Love for Guyana: April 2018

Jesus commissioned His followers to go into the entire world to preach the Gospel and to make disciples. Rev. Patrick, who is fondly referred to as Bro. Patrick or Bro. P, is an individual who understood those instructions by Jesus to include ministering to people living in the interior locations of Guyana. He has engaged in missionary work for more than forty one years based on his pastoral call, his commitment to the mission, and his approach to mission.

Before going into his engagement in missionary work, let us look at a brief background on Rev. Patrick, and the pre-emancipation missionaries to Guyana.

Brief background on Rev. Patrick

Rev. Ivan Patrick Da Silva was born on June 16, 1953 to parents of African, European, and Amerindian ancestry. He grew up in West Ruimveldt Housing Scheme, Georgetown, Guyana.

He was married on October 12, 1974 and has therefore celebrated more than 41 years of marriage. He has five children, i.e. two boys and three girls, and his church denomination is the Assemblies of God (AOG) in Guyana.

Pre-emancipation Missionaries

The Dutch were the first colonizers and missionaries to Guyana. However, the British would be the ones to have a greater engagement in Missionary work. According to Menezes (n.d.):

From 1738 the Moravians had begun the Christianization of the Indians, a work which they and all later missionaries viewed as illuminating the darkness of the primitive minds with the light of the gospel. With advent of the British there would be a long roster of missionaries sent out and supported by the London based Missionary Societies – the Church Missionary Society, the London Missionary Society and the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel. The names of Armstrong, Youd, Bernau and Brett, “The Apostles of the Indians” became household words. (p. 11).

Menezes makes it evident that the missionaries of all the colonizers, i.e. the Dutch, Spanish, and English viewed their missionary work “as illuminating the darkness of the primitive minds with the light of the gospel.” This reveals that the pre-emancipation missionaries never sought to appreciate the Amerindian people for who they are, but they thought it necessary to change them according to their understanding of civilization and religion. Moreover, the Missionary work of the Dutch would eventually come to a standstill. The Ministry of Information & Culture (1970) reveals:

Before the final ceding of Guyana to the British in 1814, there was virtually no missionary activity among Amerindians although the Dutch did establish a Moravian Brethren Mission on the Berbice River as far back as 1738 (one among the Arawak, which was destroyed during the Berbice Slave Rebellion), and another on the Corentyne in 1757. (p.9)

Prior to the British was the Spanish colonizers who utilized a different approach to the Amerindians than that used by the Dutch and British. Gravesande (1992) reveals:

… the extent of Dutch jurisdiction over native tribes was far more widespread than that of the Spanish, at least up to the beginning of the eighteenth century…The Dutch who had been primarily interested in trade strove assiduously to establish harmonious relations with the natives… This policy was one of pure expediency: success in trade and containment of their Negro slaves could rest only in the friendliness of Indians who were familiar with the terrain and very much masters of their own land…The Spanish on the other hand, who had been primarily concerned with the christianizing and civilizing of the indigenous people of newly-found lands, were not as successful as the Dutch in establishing that close and friendly link with the native population on the Guiana Territory…They were hostile to the Spaniards. The British, who captured the Dutch colonies in the Guiana region in 1796, found it expedient and necessary to pursue a similar policy adopted by the Dutch at the time of seizure. Since they had been recognised as providing an invaluable service to the development and preservation of the Guiana region, it was only reasonable to take good care of them. (p. 11-12)

I do not have the details regarding the approach utilized by the Dutch, Spanish, and English specifically in the areas or wider region (Rupununi) where Rev. Patrick served and now serves, but the foregoing is likely to have been their approach in all areas where they were located. However, regarding pre-emancipation missionary work in the Rupununi region, Potter (1993) reveals:

The north Rupununi Savannas were the site of one of the earliest missionary ventures of the period of the British administration…Robert visited them in 1853 and 1842 and spent several months in the district; he was in the south savannas in 1837-8 and in 1843. Barrington Brown and Sawkins traversed both north and south savannas in 1869… (, p. 13).

Up to the time of my interview with Rev. Patrick in 2016, there was no Church of England, i.e. Anglican churches in the Aishalton village where Rev. Patrick currently serves. However, there is an Anglican presence in the wider Rupununi region including the Yupukari village which is “… sandwiched between the Kanuku and Pakaraima mountain ranges, in the midst of the Essequibo and Amazon basins…” (Sutherland, 2013, February 3, para. 2).

