Earl Soham Baptist Church - who are we?
Gemma Buckle
This month we feature two people who now come regularly to the Chapel, as older residents will know us. Gemma Buckle was born in Hitchin but moved to Bedingfield with her family when she was eight, going to school at Occold and Debenham.
She didn’t carry on with A levels but did a course in horse care at Otley College where she met Mark. They married and lived at Cobbolds Row for about two years, during which Melody was born—now three years old.
One year at the fête on the green in Earl Soham, she was encouraged by Bernard Rose to come to the Alpha Course which the church ran in 2004. Although she was happy going to church when she was young, it was during the Alpha Course that she saw the need for a personal relationship with God, and accepted Jesus to be in charge of her life.
Sadly the family are no longer together, and Gemma and Melody now live in Framlingham where housing and facilities were easier to come by.
About the church she says, “They don’t expect you to be perfect straight away. People are really supportive and understanding."
Now she womans our church bookstall after the services (I don’t know why “mans the bookstall” sounds OK but “womans the bookstall” doesn’t—it should!) You can borrow books or she will order them for you at a discount.
Melody declined to be interviewed but was willing to be photographed conducting a quality test on our post-service chocolate bourbons.