MINISTRIES

Older Adult ministries

Take our Congregational Survey

The Committee on Older Adult Ministries is a resource to encourage, recognize, and develop effective ministries by, for, and with older adults in our diocese, and to help people of all ages prepare for older adulthood. Our goals are to develop and circulate information about programs which already exist in the Diocese, and to help parishes expand and improve their older adult ministries. Please complete this brief survey to begin the process of feedback about areas we should prioritize as we seek to revitalize our mission.

Brief History

The Committee on Older Adult Ministries (COAM) was created by Frances Merle Young in 1981, after she retired and moved to Maryland. She had worked for the entitlement of lay persons (especially women) in the church, while working for the national church in New York, and in multiple cities in the U.S. and around the world. She was active with the Committee until her death at 96 in 2006. Over the years, COAM has hosted multiple conferences, both regional and statewide; conducted several surveys; and has produced valuable resource materials for parishes across our diocese, including its newsletter, “The Gift of Aging”, and links to services and resources through its website.

After a lapse of several years, we are now reinvigorating the Committee, aiming to reconnect parishes with each other and useful resources, and to provide updated information. This seems particularly relevant with the aging of the Baby Boomers, the increase in life expectancy, ongoing issues for caregivers, and the growing interest in “encore careers” and parish programs with and for older adults.

Contacts

Ms. Pat Alt
St. Bartholomew’s, Baltimore
palt@towson.edu

Ms. Marjorie Richmond
Holy Nativity, Baltimore
marjorie.b.richmond@gmail.com

Ms. Anne Wyatt-Brown
Cathedral of the Incarnation, Baltimore
awyattbr@gmail.com