Leaders Respond to Elder Abuse I’M LISTENING€¦ · showcasing successful intergenerational...

THE S.A.G.E. | 1

W hen I first became a pastor, my

dad (also a pastor), offered this

advice to me: “Take a moment

on Mondays to sit in the sanctuary where

specific members of your congregation sit

and replay the message you delivered on

Sunday in your head. Imagine how they

received it. Then go visit them. Ask what

they heard and what it meant to them. “

I took my dad’s advice and sought to

follow this practice as a new pastor. In

doing so, two things happened: first, I

was humbled to see what message they

received, and second, I was helped in

discovering what they actually were

seeking and needing.

During my first year as Director of

Aging & Older Adult Ministries, I have

also sought to follow this practice.

In listening to church leaders I have

looked for affirmations, questions, and

CONTENTS1 • I’m Listening

3 • Committee on Older Adult Ministries Meets

4 • Grant Awards Announcement

5 • Face To Face: A New Program Ministry for Older Adults From The Upper Room

6 • Intergenerational: It’s Natural

9 • Answering The Call: Faith Leaders Respond to Elder Abuse

OFFICE ON AGING & OLDER ADULT MINISTRIES

Staff

Will Randolph, DirectorLisa Edge, Project Coordinator

PO Box 340003Nashville, TN 37203-0003

Phone: 877-899-2780 Ext. 7173Fax: 615-340-7071

Email: [email protected]: www.aging-umc.org

continued on page 2

I’M LISTENINGBY REV. DR. WILLIAM RANDOLPH

Newsletter of the Office on Aging and Older Adult Ministries | Issue 27 • Fall 2014

THE S.A.G.E.SP I R I TUAL LY AG ING GRACEFUL LY EMPOWERED

2 | THE S.A.G.E.

issues that leaders expressed related

to aging and older adult ministries.

Opportunities for listening and

engaging church leaders have

come through my travel to various

events, as well through workshops

I have presented and have attended

and also through phone and email

conversations. Here is what I have

been hearing:

Leaders state a desire to share the

gospel with others, particularly those

our church has somehow missed.

Looking at this through the lens of

aging and older adult ministries, this

has related especially to unchurched

Baby Boomers (those roughly

defined as being born between 1946-

1964). Questions include: “How do

we attract Boomers?” or, “Should we

develop new programs for Boomers

or try to adapt our present Older

Adult programs?” I have also heard

of a desire for more resources that

connect older generations to younger

ones in the church. This indicates

recognition that aging is life-long

process and each person in the life

span has gifts to offer regardless of

age. When we fail to develop the

ministry gifts of any, we waste the

valuable gifts God has provided our

church. The questions I hear most

often here is: “Where do we start to

do Inter-generational ministry?” and,

“What would you suggest we try first?”

These two areas coincide with

two parts of the Comprehensive

Plan for Aging and Older Adult

Ministries 2013-2016 as laid out

by the Committee on Older Adult

Ministries. The third area of emphasis

included in the Comprehensive

Plan is “Aging in Poverty.” In 2014,

grant applications were received and

grants given to churches to address

this issue. While Aging in Poverty

is one advocacy issue, there are

many others. I am hearing a hunger

for resources addressing challenges

associated with old age including

Ageism, Elder Abuse (particularly

financial abuse), Alzheimer’s/

Dementia, and Elder Caregiving. The

questions are often stated related to

offering pastoral care to families with

loved ones suffering from dementia,

as well as questions related to the

protection of victims of elder abuse

– both identifying and preventing

abuse.

And as I ponder the needs that

might be addressed through the

development of resources, there are

issues that resonate with me from

my years both as a church pastor

and as a hospice chaplain. I see the

need for worship resources targeted

to the experiences of Older Adults,

including those who have suffered

loss, feel alone, and are grieving.

Especially important are the high

holy days or seasonal resources for

Advent and Lent. In the coming

months, I hope to supply fresh

information through our website

(www.gbod.org) about topics like

retirement planning, legacy leaving,

service and mission by older adults

as well as articles about existing

groups like the Nomads or US

against Alzheimer’s. I want to

continue to fill our social media page

resources, with devotional materials

and helpful reviews of books, videos,

and music of interest to older adults.

I look forward to offering webinars

on topics of interest for leaders with

older adults.

