Missionary swaps Africa for North End

Ten year old, non-denominational Family Church has appointed a new husband and wife missionary team, David and Sue Bickel, to pastor their Cornerstone Fellowship in North End.

Cornerstone Fellowship is one of Family Churches’ three congregations, and meets at the church’s office suite in Exchange House, London Road. Over its first year the Fellowship has been successfully presided over by Steven and Kirsty Carey, during which time the congregation has grown and laid solid foundations.

Dave Bickel (60) has been a Christian since his youth and has spent long periods of his life working as a missionary and teacher in Nigeria in Africa. He trained as a teacher and first went to Nigeria in 1970 with Voluntary Services Overseas. It was during a brief period back in Portsmouth that Dave met and married Sue, then a widow with 3 sons and they all went to Nigeria together. With their family and a new daughter they have been back and forth to Nigeria in between Dave teaching Maths at St Edmund’s school here in Portsmouth.

Dave’s ‘day’ job is Supervisor of the Night Shelter for the homeless of Winchester, whilst in a voluntary capacity he heads up the delivery of Love Wise in schools across the south. Love Wise is a much-acclaimed course for teenagers on sexual abstinence and is being welcomed by more and more schools, alongside conventional sex education, as a means of presenting young people with a genuine choice.

Senior Pastor and founder of Family Church, Andy Elmes, said: “Dave and Sue are an exceptional couple with a real heart for people. They have been with us at Family Church for over two years and they have all the qualities that pastors need. Myself and my leadership team know that God has great plans for the people of North End, and Dave and Sue are the couple to help them build a great relationship with God. I am excited to see how God will use them in the time ahead.”

Dave Bickel said: “Sue and I have a great affection for Portsmouth and the people here. We are looking forward to our new position working with the Cornerstone team to reach more local people with the gospel and bring them into the kingdom of God. You don’t have to go off to far-flung places to be a missionary – the mission field is right here on our doorstep.”

Cornerstone Fellowship offers a ‘slower pace’ of the Family Church culture, strong bible teaching and a friendly welcome. It meets at Exchange House, London Road every Sunday at 9:15 am. More information can be found here.