Finding Faith in the Final Chapters

Faith can come to people at any stage of life but for some, it takes a lifetime to feel worthy of it. At The Forrest Centre, Reverend Dr. Grant Bell has witnessed firsthand how the final chapter of life can also be the beginning of something sacred.

“One woman told me she didn’t think she was ever good enough for God,” Rev. Bell shares. “It took her 84 years to ask for baptism.” That moment was one of many he has been privileged to witness. “She was so excited. She felt accepted. She felt like she belonged.”

Stories like hers aren’t rare in aged care. “Some people rethink everything in the final stages of life,” he says. “They start asking deep questions, like ‘What is sin?’ ‘What does it mean to be forgiven?’ and you just walk with them through it.”

That “walking with” philosophy underpins his approach. “You’ve got to make it easy for people to explore the spiritual side of their life,” Rev. Bell says. “Not every church does. Some churches have hard edges and hard centres – hard to get into, and hard to grow within. I try to make it soft-edged, so people can step in easily, but substantial in the middle so they can get something of substance there.

“One former scientist with no prior faith background began exploring Christianity in earnest during his final months. Every time I visited, he’d say, ‘Tell me about this. Let’s talk about that.’ Then one day, he asked to receive communion. His wife didn’t even know. At his funeral, she said, ‘I had no idea he’d gone that far.’”

For Rev. Bell, these are not just spiritual awakenings. Much like the 84-year-old woman he baptised experienced, they are restorations of self. “Some people carry guilt their whole lives. They think they’re not worthy of love or acceptance. Faith can shift that. It’s not a leap into the darkness – it’s a leap into the light.”

And it’s not always about theology. Sometimes, it begins with a simple act of kindness. “I’ve had people say, ‘I’m not religious,’ but when I ask if I can pray with them, they say yes. Sometimes for the first time in their life.”

Asked what motivates him in this work, he says, “There’s a key to every person. Sometimes you just have to find it. When they light up, when they feel seen, it’s a moment of recognition. A moment of grace.”