When I took on the position of Editor for The Voice over four years ago, the first Covid lockdown was just coming to an end and I was about to turn 16 years old. My life has seen many changes since then, including completing two years of A-Levels, moving to university and settling into a new city on my own, and completing the first two years of a degree in History. Among it all, I was emailing all of you and asking for articles, or sitting in my local café putting together a magazine on Microsoft Word (I refuse to use anything else). There’s not a thing that I would change about having done this job – apart from maybe all the typo’s, I do apologise, auto-correct sometimes betrays me. From the appreciation I get from all of you, to hearing about all the exciting things that go on in the world-wide Connexion, it’s all been a blessing.

Yet, all things must come to an end. By next spring, I will have produced 19 editions of the Voice, and then my editorship will come to an end. As I toil through my dissertation and face the impending excitement of moving to the North and starting a professional career, I will no longer be able to continue as your dedicated Editor.

But one of you could be! Have you ever had the urge to design a magazine viewed by hundreds all across the country? To write and compile exhilarating stories of church Christmases and open days, baptisms and community gardens? To publish the moving testimonies of pastors, teachers and children from Sierra Leone and present pictures of all the projects supported by the Sierra Leone Mission? Now is your chance!

The Editor’s Job

Once a quarter, four times a year: get those articles, save as a PDF and send to the printers and your job is done. Whether you already have experience and want to keep up your editing skills, or you’ve never touched a magazine before and want to start now, you can apply for this volunteering position by just dropping me an email. To make sure that the handover is as smooth as possible, the deadline to apply will be the 1st November 2024 and we’ll work on the Winter edition together; so, by Spring you’ll have it confidently in hand.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or you want more information by This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Esther Burrage, The Voice Editor

 

Response from The Connexion Trustees

On behalf of the members, ministers and trustees of The Connexion I would like to express our gratitude to Esther who, four years ago, took on the editorship of The Voice with such devotion, enthusiasm and creativity. Under Esther’s editorship the ‘personality’ of The Voice has refreshed and matured as she invited and encouraged different voices to be heard, sometimes with challenging points of view.

For The Connexion and its wider readership, The Voice is a trusted source of information, encouragement, and Spiritual nourishment, qualities which have deepened during Esther’s tenure. We have enjoyed such a wide range of contributions from Sierra Leone as well as from our UK churches, curated and edited lovingly by Esther with characteristic modesty and grace.

As Esther embarks on a new chapter in her life, I would like to thank her for such an invaluable service to The Connexion and The Voice readership. We pray that her future endeavours are filled with joy, accomplishment and continued blessings. May God’s abundant grace accompany her every steop of the way ahead.

David Lockett, Chair of Trustees