Bringing Hope in the midst of loss

A new employee with Loss and Hope is passionate about equipping churches in bereavement support

Hope Together are delighted that Cassius Francis has just taken up a new role as Church Trainer and Resourcer for Loss and Hope.

Based in Birmingham, Cassius, who is also a minister with the Wesleyan Holiness Church, comes from a background of Christian mission and community work. When Cassius was first ordained, he was asked to lead a funeral for an 11-year-old boy, and he realised that he needed not only to understand how to support a family long-term, but how to care for himself as he did so. He’s still passionate about helping churches to engage compassionately and thoughtfully with people experiencing loss.

‘Particularly during this time of the pandemic, the impact of bereavement and grief is something that we’re feeling right across the country, so this is a really significant ministry for our churches to be engaged in,’ said Cassius. ‘I would really like to see and hear that more churches are comfortable engaging in conversations about death and bereavement, as it’s so often been a taboo subject in society. I feel really blessed to be engaged in this work.’

Loss and Hope is part of ‘At A Loss’, the national signposting network for bereaved people. You can find out more on their website here.