Guyana links

In 1986 John Twisleton was called from his Doncaster parish to serve the Diocese of Guyana in the West Indies as a Theological College Principal. Whilst training as a missionary at USPG’s College of Ascension in Selly Oak he met his wife to be, Anne Cockerham, a widow with two sons, David (11) and John (9).

Between 1987 and 1990 John helped train six men from Guyana’s Amerindian community as priests at the Alan Knight Training Centre, Yupukari. He was joined by Anne. They were married in 1988 by an Amerindian priest at St. Mary’s Church in Yupukari. Anne helped Fr. Allan Buik and John with the running of the seminary which was based in the savannah area of the Rupununi near to Guyana’s border with Brazil.

After the priests were ordained in 1990 John, Anne and John junior returned to the UK for the birth of their son, James.

Since 1990 John and the family have retained links with the Diocese visiting the priests he trained and their congregations in 1995, 2000, 2007 and 2011. John is a Council member of the Guyana Diocesan Association which serves the links between the Church of England and the Diocese of Guyana.

In 2009 Bishop Cornell Jerome Moss succeeded Bishop Randolph George as Bishop of Guyana. Bishop Cornell has visited Fr John’s parish of St Giles, Horsted Keynes in 2010 and 2011 in conjunction with his annual visit under the auspices of the Guyana Diocesan Association.

In April 2011 Fr John and Anne visited the Diocese of Guyana at the invitation of Bishop Cornell, helped with some training and attended the annual Diocesan Synod.

Fr. John Twisleton’s report on his Sabbatical in Guyana