'I am a huge fan' says Bishop of Southampton of Anna Chaplaincy - as new priorities are set

debbiethrower0
Feb 26
3 min read

The Bishop of Southampton, the Right Revd Rhiannon King, celebrated Anna Chaplaincy at a special service Winchester cathedral declaring, 'I am a huge fan'.

Noting that this model of support for older people had begun in Alton, Hampshire, Bishop Rhiannon gave thanks to all who started what she called 'the burgeoning movement' at a Choral Evensong dedicated to Anna Chaplaincy on Sunday February 22:

'I know it all happened before my time but I think it is something we should be very proud of in this diocese. My hope and prayer is that we get to the point when we have an Anna Chaplain in every benefice in this diocese, and when we have done that then we can go on and help other dioceses so there can be one in every benefice in the Church of England.'

She encouraged members of the congregation to make sure, before going to bed that night, to Google and have a really good look at the Anna Chaplaincy website as well as chat to the many Anna Chaplains present at the service and find out more.

'And tonight if you feel at all nudged to explore it further then that would be absolutely wonderful.'

Anna Chaplains and Anna Friends and supporters gather afterwards with Bishop Rhiannon and Revd Dr Amy Roche, Winchester's Head of Mission and Ministry and Debbie Thrower (to the left hand side) and Richard Fisher and Debbie Ducille (on the right hand side)

Winchester Diocese has signed a Head Licence Agreement with BRF Ministries who are developing Anna Chaplaincy nationally. This streamlines the process for churches appointing Anna Chaplains. It is making it 'a larger priority in its mission', as the cathedral's Interim Dean, Canon Dr Roland Riem explained at the start of the service as he welcomed guests who included Richard Fisher, the CEO of BRF Ministries, and Debbie Ducille, BRF's Anna Chaplaincy Ministry Lead.

Anna Chaplaincy Pioneer, Debbie Thrower gave some background to the origins of Anna Chaplaincy, in Alton, Hampshire, from 2010, and said: 'This afternoon, it’s lovely to see in the congregation a number of local Anna Chaplains and supporters. More often, they’re to be found in care homes, memory cafés, various community spaces and, of course, visiting people in their own homes.'

The chaplains had come from Southbourne, the Basingstoke and Winchester areas as well as Southampton. The city-based Caraway charity of which Bishop Rhiannon is now patron has a team of Anna Chaplains some of whom are dedicated to suporting people with dementia and their carers. Debbie said:

'The vocation of every Anna Chaplain is to draw alongside people in these ‘autumn/winter seasons’ of life; hearing their stories, affirming their worth, honouring their wisdom and experience; encouraging spiritual vibrancy to the very end of life.'

She described how in 2020 at the start of the pandemic there were 100 Anna Chaplains nationally and now there are 485, plus many more Anna Friends who work alongside them in towns and villages across Great Britain - most recently they are in Northern Ireland as well:

'Anna Chaplains are boosting the Church’s support for people navigating old age; they’re people, like these in our midst today, who are ‘rooted and grounded’ in love - in their communities.'

'Thank you' she concluded, 'for shining a spotlight in this ‘Choral Evensong’ on their often… unsung, (unnoticed), but, nonetheless, vital support!'

You may watch the full recorded service here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dq8aUbGOyNs

Bishop Rhiannon with Debbie Ducille and Richard Fisher

Also attending with a group of her Anna Friends from Alton was the town's Anna Chaplain Emily Spencer (pictured above with the Bishop of Southampton) and former Alton Anna Chaplain, the Revd Helen Jesty.