Efrem Buckle

Efrem Buckle, as Deputy CEO and Director of Training and Mentoring at London City Mission, draws on thirty years' experience in urban ministry including twenty years as church-planting pastor of ecclēsia (South London). In the early-90s he formed part of a missional music duo, Ministry of Defence (M.O.D.), who were focused on reaching London’s hip-hop influenced community and subculture. Despite viewing music purely as a missional tool, M.O.D. were the first Christian rap artists to be signed to a US record label (Cross Movement Records). Those early years of prison, schools and street ministry resulted in outreaches such as ‘The God Corner’ (reaching over 1 million Notting Hill Carnival goers), artistic directors for Soul in the City - an outreach at Brixton Academy - and an arts-based missional curriculum in local schools. Efrem was born and raised in South London, has two daughters, a granddaughter and has been married for 30+ years. He enjoys swimming, technology and creating digital arts.