Work and Witness in Guyana!
Guyana has two districts, the Berbice and the Demerarra / Essequibo Districts. Both of the district have very important projects that they are working to complete. They could use your help.
In the D/E district the priority project is the Tuschen Church of the Nazarene.
For more information click here.
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The Tuschen Church has been recently organized with 18 members on roll and average attendance of 38. The plans are to construct a sanctuary , to give a sense of permanency and for the congregation to have space of their own for worship.
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$25,000
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$10,000
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The #44 Church in Guyana Berbice (below) was built by the local church and local artisans with funds from Alabaster.
Now the Berbice district is starting construction on the #77 church. Come and be a part of what God is doing in this great district.
Please contact Rev. Saheed Mohamed, District Superintendent at:
saheed_distsupt@yahoo.com
or click here.
Guyana
Guyana achieved independence from the U.K. in 1966 and became a republic in 1970. In 1989 Guyana launched an Economic Recovery Program, which marked a dramatic reversal from a state-controlled, socialist economy towards a more open, free market system. Results through the first decade have proven encouraging. Guyana is located in Northern South America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean, Suriname, and Venezuela. It is slightly smaller than Idaho. The climate is tropical: hot, humid, moderated by northeast trade winds; there are two rainy seasons (May to mid-August, mid-November to mid-January).
The terrain is mostly rolling highland, coastal plain, and savanna in the south with the lowest point the Atlantic Ocean and the highest point, Mt. Roraima (2835 m). Some of Guyana’s natural resources include bauxite, gold, diamonds, hardwood timber, shrimp, and fish. The population in July 2002 was 698,209.
The Church of the Nazarene
The church in Guyana grew from a friendly relationship with an independent holiness group called the Christian Mission. Rev. Rice, minister of this independent church, had been a minister with this group since 1933 both in New York and Trinidad. Yet by 1944 Rice knew that he needed a permanent affiliation to continue the work in Guyana. Due to his time in Trinidad, Rev. Rice was an acquaintance of a Nazarene minister, Rev. Lelan Rogers. In 1945 Rice invited Rogers to come and evaluate whether his independent churches (by that time he had two) could become affiliated with the Church of the Nazarene. Later that year, the General Board approved the trip, and shortly after in a unanimous vote, the churches merged with the Church of the Nazarene. Rev. Rice served as an ordained minister until his death in 1951.
In 1955, the first Nazarene church plant was started in the key city of New Amsterdam. It began in a rented store building, but grew rapidly. In the 1960s, during a difficult time politically and socially for Guyana, the church was put to the test. To that date, churches were started equally between Black and East Indian populations. But the struggle for independence ushered in a spirit that was unfavorable of all things foreign. It was not a healthy situation for foreign missionaries. Yet the silver lining could be seen in the person of Rev. Joseph Murugan. He was appointed as the first local DS of Guyana during these years. The church and district flourished under his dynamic leadership. He initiated a 10 year plan to become a regular district. This goal was attained in 1982.
To date, Guyana has expanded into two districts with around 3,000 members. Guyana still deals with tension between the two predominant ethnic groups, Black and East Indian. There is much work to be done in this country. We hope that you pray with us that God will continue to bless the ministries of our pastors and lay-leaders in Guyana.
Sources:
Parker, J. Fred. Mission to the World: A History of Missions in the Church of the Nazarene through 1985. Nazarene Publishing House, Kansas City, MO, 1988.
http://www.odci.gov/