Our History
Christian Council on Ageing (CCOA), more recently styled Christians on Ageing, was established in May 1982, following a public meeting in Westminster Cathedral Conference Centre, and became a registered charity in 1984. Founding members included Mannes Tidmarsh, a psychologist who became convinced in the 1970s that the spiritual and emotional development of people in later life were not being recognised or encouraged; Donald Bell, a field worker with Age Concern England (now Age UK); and Paula Francomb, a social worker from Liverpool. From the outset, Christians on Ageing was fully ecumenical and included members who had professional backgrounds relevant to ageing. Leading figures from the major denominations were recruited as Patrons.
Membership
Membership of Christians on Ageing is open to all but if you want to have a vote at meetings of members you must be able to profess faith in Jesus Christ. You can read all about this in our governing document as a registered charity. If you would like to join us in our work use this link to the Applying for Membership page where you will find full details on how to apply. Currently, there are around 250 members, including representatives of local churches.
Our Membership Survey 2012 gives a breakdown of denomination by membership.
Church Support
Christians on Ageing is not an official church body but it maintains links with all the main denominations in the UK, principally through its members. It offers help and advice to Church organisations and works with bodies such as Methodist Homes for the Aged, Faith in Older People, Churches Together, Anna Chaplaincy and others on matters of common interest. It also has Patrons who are leading members of their respective denominations and whose support indicates how Christians on Ageing aims to provide a link between the Christian denominations. The current Patrons represent the following: the Baptist Church, the Church of England, the Anglo-Caribbean Churches, the Methodist Church, the Roman Catholic Church, the Russian Orthodox Church, the Salvation Army and the United Reformed Church.
