Antoine Thenin
Have you ever prayed a big prayer? So big that you didn’t really expect God to answer it? In my late teens, back in France, I prayed to God to make my life an adventure; an adventure we would face and enjoy together. Be careful what you pray for! This prayer led me to come to Bournemouth as a language school student, spend two years with Friends International as a Reach trainee (sharing the Gospel with international students), graduate from Moorlands Bible College, pass the CELTA exam, spend two years in Myanmar with OM and spend the last six years having a leading role with Friends International locally.
My time with Friends International is sadly coming to an end. This September I will become the pastor at Charminster Chapel, a small church located towards the end of Charminster Road. For a few years, I attended their toddler group on Friday mornings, which led me to preach once in a while, and one day they advertised the role for a pastor. After two rounds of interviews, they offered me the role which I gladly accepted.
This article is a channel for me to say a big thank you and to express my deepest gratitude to you all!
I remember going to Keith Jones my second day in England to buy a Bible (NLT due to my low level of English); I asked at the counter for an evangelical church and the lady working there then gave me two names: Lansdowne Church and another church which I can’t remember today. Well, you can guess which church I attended for over a decade!
You welcomed me, cared for me, fed me (thank you very much!), encouraged me, discipled me, supported me in finance and in prayer and so much more. From the student at the back of the church who understood barely 30% of what was happening on Sunday mornings to a decade later leading services and preaching, explaining to people of different faiths the importance and centrality of the Gospel message in one’s life.
My family and I do miss you all, but we also understand that God is taking us somewhere else to serve Him and make Him known in our church and community. You are always welcome to come visit us.
