Sending our best wishes for James Woodward’s retirement
- debbiethrower0
- 18 hours ago
- 2 min read
The Anna Chaplaincy team at BRF Ministries sends best wishes to our friend and supporter the Revd Canon Professor James Woodward on his retirement.
James stepped down as principal of Sarum College in June and is returning to Birmingham where he previously served as Director of the Leveson Centre for the Study of Ageing, Spirituality and Social Policy from 2000 to 2009, following lead roles in hospital chaplaincy in the city.
It was during his time at the Leveson Foundation that he published work on the spirituality of ageing which is so valued by Anna Chaplains. His books on ageing include Valuing Age: Pastoral ministry with older people (SPCK, 2008) and Between Remembering and Forgetting: The spiritual dimensions of dementia (Continuum Publishing Corporation, 2010).
Training and development lead for Anna Chaplaincy, Julia Burton-Jones, has been recalling study days led by James when she was the Anna Chaplaincy lead for Rochester Diocese where members of the team were greatly encouraged and resourced in their ministry with older people through what he shared.
Julia also co-led a retreat and two short courses at Sarum with James, including What is Old Age For? in 2025. Julia reflects:
‘James has been a kind and generous supporter of my work developing Anna Chaplaincy in Kent and as national training lead. His depth of insight on the theology of ageing and his passionate championing of older people in church and community life, have left a lasting impression on me, and the countless people involved in ministry alongside older people he has worked with over many years specialising in this field. His gentle humour and skill in storytelling are hallmarks of his teaching I seek to emulate.’
Our love and prayers go with James as he retires and discovers afresh in his own life the generativity and flourishing ageing brings. We hope to keep our connections strong, especially as two members of the Anna Chaplaincy team live in Birmingham!
You can follow James’s blog here: James Woodward James Woodward
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