And now back to listening… what

would you ask me related to your

needs as both one who is aging and

who is involved in ministry with,

by, and to older adults? Email me at

[email protected] or give me a

call at 615-340-7173. I’m listening!

Rev. Dr. William (Will)

Randolph, Director, Office

on Aging and Older

Adult Ministries, may be

contacted at [email protected]

or by phone at 877.899.2780 ext.

7173 or 615.340.7173

THE S.A.G.E. | 3

The Committee on Older Adult Ministry met October

6-8, in Nashville, Tennessee. The Committee on Older

Adult Ministries provides a forum for information sharing,

cooperative planning, and joint programing which

advocates and supports ministries with, to and for Older

Adults. The meeting opened in worship using the Older

Adult Recognition Resources, with music provided by Dean

McIntyre, Director of Music Resourcing at Discipleship

Ministries, the message provided by chairperson Marvin

Cropsey, and Bishop Richard Looney as Communion

celebrant. Worship set the tone for the meeting that

followed.

AGING IN POVERTY GRANTS

A major part of the work of the committee at its October,

2014 meeting was approval of applications for grants

in the area of Aging in Poverty. Thirty-one grants were

recommended for approval to our Board of Directors of

Discipleship Ministries. As part of the process, the churches

receiving grants will be submitting evaluations of the

programs they carried out in addressing Aging in Poverty.

These evaluations will provide valuable information and

models for other congregations in addressing this important

issue. Information on those receiving grants appears on the

next page.

APPROVAL OF COLLOQUIUM

Work continued on a proposed Baby Boomer Colloquium

recommended by the New Senior working group of the

Committee on Older Adult Ministries. The Colloquium

will take place September 14-16 2016. While this event

will be limited to named representatives, the information

and research shared will form the basis of new ministry

offerings and new resources that will impact aging and

older adult ministries in United Methodist congregations.

INTERGENERATIONAL MINISTRIES

The third area addressed by the Committee on Older

Adult Ministries was intergenerational ministries. The

Committee developed a list of objectives, and new mission

- vision statements to frame their work. In development

is a self-assessment tool for faith communities to identify

how they are developing and nurturing intergenerational

relationships within their churches. Other plans include

showcasing successful intergenerational ministries,

publishing testimonies of how intergenerational ministries

have changed lives and creating a form for sharing

intergenerational ministry ideas and practices. The

committee also will work to create training webinars and

other training opportunities in Intergenerational ministry.

OTHER MEETING NOTES

The Committee on Older Adult Ministries discussed a

number of other items including renewal of resolutions

regarding older adults in the Book of Resolutions of The

United Methodist Church, developing resources needed by

local churches, areas of focus of the United Methodist

Church, and ways to stay connected between meetings.

We welcomed new members of the Committee, and

heard reports from all of the United Methodist agencies

and jurisdictions. Our next gathering is scheduled for

Nashville, on October 5-7, 2015.

COMMITTEE ON OLDER ADULT MINISTRIES MEETSBY REV. DR. WILLIAM RANDOLPH

4 | THE S.A.G.E.

PERCENTAGE OF APPLICATIONS RECEIVING GRANTS BY JURISDICTION:

BY THE NUMBERS:• 23 Conferences had a church to receive a grant• Largest Grant was $4,000 (maximum set)• Smallest Grant was for $100. • Average size of grant award was $1936.• 31.9 % of the amount of total funds requested granted.• 50.8% of grant applications awarded grant money.

CHURCHES AWAREDED GRANTS:CENTRAL JURISDICTION

• First United Methodist Church, Baguio City Philippines• Light & Life United Methodist Church, Visayas Philippines• Southern Nigeria United Methodist Cooperative • Sta. Ana United Methodist Church, Bulacan Philippines

TOTAL GRANTS AWARDED: $10,000.00

NORHTEASTERN JURISDICTION

• Hopewell United Methodist Church• La Plata United Methodist Church• Spring City United Methodist Church


NORTH CENTRAL JURISDICTION

• Alger First United Methodist Church• Canton Calvary Mission• Hope Ridge United Methodist Church• Manorville United Methodist Church


