Celebrating the Life and Ministries of Donn Leach
Donn Leach, former CMF missionary to England and tireless supporter of CMF ministries, passed away in January of this year. Donn and his wife Joan were one of three couples to launch CMF ministry in England, where they served with us from 1989-1995.
While on a sabbatical from Manhattan Christian College (KS), he and Joan traveled to England and helped in the establishment of Springdale College (now known as ForMission College) in Birmingham. In 1989, Donn and Joan served as CMF missionaries on our Great Britain field team, and Donn joined the faculty of the college as a professor and academic dean and was elected the president of the Fellowship of Churches of Christ in Great Britain and Ireland.
In addition to serving at the college, Donn became co-minister of Bromsgrove Christian Church, alongside CMF missionary Larry Kineman. Larry shared that “Donn provided the team with wisdom born from experience! He helped me protect the Bromsgrove Church and there was never any doubt he loved the church and was passionate about growing churches!”
CMF missionary Diane Lincoln appreciated that Donn and Joan were so supportive of her and husband Aaron and the emerging team, and how they were a source of wisdom in those early years. Donn and Joan served as the bridge family for CMF missionaries Tim and Tammy Aho, providing key help as they settled into what would become a 30-year (and counting) ministry in England. Larry says he learned how to use Donn’s system of keeping track of finances and it’s the basis of how he does them to this day- 30 years later!
Teammates David and Teresa Fittro are celebrating 32 years of ministry in England with CMF but relied on Donn’s wisdom when they first arrived. David says “I frequently walk my dogs past the house they lived in here in Brum. It brings back such warm memories of meals in their home when we first moved to England. They knew us as green missionaries. They demonstrated love to us through warm hospitality, wise advice, and friendship. They remained prayer and financial supporters for many years.”
Our former executive director, Doug Priest, describes Donn as a gentleman and dedicated man of God. Soon after returning from England, Doug said that Donn requested a meeting to talk about putting CMF in their will. Joan passed away in 2016 after nearly sixty-five years of marriage to Donn and in 2018 he married Marcy, who passed away just last year. Throughout his life, he remained a champion and faithful supporter of CMF ministries. Much like the ministry in England he helped launch 35 years ago, his estate gift will help us start new ministries for many years to come.
You can read more about Donn’s life here: https://www.ymlfuneralhome.com/obituaries/Donn-A-Leach?obId=30457814