New Nottinghamshire Anna Chaplain sets to work

Revd Hilary Cheng with the minister of West Bridgford Methodist Church, the Revd Mark Roberts

The Revd Hilary Cheng was commissioned as an Anna Chaplain at West Bridgford Methodist Church near Nottingham on Sunday September 8.  

Hilary writes: 'As a retired Methodist minister, I have the privilege of working both as a supernumerary minister and an Anna Chaplain. After hearing about Anna Chaplaincy before Covid, I felt called to pursue working with the elderly. Covid came, it lasted and eventually it passed, by which time I had ‘sat down’ from full-time ministry.

The urge to resume training in Anna Chaplaincy was followed by attending the online course on spirituality for the elderly - The Spiritual Care Series.

This month's service at West Bridgford Methodist Church was one of joy as the congregation readily supported my calling. My work has taken me to the other churches in the Circuit and beyond; to elderly people’s residences and individual homes.'  

'John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist Church, once said, ‘All the world is my parish’.  I chose a modern hymn to accompany my commissioning ‘Lord, you call us to your service, each in our own way’, as I feel that God gives us a unique set of skills to use as we minister to those around us.' 

'My calling emanates from my home some distance from where I work. My work extends to churches in the Circuit and overspills to other locations in the district.  

I can also use my skills when I work on the Mercy Ships, a floating hospital that offers hope and healing, free of charge, to people in sub–Saharan Africa who do not have the means of paying.'  

'I am grateful to Anna Chaplaincy for accepting me into the network and look forward to being an Anna Chaplain to those I meet.'

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