SOUTHEASTERN JURISDICTION

• Ashland Place United Methodist Church• Beauty Spot United Methodist Church

• Black Mountain United Methodist Church• Edisto Fork United Methodist Church• Fairfields United Methodist Church• Forest Lake United Methodist Church• Georgetown-Chunchula United Methodist Church• Goodsell United Methodist Church• Gordon Memorial United Methodist Church• New Beginnings United Methodist Church• Propst Memorial United Methodist Church• Rising Hope United Methodist Mission Church• Sixty-First Avenue United Methodist Church• St. Paul United Methodist Church• Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church• Woodbine United Methodist Church


SOUTH CENTRAL JURISDICTION

• Aledo United Methodist Church• Meriden United Methodist Church


WESTERN JURISDICTION

• First United Methodist Church, Sacramento, CA• Green Valley Community Church


TOTAL GRANTS AWARDED ACROSS ALL JURISDICTIONS: $60,030.00

GRANT AWARDS ANNOUNCEMENT

THE S.A.G.E. | 5

In 2009, Danny Morris, longtime staff at The Upper Room,

arrived in the offices of Greg Engroff and Victor Perez, both

program ministry staff of The Walk to Emmaus Ministries, with

an idea.

“We need to create a program like Emmaus for people 60 years

and older,” Morris said.

Recalling that conversation, Engroff says, “I remember that we

had a hundred other things going on, and we told Morris it just

wasn’t the time to start something new.”

In spite of all Emmaus had going on, Morris was persistent

with his idea and convinced Emmaus Ministries to let him do

preliminary work on what eventually became known as Face to

Face, a developing Emmaus-like ministry of The Upper Room

for people 60 and older.

“We finally told Danny that he could check-in with us once a

week on how the program was coming along,” says Engroff,

“and over time we started to believe in it.”

Now, thanks to Morris’ tenacity, Face to Face will launch in

communities nation-wide beginning in January 2015. With

pilot programs that have functioned in the Nashville area since

2009—and with tremendous volunteer support from Nashville

Emmaus members, Brenda Burgett and Peter Cassidy, —what

was once an idea is now a reality.

An adaptation of The Walk to Emmaus, Face to Face is specifically

crafted to meet the needs of older adults. The program seeks to

invite men and women to experience Jesus through an 8-session

journey through the New Testament scriptures. Led by clergy

and lay leaders, Face to Face strengthens and renews followers

of Christ and bolsters the spiritual life of individuals, families,

and congregations everywhere.

“One of the things we hear folks consistently praising is the fact

that Face to Face doesn’t require them to stay overnight,” says

Engroff. “There is flexibility to the way the sessions take place.”

In fact, Face to Face allows adults the freedom to participate

in structured Bible study and prayer in a church setting or

other community space with great flexibility of schedule. The

communities who want to offer Face to Face can do so based on

what best fits the unique needs of their participants.

“At the end of the day,” says Engroff, “we want Face to Face to

reengage older adults in the love and grace of God.”

In March 2014, Hess “Doc” Hall, a United Methodist pastor was

hired as the full-time Face to Face program manager. With great

enthusiasm and vision, Hall is currently working with Emmaus

communities throughout the country so they can begin offering

Face to Face in the spring of 2015.

“It is our hope that Face to Face will engage older adults in this

version of The Walk to Emmaus and participants and leaders,

alike, will understand more fully the presence of God among

us,” says Hall.

If you are interested in learning more about how to bring Face to

Face to a community center or church near you, please contact

Hess “Doc” Hall at [email protected] or 615.340.7288. Also,

visit our website http://facetoface.upperroom.org to view a

short, two-minute video with testimonials from Face to Face

participants.

A NEW PROGRAM MINISTRY FOR OLDER ADULTS FROM THE UPPER ROOMBY HESS HALL, JR.

6 | THE S.A.G.E.

I ntergenerational living is

becoming a hot topic among

mature adults (we don’t want to

be boomers and certainly not older

adults). And it should be. Recent

high school graduates and recently

retired adults have much in common.

Younger adults aspire to possess

all that older adults have acquired

over decades. Grandchildren favor

grandparents among all other people.

We are uniquely positioned to be

able to connect with, learn with, and

continue to mature with all ages.

But while this may be an issue that

intrigues mature adults, it’s not always

evident that this is the case with other

generations. This raises the question:

“Why not?” Why are we not all together

in this intergenerational endeavor?

