Like a rare conjunction of planets, all of Buckingham’s missionaries were found in the UK in February 2012. The opportunity for the church to meet them at the same time was deemed too good to be missed, and so our Missionary Weekend was arranged!
The Missionary Weekend is an annual occasion, normally held in May, in which the church focuses on and recommits itself to mission work both at home and abroad. This is in keeping with the exhortation of the Lord Jesus Christ, contained in the final words of Mathew’s gospel, to go and make disciples of all nations. The example and testimony of our missionaries was a spur for us to do just that.
The day was attended by approximately 50 people, who heard our missionaries talk about their recent past in the morning session, and their plans for the future in the afternoon.
Alex Donnelly jnr opened the proceedings at both sessions with his account of the remarkable ways in which God has blessed the church in Peru. Particularly noticeable was the rapid growth of the church, as well as the intense desire of many pastors to learn more and to mature further in their faith. A remarkable story was told of how the murder rate in one town had dramatically decreased following a commitment on the part of a local church to pray about the local violence. The self sacrificial lives of the Christians in Peru were held up as an example to us all.
Alex later outlined his plans for the future, one of which was provide a wealth of Bible study resources on the internet for Spanish speaking pastors. This would supplement his regular preaching engagements, both in Peru and its neighbouring countries.
Our other missionaries are engaged in working with people that are less receptive to the gospel. To hear them speak was to become re-acquainted with the fact that sometimes much faithful work results in little outward fruitfulness. Their words, however, and their gracious lives, were an example and an inspiration to us all.
The meetings were appreciated by those who attended. For more details about Alex and his work, please refer to the missionary section of the website.