Crediton learns more about the community's local Anna Chaplain
- debbiethrower0
- Sep 17
- 3 min read
“WHO knows what an Anna Chaplain is?” was the opening question posed at September’s Friday Focus, a group that meets monthly in Crediton Methodist Church.
A few amongst those present had heard the name but knew little more, and all were looking forward to being enlightened.
Eileen Brassington, from Holy Cross church and an Anna Chaplain herself, had been invited as this month’s speaker and gave 'a very insightful, informative and interesting presentation', said Hilary Everitt in the Crediton Courier.
Debbie Thrower, a broadcaster who presented BBC national news in the 1980s and later ITV’s Meridian Tonight, and who is also a Licensed Lay Minister, in 2010 became the founder and pioneer of Anna Chaplaincy. It started in Alton, Hampshire, and was taken on by the BRF (Bible Reading Fellowship, now BRF Ministries) in 2014 as a national initiative.
Another question which people were keen to hear answered was the origin of the name. Eileen explained that the Chaplains are named after a widow, Anna, who appears in Luke’s gospel in the Bible and is a good role model of faithful older people.
So, what do Anna Chaplains do? They offer spiritual care for older people in the community, whether or not they have faith, and act as an advocate for those with dementia – in residential care or private homes. They provide a ministry of presence, allowing people to tell their story, hopefully rediscovering self-worth.
Eileen quoted some interesting facts relating to the UK. There are more people aged 60 and over than there are under 18. Two million people over the age of 75 live alone. The number of those aged over 85 is expected to nearly double in the next 20 years. There are around 850,000 people living with dementia (set to rise to two million by 2051).
The Friday Focus group were keen to hear the background that led to Eileen becoming an Anna Chaplain. She told how she had loved being with her grandmother (born in 1892 and full of stories) and enjoyed volunteering to meet with older people early in her teaching career.
After retirement from being a primary school teacher, including at Sandford, she was invited by a minister’s wife to visit some older people in Copplestone. To formalise and authorise this visiting, she obtained the requisite sponsorship from Holy Cross to apply to become an Anna Chaplain and undertook a training programme.
In March 2022, Eileen was commissioned by the then Bishop of Exeter (Rt Rev Robert Atwell) in St David’s Church, Exeter, at a service attended by Debbie Thrower. Almost immediately Eileen was given her first referral; an elderly couple in Crediton who had made contact after watching Debbie Thrower speak on Songs of Praise.
Eileen gave some moving accounts of memorable moments she had experienced when carrying out her ministry of presence, of times when a person with dementia had become suddenly lucid and spoken a beautiful prayer or when confusion had turned to glorious laughter. She explained how she finds it a real privilege to be alongside people as an Anna Chaplain and always feels she has received more than she has given.
As a result of feedback, in 2023 Anna Chaplains introduced a new local initiative called ‘Held Together’. These are accessible ecumenical services for older people and their carers and take place in the Boniface Centre of Holy Cross Church. The services last about half an hour, with refreshments afterwards, on the third Monday of every month, from 10.30am to 11.30am.
Friday Focus is held at 2.30pm on the first Friday of the month at Crediton Methodist Church and all are welcome (you don’t need to be a church member). There is a varied programme of speakers and time for a chat over tea and homemade cake at the end. Details on the church website - www.creditonmethodist.org.uk.
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