Well, sociologists, demographers,

educators, insurance actuaries,

and even the church have found it

convenient and useful to talk about

chronological age as a delineator

in discussing life. That sets the age

groups apart. From an early age, we

are divided into same-age groups.

We become comfortable talking with

those who are our same age. And we

INTERGENERATIONAL:IT’S NATURAL BY MARVIN W. CROPSEY

are limited in our interactions with

those of other ages. Let me explain.

One way to look at this is to cast an eye

both to the youngest and the oldest on

our age continuum. At its extremes,

generationalism pictures children

as pre-people and the aged as post-

people. In the typical home, school, or

church in nearly every way we suggest

to children that their “job” is to grow

up and become contributing adult

citizens. They are all potential. All they

have to do is listen carefully to what

we adults tell them, watch us closely,

and obey us unconditionally. If they

do all these things and get to a magical

age, they will finally be human. At the

other end of the spectrum, the aged

are led to believe that they are finished,

used up, decrepit, and in the way. No

wonder the boomer generation rejects

the appellation older adults.

The truth is that children are fully

human sometime before birth. They

do not have to work to become

something that God made them from

the beginning. And aged adults never

cease to be human. God made them

for life-long growth. Even dying is a

learning experience.

My views on being human were

shaped by this unique experience.

During my high school years I cared

for a newborn with catastrophic birth

defects, abandoned at a huge “school

THE S.A.G.E. | 7

for the mentally retarded.” This child,

not even named by his parents, lay on

a cot every hour of his life, deemed

incapable of any activities that we

think are signs of a quality life. Yet,

when I hummed a tune or sang a

song, he would move his eyes and

smile crookedly. One day when he

was several months old I asked to

take him outside into the sunshine

of a gorgeous spring day. Several days

later, my request was granted. As soon

as the warmth and light fell on his face,

it was transformed. For the first time

he laughed. Birds sang and his arms

lifted. When a gentle breeze touched

his beautiful skin, he shuddered

happily. I cried because God showed

me his child was fully human and

completely loved.

I also have another experience that has

been equally shaping for me. I often

have shared heartfelt conversation

with persons in their 80s, 90s, and

older. These talks often sound like

confessionals. I am told, “When I was

thirty, I imagined being an old woman.

My imagined self was happy, full of joy

for a life well lived. I knew who I was,

who God is, and I loved that God and

I were so much in agreement. Well,

now I am 80 and I have many regrets

about life. I don’t live confidently. And

I certainly don’t feel in union with

God.”

It breaks my heart to hear her go on, “I

think God must be very disappointed

with me. What is wrong with me?” My

reply is swift and edgy. “My goodness,

friend, there is nothing wrong with

you except you are completely

naïve to think that you could have

reached perfection in this life. Human

perfection is reached upon death.

And it is God’s accomplishment, not

human’s. Why would you expect

to reach your destination without

finishing the trip?”

With these two stories I want to take

you back to the idea of segmenting life

into childhood, teens, and adulthood.

I don’t deny these; I want to give you

a different vision, a holistic vision. Life

is all addition. There is no subtraction

in the process of living. That is to

say, from the time you take your first

breath you are accumulating life.

The care that someone gives you (or

the neglect), when you first realize

that there are more persons than

your mother, the first time you hear

music or see a cat, the first time you

are praised or scolded (and all the

times after), these become a part of

what makes you who you are at this

moment and who you will be later.

They keep adding up: getting a failing

grade in school, joining the Scouts,

winning or losing your ballgame,

driving a car, graduating from college,

pledging your love to another, giving

life to a new baby, changing careers,

watching your parent die, retiring from

a career, struggling with aging health

issues, contemplating the end of your

own life. And every conversation you

ever had with God in joy, fear, anger,

confusion. These add up one at a

time. You forget many, but they never

disappear from your life. You have not

left your childhood behind; you have

carried it with you. The same is true of

your teen years and young adult years.

Your one life is unified. On your last

day, all that you ever were – you are

still.

Of course, children need to obtain all

of life’s knowledge and wisdom from

those who lived it before them, but

fortunate are those children who are

able to find an independent creative

path in life. Fortunate, too, are those

adults who are able to be as little

children with all the wonder and

excitement of a new day forever before

them. Understanding the oneness of

life can help build wholeness in life so

that when we get to the end we don’t

have regrets and don’t wonder what is

wrong with us.