As time went by the colonizers made the decision to take slaves from Africa to work on the sugar plantations. However, several factors would eventually lead to the abolishment of slavery. According to McGowan (2002, August 1), in “…1833 … the British Parliament passed an Abolition bill which stated that slavery would be abolished in British dominions with effect from 1st August 1834” (para. 9). Subsequent to emancipation there would be post-emancipation missionaries including Rev. Patrick.

Rev. Patrick’s pastoral call

Rev. Patrick is a post-emancipation and post-independence missionary. On August 1, 1834 slavery was abolished. Moreover, Guyana gained its independence from the British on May 26, 1966. Rev. Patrick received his call to ministry in the year 1975. In a vision he saw himself ministering to the Amerindians. He understood this vision to be a call from God and from that time to now he has engaged in missions particularly in Amerindian communities.

Rev. Patrick’s commitment to the mission

Before looking at Rev. Patrick’s definition of a missionary and his commitment to the mission, let us look at the mission. What is the mission? Regarding the Church’s mission Gilbert (2012) explains:

While the church does have some social responsibilities, it must never be defined by the things it does in addressing those social needs. The danger, with which we are faced, is that in our attempts to attract people to our churches, we have engaged in all manner of innovative things, such as fairs, tea parties, pageants and fun-days, which have kept us so busy, that we scarcely have time to be doing what we have been called to do as a church… The human soul is of great value to God, and our mission as a church is to pursue the salvation of lost souls. (p. 62 & 64)

On the basis of Matthew 28:19-20 and Mark 16:15, he reveals that the mission is about saving souls and making disciples, but he does not negate the church’s responsibility to minister to the needs of people. Gilbert (2012) further posits:

Perhaps the statement which best summarizes this mission of Christ and His church, was given as Jesus read from Isaiah’s prophesy… “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to preach the acceptable year of the LORD” (Luke 4:18-19). (p. 64)

This is the mission of the church and by extension the job of a missionary.

Who is a missionary? According to Rev. Patrick, “A missionary is someone who is called to minister out of his comfort zone. It could be to another tribe or country” (interview, Skype, January 23, 2016). One may not be able to fully appreciate this definition without actually having the experiences that he has experienced.

Rev. Patrick first served in Lethem. It is a town that borders Brazil, so there is a mixture of people, languages, and culture. It can therefore be considered as a melting pot. It is similar to Georgetown in sense that you have access to similar amenities. In addition, from Georgetown one must travel more than three hundred miles and endure at least twelve hours of driving to get there. Most of the journey is not the regular asphalt road but what is referred to as a trail which is not conducive to non-four wheel drive vehicles in the rainy seasons. One must drive through the mountainous areas, dense forests, cross the Essequibo River via a ferry, and drive through the savannahs to get to Lethem from Georgetown.

Rev. Patrick severed in Lethem for 13 years (1975-1988). Initially his wife went into the mission field with him, but for the sake of the education of their children etc, she returned to Georgetown to raise their children. However, while they were together in the Lethem they collaborated with another pastor and his wife to establish the Lethem Assemblies of God Church.

One may argue that apart from the long traveling and the dangers on the way, the similarities between Lethem and Georgetown may not cause an individual to go outside of their comfort zone as Rev. Patrick’s definition suggests. However, while serving in Lethem he sensed the call to go to the Aishalton village.

The trip to this village is an additional one hundred plus miles and about five hours driving from Lethem. It is vastly different from Lethem and Georgetown in that it does not have the amenities that a town or Lethem person may be familiar with. Taylor (2005) gives us some insight about this village and its people:

In Guyana’s remote south Rupununi, the Wapishana village of Aishalton is rarely visited by outsiders. The village itself, as a physical entity, is a place rooted in the savannah. This is not a settlement that has been imposed on the landscape, like the choking grey metropolises of urban modernity. Rather, the village seems to grow from the fertile ground. The houses, with their palm-thatched roofs and earth-coloured walls, appear as natural and organic as the abundant mango trees. Everywhere, there is a sense of the savannah forcing itself up from below; burn the ground black, and the tall green grasses will grow back in a fortnight. The cattle and horses roam freely, the village an extension of the ranch (you must be careful hanging your clothes out to dry, lest they become bovine breakfast). The people go out into the savannah, to farm — cattle for beef, cassava for farine and cassava bread — to fish, and to hunt for the wild meat — venison, labba, hog — that is treated as a special delicacy. On occasion, the wild hogs stray into the village, a mistake they have little time to regret before becoming the main ingredient in a spicy dish of pepperpot. (para. 1 & 10).

