Connections, Connexion

A long, long day – down the motorway network [singing happy 40th birthday to Spaghetti Junction on our way through] to Kingsteignton in Devon, for the funeral of Bob’s cousin Adrian. The sun shone, the church was packed, and all went well.

Back at the house, I was intrigued by a beautiful sampler [over 180 years old] and asked if I could take a photo

It is rather faded – and I wondered about its origins – but Adrian's daughter Elizabeth said they had no idea- her parents had found it in an antique shop and simply purchased it because of the name. I wonder if Eliza was a member of our family?

It was good to chat to family members and make connections with distant relations – but a little sad that so often we only see such people at funerals.

We got home at 10pm and found one piece of post – a jiffy bag containing a surprise for me – a silver medal!

When Bob was a pastor in London, in 1987, and I was mother of two pre-schoolers, I was asked to serve on the National Committee of The Baptist Ministers’ and Missionaries’ Wives Fellowship [BMMWF] as Metropolitan District Rep.

BMMWF changed its unwieldy name to Connexion [spelt with an ‘x’ it is an old name for a group of Nonconformists, and our main connexion is that all our spouses are Baptists in ministry and mission] and opened its membership to husbands as well as wives, and the spouses of those in training and of those in other ministries [e.g. chaplains and evangelists]

Since then I have been continuously on Committee in various roles- including Assistant Secretary, Conference Secretary, Executive Secretary and of late, the East Midlands Rep. At the Baptist Assembly a few weeks ago, I muttered to my friend Julia that it was a shame we were not having an AGM, as I’d completed 25 years and was fully expecting my Silver Medal! The Exec have generously awarded me my medal by post and sent a lovely card.

Baptists are the only denomination in the UK to offer such support – and my friends in Connexion have always been there for me over the years, and it has been a privilege to be part of the group.

Thanks friends. I cannot say ‘I shall treasure this award’ as I intend to eat the chocolate tomorrow! But the message son the card are lovely.