It seems convenient to talk about life’s

stages in order to focus on a particular

moment and manage it. But we don’t

actually live so conveniently. Yes,

we can mark the very day that we

move from childhood into our teens;

it is your thirteenth birthday. But

can you identify the day you moved

emotionally and behaviorally? I doubt

8 | THE S.A.G.E.

it was a single day. Can you look back

at your life and name the day you

became a young adult? Or middle

adult? Or mature adult?

So how do we live out the reality of

intergenerational life in the church?

Start by looking at every aspect of

life in your congregation and asking

“why?”. Here are some examples:

Why must acolytes be only children?

Why must ushers only be adults? Why

can’t these roles be age integrated?

What learning adventures can be

developed by assembling a small group

of recent high school grads and retirees

to study God’s place in life’s transitions

and the amazing similarities for both

ages? How might all benefit from such

discussion? How might retirees, who

often feel they have earned a rest from

long years of leadership ministry, be

re-integrated into the active ministry

of the church, perhaps with children

and teens? How valuable might a

parenting class be if it was instead a

family class and the children actually

got to tell parents how they might like

to be parented? How enriched would

worship be with younger people

taking regular roles instead of having

their own once-a-year day? What

great things might happen if young

people were involved in the caregiving

ministries of the church like helping to

prepare food and deliver it to the sick

and the grieving?

Our why’s and our why not’s can

lead us to reimagining the ways tasks

are assigned, the ways we grow as

disciples, the ways we interact with

others of a different age, the ways we

exhibit leadership, the ways we serve.

The possibilities are bountiful.

Let’s find the will to match them.

Intergenerational? Sure! It’s natural.

Marvin Cropsey is Chair

of the Committee on

Older Adult Ministries of

GBOD. He is the retired

editor of Mature Years magazine.

Marvin is currently Managing Editor of

Quadrennial Resources for The United

Methodist Publishing House and United

Methodist General Conference.

WELCOMING LISA EDGE - COORDINATOR FOR AGING AND OLDER ADULT MINISTRIESThe Office of Aging and Older Adult Ministries is pleased to introduce Lisa Edge as its new Coordinator. She will be filling the role that Teri Kline left upon her retirement in July, 2014.

Lisa and her husband, Todd, are recent Nashville transplants by way of the Northern Illinois Conference. She has spent most of her life in the Chicago suburbs, most recently leaving a 12 year administrative career at the University of Chicago. She also brings a long list of local church experience with her, having been a lay speaker since 1995, serving on almost every committee that the church has to offer, and held the office of Lay Leader for 5 years with enthusiasm and great joy, and even sometimes, she says, a little dread. Lisa truly believes that God laid the path for her to start a new career with Discipleship Ministries that is the culmination of both her previous professional experience and her passion for church service.

Lisa is the proud and most awesome mom to her adult children, Michele, Jimmy and Lauren. She and her husband have advocated for and adopted many retired racing greyhounds over the years, with their hearts currently belonging to Miss Breezy June (aka AMF Gentle Breez) and Miss Lucy Doodle (aka CG’s Lowell). Lisa also likes to read, cook, clean up dog hair, add to her Netflix list and crochet, even though she’s not very good at it.

If you need her to answer any of your questions relating to the Office of Aging and Older Adult Ministries, The Comprehensive Plan for Older Adult Ministries or the United Methodist Committee on Older Adult Ministries, you can reach her at [email protected] or 877-899-2780 ext. 7177 or 615-340-7177.

THE S.A.G.E. | 9

After the death of her husband, Louise called Pastor

Thompson to make arrangements for the funeral.

Louise and George had been members of the parish

for many years; in his younger days, George had served on

the Trustees, while Louise was a regular in the choir and

helped to teach Vacation Bible School. Pastor Thompson

arrived, and was quick to offer his heartfelt condolences.

Louise was sad, but she was also relieved. The years of

emotional, verbal, and physical abuse were over. While

others saw George and Louise as a model couple, George

was a different man behind closed doors. The abuse

escalated after he retired and he and Louise were home

together more often. Now, with George gone, Louise turned

to Pastor Thompson and for the first time told him what

life was really like with George.