In this village where the Wapishana Amerindian tribe lives, there is no electricity except for those who have generators, no water provided through pipes, and the dishes range from monkeys to water turtles. This would definitely take the person who is not accustomed to these things, such as persons who grew up in Georgetown, out of their comfort zones.

Nevertheless, Rev. Patrick has served in this village for the past twenty-seven years. There he established the Good News Assembly of God Church. Up to the time of my interview with him in 2016, he was the only resident pastor among the six church denominations that are present in this village. The denominations present in this village are the Roman Catholics, Seven Days Adventist, Brethren, Church of Christ, World Wide church of Christ, and the Assemblies of God. Whenever he goes to Aishalton, he stays there for months. He spends more time there than anywhere else. He has made many sacrifices over the past forty plus years to engage in missionary work. In addition, when he comes out of the interior he is highly demanded to assist in camps, vacation bible schools, etc.

Rev. Patrick’s approach to mission

He has a two step approach to mission. The first step is to adapt to the culture. The second step is to engage in ministry in the church and in the wider community. In relation to the first approach, Rev. Patrick is guided by 1 Corinthians 9:21-23 which states:

²¹To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law) so that I might win those outside the law. ²²To the weak I became weak, so that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that I might by all means save some. ²³I do it all for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings.

Unlike the pre-emancipation missionaries who intended to change the Amerindian people into what they considered as the civilized way of life through the enlightenment of their primitive minds via the gospel, Rev. Patrick sought to understand, appreciate, and become like the Amerindians. The second step in his approach is to engage in ministry in the church and the wider community. In the case of the Aishalton village he does this, in the church through preaching, bible study etc. He engages ministry in the wider community through activities such as digging wells, coaching the cricket and foot ball teams for primary and secondary schools, and being a chaperon for sports teams. He also engages in devotions at the secondary school.

Indeed, Rev. Patrick has provided an example for us in terms of mission and ministry in general. He has engaged in missionary work for over forty years based on his pastoral call, his commitment to the mission, and his approach to mission. I give God thanks for the ministry of this man of God.

Note:

The foundation for the information provided above is my interview with Rev. Patrick Da Silva in January 2016 which was used to inform an essay (assignment) and presentation done for my Modern Caribbean Church History course lectured by Rev. Dr. Glenroy Lalor at the United Theological College of the West Indies in Kingston, Jamaica. This was a requirement in fulfillment of my Master of Divinity.

References

Gilbert, K. (2012). Transformational Leadership. USA: Xulon Press.

Gravesande, C. N. (1992, May). Amerindian jurisdiction in the Guiana territory in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. History gazette , 44. Turkeyen: University of Guyana.

McGowan, W. (2002, August 1). Slavery and abolition in Guyana. Stabroek News. Retrieved from http://www.landofsixpeoples.com/news022/ns2080112.htm

Menezes, M.N. (n.d.). From protection to integration: The Amerindians of Guyana vis-à-vis the government, 1803-1973. Turkeyen: Department of History, University of Guyana.

Ministry of Information & Culture. (1970, January). Amerindian integration: A brief outline of the progress of integration in Guyana. Guyana: Government of Guyana.

Potter, L.M. (1993, January). The Amerindians of Guyana and their environment. History gazette, 52. Turkeyen: University of Guyana.

Sutherland, G. (2013, February 3). Yupukari, Rupununi. Stabroek News. Retrieved from http://www.stabroeknews.com/2013/features/02/03/yupukari-rupununi/

Taylor, L. (2005). Aishalton dairy. Caribbean Beat 76. Retrieved from http://caribbean-beat.com/issue-76/aishalton-dairy#axzz3y5WNue1G

A picture of me, my son and Rev. Patrick Da Silva

Emancipation Day, 1st August, 2015

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Love for Guyana

Wednesday, 11 April 2018

Bible Club at the MOPH this and every Wednesday.

Thursday, 5 April 2018

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Love for Guyana Blog 4th Anniversary Celebration

Tuesday, 3 April 2018

Wabbani: Sharing indigenous products of Guyana with the world! (The 2018 Pioneers Series – 2nd Feature)

Sunday, 1 April 2018

Rev. Patrick Da Silva: A Guyanese Missionary for more than 41 years (The 2018 Pioneers Series - 1st Feature)