Hooray, we've hit the 500 mark - meet the 500th and 501st Anna Chaplains!
Fran and Alison - in Leeds - tell how they have become the latest recruits
'My name is Fran Needham and I am a Licenced Lay Minister (Reader) at Holy Trinity Church Meanwood in Leeds. I have been receiving the BRF Bible reading notes for many years through Alison who attends our church. She had been reading about Anna Chaplaincy and seen a one-day introduction to Anna Chaplaincy advertised in York, and we went.
'The day was amazing, and I learnt so much, but it left me with one big question, was God wanting me to become an Anna Chaplain?!'
My ministry is very varied, I lead services on a weekly basis and preach once a month, I conduct funerals, memorial services and burial of ashes, and when required I visit our local primary school. I regularly take Home Communion to people in our parish who are unable to come to church. Due to being the only Licensed Lay Minister in the parish, I’m not always able to visit everyone in need and during the Covid pandemic I found that, despite my best efforts, I lost contact with some of the older people in our parish and this has concerned me for some time.
I am known as one of the busiest people in Meanwood, I am a Rainbow and Guide leader with Leeds County Guides and I run meetings 3 nights a week. I bake for our community café and volunteer there once a month as well as undertaking an active ministry in church. I am also a member of our PCC.
'I gave Anna Chaplaincy a great deal of thought, I thought about all of the things, I prayed and kept asking God the same question, "are you asking me to become an Anna Chaplain as well as doing all the other things I do?" and "How will I manage all this?" but it seemed that God was calling me to take on this ministry. The more I prayed and reflected, Anna Chaplaincy would not go away and I felt even more called to take on this new role.'
I completed an Anna Chaplaincy course on Zoom which I thoroughly enjoyed and read several very interesting books as part of the course. I have met with Alison and we have discussed some exciting ideas for taking this forward. We have so many lovely older people in our parish who have amazing stories to tell and it would be lovely to do some life-story work with them. Due to our vicar being on sabbatical we have arranged our Commissioning service for December and we are both very excited about this and look forward to seeing where our ministry takes us.'
Alison Flannagan
'It began with New Daylight: just a small article at the back of the notes about Anna Chaplaincy, which jumped out. In each set of new notes, there was something that seemed to prompt an interest about Anna Chaplaincy and eventually, steps were taken to find out more on the website.
Always, there have been older women: the matriarchs of Marfleet and Drypool parishes in East Hull, on their bikes, or on foot, ministering to whoever was in need and to one another. A great example of the love of Christ in action.
Then there's the faithful older generation of the local churches of Pitsmoor in Sheffield, so welcoming, and who could adapt to changing times and keep the love of Christ active in new ways, ecumenically, in an area where around 54 different languages were spoken. A great example of the love of Christ in action. Love changes everything, as they say.
And now here, in Meanwood, a contrast to the post-industrial areas in Hull and Sheffield: green, a church on Green Lane, leafy, Victorian, full of young people. But where is Pat? “Pat was so active in church” and needed to collect some BRF notes, but was never there to do so. “Pat has dementia.” Feeling confused and a bit out of place in this new landscape, but still the whisper of Love. Pat, and people like her, need the love of Christ in action.
The whisper became an urge: give up your job and do something new. So, rather than teaching, there is caring for the elderly. A job for retirement. Learning something new. Ten miles from Meanwood.'
'Then a question to our Vicar, John: “Have you heard of Anna Chaplaincy?” A day in York with Fran, our Lay Reader and encouragement to move forward with Anna Chaplaincy from the PCC.'
'Fran is enthusiastic and alongside. We are numbers 500 and 501 on the Anna Chaplaincy list, we are told - The Levis generation? Hoping to bring the love of Christ to 'the retired of Meanwood’.
'Our commissioning is in December, as John is on sabbatical. It will be slow, but we can listen and read and plan. The love of Christ is certainly active.'
Pioneer of Anna Chaplaincy Debbie Thrower adds:
'This is a big moment in our history. Congratulations to all the hundreds of Anna Chaplains - and dozens more volunteer Anna Friends working with them. In truth, there are even more than 500 people who have been involved... as we have 140 who have served their communities but retired from this ministry in recent years. It's a great credit to the Anna Chaplaincy team at BRF that we have reached this point and I look ahead with much hope and confidence that the movement will continue to go from strength to strength!'
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