Bridging the pastoral care gap: Richmond church trying a new way to reach out to local seniors

Richmond is a town of many churches, and no full-time ministers. In a world where congregations are getting older and smaller, the Catholic, United, Anglican, and Presbyterian churches in the community are all working with part-time or supply leadership in order to manage expenses and keep worship services going for as long as possible. While that maintenance model works to a certain degree, the lack of a full-time preacher means that gaps in service start to open up outside of Sunday mornings, particularly in the time that would usually be spent on pastoral care and visits with the elderly, the unwell, and those who are housebound for one reason or another. “There’s nobody there full time for any of them,” said Charlotte Griffith, a member of the Richmond United Church, “and these are the people for whom a minister, and going to church, are very important.” See full story in the Monday, Feb. 4 edition of The Record.