Buckman Legacy Dinner Event
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Carol & Al
“I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow.” 1 Corinthians 3:6
For the past 25 years, Dr. Al & Mrs. Carol Buckman have committed their lives to sharing Jesus with immigrants and refugees. They have planted many seeds and have called others to work with them to water. Always, they have relied on God to make it grow. On November 9, 144 friends and family gathered to celebrate what God has done through Al & Carol at Christian Friends of New Americans.
It was a night of remembrance, as Rev. Tony Boos, the first called missionary to CFNA, gave the keynote speech. Tony recalled the first time he met Carol and Al in 2001, and how he came to be a part of this organization that reaches out to those who are new to the United States and need a friend. Almost 25 years later, CFNA has grown to be a known Community resource for refugees in the St. Louis area, engaging hundreds of Lutheran Church volunteers every year in service of New Americans and witnessing to their Lord Jesus.
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Video with Rev. Toney Boos
A video prepared by Larry Jost shared several specific ways CFNA has recently worked in people’s lives and highlighted the impactful mentoring of ethnic leaders by Al & Carol who have become Lutheran pastors within their community. The evening dinner concluded with Rev. Matt Clark inviting everyone to continue the mission with financial support by using 1 Cor 3:6 to aptly describe how Al & Carol (and God) have turned what started as a computer class into what CFNA is today.
Over the past 25 years, anchored by the presence and involvement of Al & Carol, CFNA has served countless New Americans with city Lutheran congregations welcoming 225 baptisms and confirmations from 13 birth nations. It is conceivable that Al & Carol have volunteered over 80,000 combined hours of their own time to CFNA and the refugees and immigrants in the St. Louis area.
This passion of Al & Carol for Christian voluntarism and Christ-centered devotion for people was noted by all who attended the dinner. Concordia Seminary EIIT graduate and Eritrean pastor Lewi Jermiya at St. Trinity Lutheran summed up the evening well — “Dr. Al & Mrs. Carol Buckman are humble and faithful servants of our Lord Jesus. They have blessed many people including me and my family. God bless you and your family!”
What a calling Al & Carol have had. And now we congratulate them on their well-earned retirement and wish them all the best. Thank you Al & Carol…well done good and faithful friends!
Submitted by Kerry Pozaric and Stanish Stanley