There are many forms of elder abuse; the “domestic violence

grown old” that Louise was subjected to is one. Research

suggests that 10% of older adults in the U.S. are victims of

elder abuse, and for older adults with dementia, that figure

jumps to 47%. Elder abuse includes “physical, sexual or

psychological abuse, as well as neglect, abandonment,

and financial exploitation . . . that occurs in any setting

(e.g., home, community, or facility), either in a relationship

where there is an expectation of trust and/or when an

older person is targeted based on age or disability.” Both

men and women are affected regardless of their education,

ethnicity, faith, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation,

physical ability, language, or country of origin. The hard

reality is that most abusers are spouses, intimate partners,

or family members, and most abuse happens in the home.

Older adults who are abused are three times more likely to

die prematurely than their non-abused peers.

Louise is not alone in turning to her faith leader for help.

A 2003 study found that “older women would seek help

from a place of worship if they experienced abuse.” A 2008

study of victims of elder abuse found that, “Respondents,

especially minorities, often indicated that their ‘first stop’

would be a member of the clergy if they were to discuss

their domestic violence with anyone.” The recently released

Elder Justice Roadmap, which provides strategic guidance

in the field of elder abuse, confirms the critically important

role that faith leaders (clergy and lay) can play.

Why are faith leaders so important? It turns out that only

1 in 24 cases of elder abuse is ever reported to official

agencies such as Adult Protective Services. Many, many

victims, just like Louise, don’t or can’t tell anyone. The

Elder Justice Roadmap comments, “Individuals who do not

specialize and are not trained in elder abuse issues (e.g.,

police officers, bank tellers, letter carriers, or clergy) may

be the only ones in a position to notice that abuse may be

occurring . . . . They are potential allies whose involvement

is critical to an informed approach to prevention, detection,

reporting, and response.” For Louise, who had suffered in

ANSWERING THE CALL:FAITH LEADERS RESPOND TO ELDER ABUSEBY REV. DR. ANNE MARIE HUNTER, DIRECTOR

10 | THE S.A.G.E.

silence for 50 years, it was a tremendous relief to be able to

talk to Pastor Thompson honestly.

America is aging dramatically, with the population of adults

over 65 projected to expand to about 72.1 million (19%)

by 2030. The United Methodist Church’s ability to respond

to the needs of older victims of abuse is vitally important.

Faith leaders (clergy and lay) who visit older adults in

homes, hospitals, and nursing homes might notice when

there is a sudden change in behavior or spending patterns,

unexplained injuries, or other “red flags” of abuse. We

can look for abuse that might otherwise go unnoticed or

unreported, and we can help older adults get the services

and support they need to live in safety. A new IMA World

Health/Sojourners study found that 80% of Protestant

pastors would help their congregants with abuse if they

had the training and resources to do so.

A good place to start is with Safe Havens Interfaith

Partnership Against Domestic Violence, an agency founded

in 1991 by a United Methodist pastor, given its first seed

money by the General Board of Global Ministries, and

supported by the New England Conference. Safe Havens

has recently partnered with the National Clearinghouse on

Abuse in Later Life (NCALL) on groundbreaking resources

called “Where Faith and Safety Meet.” The resources

provide information about what elder abuse is, how to

recognize “red flags” and warning signs, safety planning,

referrals, and what to do if you believe someone may be

a victim. There’s even a beautiful bookmark that raises

awareness.

Elder abuse is a complex problem that will require “a

coordinated, multidisciplinary, multi-agency, and multi-

system response.” You can begin to build a coordinated

response in your community by getting to know local

services such as sexual and domestic violence service

providers, the aging network (Area Agencies on Aging or

Councils on Aging), and Adult Protective Services.

As a faith leader, older victims of abuse may turn to you

for help. You know the community, are well respected and

trusted, and can encourage victims to focus on safety and

seek and accept services. Sexual and domestic violence

agencies, the aging network, and Adult Protective Services

bring additional expertise, services, and resources to the

table. Together we can respond to the needs of older

victims of abuse more effectively.

You can access the Where Faith and Safety Meet resources

(and download them for free) from Safe Havens’ website at

www.interfaithpartners.org. Or, you can contact the Safe

Havens office at 617-951-3980 or info@interfaithpartners.

org to order printed copies. Order a handful of the

bookmarks, and make them available in your congregation!

