Julia introduces Kent's newly-commissioned Anna Chaplains

debbiethrower0
Dec 12, 2025
4 min read

Meet our new Anna Chaplains in Rochester and Canterbury Dioceses. Julia Burton-Jones, Training and Development Lead for Anna Chaplaincy at BRF Ministries, reports from Kent where she also works as Anna Chaplaincy lead for both these dioceses:

'Having walked alongside each person through the process of discernment and training, it has been deeply encouraging to see five new Anna Chaplains commissioned into their roles this Autumn, alongside two new archdeaconry leads.'

Derek Kirkaldie was commissioned in Sandwich in Canterbury Diocese on October 26 to the benefice of St Clement, Sandwich and Ss Peter and Paul, Worth. With his parish priest Fr Sebastian, he held a ‘Come and See’ event on December 7 for anyone interested in joining the Anna Chaplaincy team in the benefice. This was attended by twenty people, and an Anna Friends course for the New Year is being planned for Epiphany.

Sharon Mepstead was commissioned Anna Chaplain at Upchurch in The Six Benefice near Sittingbourne in Canterbury Diocese on November 30. Sharon was mentored by former Anna Chaplain for the benefice, Lis Willmet, who recently relocated to Suffolk. Sharon was delighted Lis attended the service to support her in her newly-commissioned role. She is thriving in her role at Newington Court, the care home in the parish, and leads a much-valued weekly bereavement group.

On December 3 a service of commissioning was held in the Pilgrim Chapel at the Rochester Diocesan retreat centre, St Benedict’s in West Malling. Bishop Simon (Julia’s husband) commissioned three new Anna Chaplains and two archdeaconry leads.

Mandy, Allan, Hopeton, Joan and Jennie with Bishop Simon

Joan Owen was commissioned to the benefice of Plaxtol and Shipbourne. She leads the pastoral team which organises a monthly coffee, cake and company group, and arranges regular outings to places of interest for those in the village. Joan liaises with relatives to ensure that older people have transport to church and hospital visits, and spends time with individuals in their own homes and nursing homes.

Hopeton Reid was commissioned to the benefice of Penge Holy Trinity with St John’s. His Anna Chaplaincy complements his role as occasional preacher and funeral minister in the parish, and he is involved in prayer and bereavement ministry and pastoral care. Hopeton has a full and active role in Open Doors, the group for older people in the parish.

Allan Evison was commissioned to the parish of St Mary’s in Hayes, in Bromley borough. A licensed lay minister (Reader) for more than twenty years, he has been involved in coordinating and supporting a number of groups in the parish which serve older people.

Allan cared for his wife Jean for ten years after she was diagnosed in 2015 with vascular dementia. Jean died in February and Allan reflects on how much those years of caring for Jean taught him about, in his own words: 'the process of acceptance of living and dying including the value of having someone alongside for non-judgmental spiritual support.'

Jennie Cuthbert and the Revd Mandy Brown were also commissioned on December 3 as Archdeaconry Leads for Anna Chaplaincy. They join a team of six covering the three archdeaconries in Rochester Diocese. Alongside being Anna Chaplain in their own parishes, their archdeaconry roles include:

· Offering pastoral and practical support to Anna Chaplains, Anna Friends and their incumbents within their archdeaconry area

· Responding to expressions of interest from those exploring a vocation to Anna Chaplaincy

· Helping develop working agreements and ministry development reviews for Anna Chaplains who do not hold other lay or ordained roles.

Julia reflected on all that the new team-members bring to ministry alongside older people across Kent and in the London Borough of Bromley.

'There is great variety in the contexts where people are serving older people: villages, small towns and urban contexts were represented, and areas of significant deprivation as well as more affluent neighbourhoods. This demonstrates what a flexible model of ministry we have in Anna Chaplaincy that can be adapted to the local setting.'

'The new Anna Chaplains bring a wealth of experience from working lives in areas including mental health, teaching, childcare and housing support, alongside family caring roles which have shaped their understanding of spiritual needs in later life. Several are well established in ministry in their parishes and see Anna Chaplaincy as the next step in building their work with older people, growing teams, and sharing learning and mutual support with those in ministry with older people in other parishes across the two dioceses.'

‘I am blessed to have a team of dedicated archdeaconry leads working alongside me to support the growing team of Anna Chaplains and Anna Friends in Rochester Diocese and their parishes, and to walk alongside those exploring a sense of calling to ministry alongside older people.’

At the service on December 3, among the hymns chosen and accompanied by Joan’s rector Peter Hayler, was a song from the Iona community. Peter sang this before the prayers of commissioning and it reflected wonderfully the spirit of the occasion:

From heaven’s attendant host you came

to meet and mend us on our knees;

the saviour-servant, still you plead,

“To know me, love the least of these.”

And then to old and young you turn,

to those who do not know you yet,

and those whose value none have seen

or many see and soon forget.

Within the Church, built on your word,

the call to care finds central place.

Thus human skill and humble faith

are recognised as means of grace.