‘In life they were loved and gracious and in death they were not parted’ (2 Samuel 1.23) could be applied to Guy and Barbara Longley, who died within 24 hours of each other on November 7 and 8.
They met as members of the last group of CIM missionaries to go into China in 1949. Guy was from Broadstairs in Kent and his three brothers also served as missionaries. Barbara (née Beck) was a nurse from Ontario, Canada. They married in Hong Kong in 1951.
Far East ministry
With China closed, they spent the next 40 years as members of OMF (the successor to the China Inland Mission) serving in Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines and the UK. Apart from two years spent in church planting among Malays in South Thailand, all their ministry was spent in administrative roles. Guy’s administrative ability and Barbara’s hospitality were a great influence on all the members of OMF with whom they came into contact.
From them the reality of Hudson Taylor’s principle of living by faith was learnt by example. Gifted with words as well as figures, with a firm grasp of sound doctrine, Guy’s Bible ministry was greatly appreciated.
One of Guy’s retirement presents was membership of the Kent Cricket Club and some had asked earlier, when OMF moved to Sevenoaks, whether it was just coincidence that the new premises overlooked the cricket ground! David Ellis, former National Director of OMF UK, commented that Guy was ‘one of the wisest counsellors I have ever known’. As the man with the purse strings, Guy seemed to always have a ‘sock’ from which extra funds could be extracted if a need were demonstrated. In retirement Guy handled the administration of the English Churchman and preached in several chapels in Kent. They will be missed by many members of OMF, their church Emmanuel Canterbury and especially by their three children, six grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
