Quills: Commissioned

While many of us are familiar with Jesus’ ‘Great Commission’ and phrases like ‘every member ministry’, Joanne and Andrew Quill have felt called by God to a specific place at a specific time. Where and when, you may be asking? Ibba, South Sudan, NOW.

The Quills are making their final preparations to move to South Sudan in a few weeks and one of the last stages in this process was their commissioning. This happened on the evening of Sunday 18th February in Primacy church, Bangor.

A large group from across Ireland gathered in solidarity and prayer as this pair made vows before God and committed to serving under Bishop Wilson in Ibba Diocese for the foreseeable future. This step of faith was celebrated with a recognition of the personal and communal sacrifice involved. Andrew and Joanne are leaving behind family, friends and everything familiar to them in order to partner with our global church family in South Sudan.

Denise Wilson, Primacy’s community pastor, hosted the event. As an erstwhile CMSI mission partner in Kiwoko, Uganda, she fully appreciates the joys and challenges that lie ahead for Andrew and Joanne. Bishop Ken Clarke spoke too, of the community involved when people are called to cross-cultural mission. With his own experiences of living and ministering in South America, Bishop Ken use CMSI as an acronym to describe the Quills – he declared that they are both called and Christ-like, missional people who are taking up selfless sacrificial service with integrity.

As Bishop Ken challenged the congregation to recognise that each of us is a missionary, called to be living sacrifices wherever we are, he drew attention to the 3 GPs that accompany all God’s people – God’s presence, God’s power, God’s promises.

While Joanne and Andrew served for many years in Kenya and Uganda, this new location brings with it new challenges. As they adapt and adjust to cultural differences and acquire new language skills, please pray along with us in CMSI for these new mission partners.

Click here to watch the commissioning service: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmSFNvZg5d8

St Finnian’s Parish Church Without Walls blog spot reflected on the commissioning service. Click here to read Jono’s post: https://www.stfinnians.org/2024/02/20/church-without-walls-20th-february/