Fortunately for Louise, Pastor Thompson received training

on abuse from his local domestic violence agency. He

had also read Safe Havens’ Where Faith and Safety Meet

resources about elder abuse. He listened compassionately,

and he told Louise that the abuse was not her fault. He

reassured Louise that God was with her and would not

want her to be abused. He also found an older woman’s

support group run by a Council on Aging in a neighboring

town, and made sure Louise had a way to get there.

Over several years, Louise healed. Her life without

abuse is happy. She enjoys her grandchildren and great-

grandchildren, her church family, and her knitting. Like

Louise, all older victims deserve a safe, effective, and

collaborative response that can help them find hope and

healing.

Elder abuse is “a problem with solutions.” With education

and resources, faith leaders can answer the call and become

part of the solution.

THE S.A.G.E. | 11Anne Marie Hunter is an ordained Elder in the

United Methodist Church. She received her M.Div.

from Harvard University in 1986 and her Ph.D.

in Sociology of Religion from Drew University in

1991. She has worked for two battered women’s service groups

and has written and taught about domestic violence and faith for

more than 25 years. Her work on elder abuse began in 2008.

She is currently appointed by Bishop Sudarshana Devadhar of

the New England Conference to direct Safe Havens.

REFERENCES:

Lifespan of Greater Rochester, Inc., Weill Cornell Medical

Center of Cornell University, & New York City Department

for the Aging. (2011). Under the Radar: New York State

Elder Abuse Prevalence Study. Self-reported prevalence

and documented case surveys [Final Report].

Wiglesworth, A., Mosqueda, L., Mulnard, R., Liao, S.,

Gibbs, L., & Fitzgerald, W. (2010). Screening for abuse and

neglect of people with dementia. Journal of the American

Geriatrics Society, 58(3), 493-500.

Connolly, M.T., Brandl, B., Breckman, R. (2014). The Elder

Justice Roadmap: A Stakeholder Initiative to Respond to an

Emerging Health, Justice, Financial and Social Crisis. p. 3.

Lachs, M.S., Williams, C.S., O’Brien, S., Pillemer, K.A., &

Charlson, M.E. (1998). The mortality of elder mistreatment.

Journal of the American Medical Association, 280(5), 428-

432. (p. 431).

Elizabeth Podnieks, EdD, RN and Sue Wilson, PhD, “Elder

Abuse Awareness in Faith Communities: Findings from a

Canadian Pilot Study,” Journal of Elder Abuse and Neglect,

Vol. 15, No.3/4, 2003, p. 123.

Richard Beaulaurier, Laura Seff, and Frederick Newman,

“Barriers to Help-Seeking for Older Women Who

Experience Intimate Partner Violence: A Descriptive

Model,” Journal of Women and Aging, Vol. 20(3/4) 2008,

p. 240-241.

Lifespan of Greater Rochester, Inc., Weill Cornell Medical

Center of Cornell University, & New York City Department

for the Aging. (2011). Under the Radar: New York State

Elder Abuse Prevalence Study. Self-reported prevalence

and documented case surveys [Final Report].

United States Department of Health and Human Services,

Administration on Aging, “Aging Statistics,” www.aoa.gov/

AoARoot/Aging-Statistics/index.aspx.

IMA World Health/Sojourners. (2014). Broken Silence: A

Call for Churches to Speak Out: Protestant Pastors Survey

on Sexual and Domestic Violence. p.5.

Safe Havens’ Where Faith and Safety Meet project was

funded by Grant No. 2008-TA-AX-K052 from the Office

on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice.







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DISCIPLESHIP MINISTRIESOFFICE ON AGING & OLDER ADULT MINISTRYPO BOX 340003NASHVILLE, TN 37203-0003WWW.AGING-UMC.ORG

AT THE EDGE OF LIFERichard L. Morgan

Drawing on 60 years of experience as pastor, hospice chaplain, volunteer, and

friend to dying persons, Richard Morgan offers perspective and advice to people

coping with a family member, friend, or patient who is approaching the time

of death. These 30 meditations take us from accepting our own mortality and

the impending death of someone we care about through “making preparations,”

“finding closure,” and “dying moments.” In each meditation Morgan uses personal

stories and scripture to lead into a reflection question and prayer. The result is a

sense of peace that gives readers confidence as companions to the dying.

1.800.972.0433 www.Upperroom.org/bookstore

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