Other Missionaries

Fred Buick

Janice Buick

Angel Alvarez

Joy McAuley

Sumi Yang


Mr. Fred Buick was born in the town land of Turnagrove , approximately eight miles from Ballymoney. As a young man he developed two great passions, motorcycles and playing in a dance band. In those days he had little time for the Gospel and detested the Free Presbyterian Church. On one occasion, when he was working in Ballymoney, a Free Presbyterian woman came to transact business. She knew him well and answered his antagonism to the Gospel and the Church with a remarkable prediction: 'Fred, I believe I will see you saved and a Free Presbyterian minister!'

In 1967 two Faith Mission pilgrims, Mr. Colin Molyneux and Mr. David Williams, conducted a Gospel campaign in a field owned by Mr. Buick's brother-in-law, Mr. Norman Hanna (senior). This was just down the road from Mr. Buick's home. He attended the meetings, was convicted of his sin and on 1st February trusted Christ as Saviour. There was an instant transformation. In September of that year he entered the Faith Mission Bible College in Edinburgh and successfully completed a two-year course. This was followed by a year of evangelistic work in England where he met Pauline who was to become his wife.

On returning to Ulster , Mr. Buick joined Cabra Free Presbyterian Church. In 1970 he entered the Theological Hall of the Church and commenced studies for the ministry. Looking back on those years he says," I entered into fields of study which I had never touched before and, though it was hard, it did me good." After spending a year as the student minister in Cloughmills Free Presbyterian Church, Mr. Buick was placed by the Presbytery in Banbridge as their student minister. On completion of his studies in 1973, he became the first ordained minister in Banbridge. God blessed his ministry and many souls were saved.

In 1975 he was invited to preach in three Australian states: South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales, and as a result of a very rewarding preaching tour 'down under' the call came for him to start a Free Presbyterian work in Port Lincoln, South Australia. In 1978 the Buick family left Northern Ireland . God blessed them in such a way that several separated witnesses were established in South and Western Australia .

After sixteen years Rev. Buick returned to Ulster to pastor the Free Presbyterian work in Dromore which had resulted from a successful Gospel campaign conducted by Rev. Buick himself in 1977. A new church building was opened in Dromore in January,1994.

Rev. Buick's return to Australia a short time later to pioneer further work was marred by a sustained period of ill health, so that he was unable to pastor a church in a full-time capacity again.



Miss Janice Buick, only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Buick, was brought up in a Christian home where both her parents were saved. Although the family did not attend the Free Presbyterian Church in her early years, they had a long association with it through family connections and came to worship in Ballymoney when Miss Buick was in her teens. She made friends quickly among the youth of the church and became involved in the Youth Fellowship and Youth Choir as well as singing in a three-part harmony female group. Her excellent typing skills were also put to good use in the service of Let the Bible Speak radio ministry.

About 1988 she met the young man, Mr. Gordon Thomson, who was to become her husband.
Mr. Thomson, originally from Scotland , was in Portrush with a Faith Mission team doing outreach work. Their romance blossomed and they were married in Ballymoney in 1995. In the intervening years between their first meeting and their marriage, Mr. Thomson trained as a Baptist pastor in Scotland . After their marriage they moved to Pastor Thomson's homeland to take charge of a work in Drumchapel, a suburb of Glasgow . The Lord has blessed their ministry there and has given them favour with the people. Another blessing has been the addition of a young daughter, Bethany, to their family in July, 2000 and more recently, the birth of Holly, their second daughter.

 

Mr. Angel Alvarez, graduated from the Whitefield College of the Bible in Ulster after having completed two years of the theological course. Mr. Alvarez had previously studied part-time in 'El Colegio Biblico de la Gracia' ( Grace Bible College ) over a period of four years. Following his graduation from the Whitefield College he returned to the land of his birth to serve the Lord in his home congregation. As the first person from Alcorcon to train for the ministry, this was a very special event and a great encouragement to Rev. Hanna in his anniversary year. Angel is now the co-pastor of the church in Alcorcon.




Miss Joy McAuley, eldest daughter of Mr and Mrs. Samuel McAuley, was a Free Presbyterian from birth. She was saved at the age of nine, but suffered through lack of assurance of salvation until she reached her early teenage years. The word of the Lord in Joel Chapter 2 verse 25 promises to 'restore the years that the locust hath eaten'; and this was certainly true for Miss McAuley as the blessings of the years following, outweighed those years spent in doubt.

Anyone who knows will testify to her wholehearted commitment to the Lord's work for many years in Ballymoney. She became a Sunday School teacher and children's worker with a genuine love for the souls of the young people she reached with the Gospel message.

It was not unusual for her to go without her tea on a summer's evening so that she could travel to Portrush or Portstewart to take part in a children's open air meeting. Her enthusiasm for the service of her Master was also evident in her participation in the Youth Fellowship, Youth Choir and Inter-Fellowship Quiz. As Paul exhorted the Corinthians, she was 'always abounding in the work of the Lord.'

At grammar school Miss McAuley showed great ability in languages so it was not surprising that she chose to read French and Spanish at University. A language degree necessitates spending a year in the country in which the language is spoken so in the academic year 1982-83 she went to live in Villajoyosa, a small village where she learned more of the Spanish language and culture. While in Spain , she sought a place to worship and Rev. John Hanna recommended a Baptist church in Elche , near Alicante . It was there that she met Jose Bernabeu, a young Christian who was studying part-time to enter the ministry. The long distance relationship continued even when Miss McAuley had to return to University in Belfast . They were married in Ballymoney in August, 1985 and Jose was ordained to the Christian ministry in the following year. For the past seventeen years he has pastored a small work in the city of Alicante . Jose and Joy Bernabeu have two children- Sara Joy born in September,1987 and Alexander who was born in June,1990.

 


Sumi Yang is from the land of Korea and undertook studies at the Whitefield College of the Bible and had strong links with the congregation in Ballymoney. Presently Sumi is in the United States studying at Bob Jones University. Sumi intends to go back to her home country and work for the Lord there.