how God had urged her to 'broaden her horizons' and coincidentally she had discovered the job advert initially for a Southampton chaplain to women on ships coming in and out of the Hampshire port. Now as Lead Chaplain she and her team visit 100 ships each month, many of them with crews facing significant challenges around loneliness and separation while they work far from home.
It was good to hear that Alton's loss is the Isle of Wight's gain as Philip Simpkin's next move is to the island to become Chaplain at St Mary's Hospital, Newport. He and his wife Angela already have a home there and are looking forward to his new chaplaincy role as well as meeting some of the numerous Anna Chaplains now serving among older people in the island (part of the Anglican Diocese of Portsmouth).
We thank Philip for all his support for Anna Chaplaincy in Alton and wish him well in his new post!
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