Reverend Joseph Atkinson - Wapishan villager, Anglican priest 

    Anglican priest Father Joseph Atkinson. Photo credit:  Joseph Atkinson           

On the feast of St. Joseph 19 March 2020, Father Joseph Atkinson who has roots from Santa Rosa celebrated his fourth anniversary as an Anglican priest at his parish on the Essequibo Coast. As such, I would like to share with the Catholic Standard about how Reverend Atkinson became a pastor to shepherd God´s people in one vineyard of Guyana.

Father or Reverend Atkinson, as he is called, was born in Sawariwau, a little Wapishan village, in South Rupununi. However, his parents were originally from Santa Rosa. He narrated to me that in those days, there was an exodus of teachers, namely the Abrahams, the Atkinsons, the Browns, the Robeiros and others, from Santa Rosa to serve in the Rupununi and his late father Conrad Atkinson was among those recruited and he served as an Assistant Teacher.

The Amerindian Anglican sacerdote credited his father´s life-long career as a teacher for inspiring him into becoming a teacher himself. This subsequently prompted the young educator to pursue studies in Primary School Administration at university level. Paralell to being an educator for several years Reverend Atkinson practiced his Catholic faith that was cultivated by this parents who were staunch Catholics.

When I asked what led him to become an Anglican priest, Reverend Atkinson’s response was, “I remembered that first voice or calling several years ago. Like the story of Saul in the New Testament. At the end of a chain of events, I had to yield when the 'Light' metaphorically flashed and I asked, like Saul ‘Who are you, Lord?’ A question that opened up a relationship with God as he slowly reveal my priesthood vocation”.

He continued, “I wrestled with the calling for a long time in my life as I worked as Head Master of the school. To be honest, many times I doubted God and questioned him, how could God choose someone like me to become a priest, a nobody, to be servant of his?. But like Saul, who had committed so many atrocities, God still called him and there's hardly a way one can escape. From then, I will never doubt that God can choose someone as a vessel, whom he had from the beginning to do his work in the vineyard”.

             Anglican priest Father Joseph Atkinson. photo credit: Joseph Atkinson

After retiring from the Head Master position in 2007, reverend Atkinson narrated that everything started to point towards him becoming a leader in the church, as a visible sign to his vocation to the priesthood. He then began to be more active and served as a Parish Lay Assistant in an Anglican community of St Denny, Tapakuma village in Region 2.

His retirement from the school freely allowed him to participate in many events of the church such as training and workshops, along with being engaged in reading, meditating and reflecting of scripture. According to him “these weren't taken for granted and by then I had committed my life and began to look to God for guidance, as the events and circumstances changed my life for ever. Thus, the chain of events literally proved glaringly that God did want me to become a minister in his vineyard, and I never looked back since”.

He continued, “Today after studying at Codrington Theological College in Barbados, here I am assisting to pastor several churches. I was ordained in 2016, Feast of St. Joseph. Currently I serve on the Essequibo Coast and, on a monthly basis in the hinterland as well as far as Quebanna on the Waini”.

Reverend Atkinson leads a normal a life as anyone else being a married Anglican priest. He recognises that there is a restriction for a priest to marry elsewhere. Nevertheless, having a family and being a priest he juggles both responsibilities very well. The priest highlighted that he was long married prior to priestly ministry. According to him “working with my 'better half' at church is phenomenal; my wife sings a lot, while I play the guitar. We enjoy our mission in the hinterland and sense the blessings of God shepherding his children. I value my wife´s complementary tasks in assisting in the Lord´s vineyard”.

When asked what he thinks of the Anglican church in Guyana, he narrated that “It’s doing well although in certain ways I would want it to respond in more effective ways to a changing environment, and our bishop has been very responsive. I know that the church is willing, but due to limited resources there isn't much it can do. Presently our manpower is limited, and the number of churches is increasing also. There is that task to meet the needs of every church community, irrespective of its size and location, especially those in the far reaches of the creeks and rivers”.

“As a 'roving' priest I encounter quite a handful of challenges, in my jungle trails experiences especially, but God has been good, using his creation to aid the spread of His word, unimpeded. His promises are sure and will continue to be so because with God everything is possible. For some it can be challenging to reach out to God´s people and for others like me it’s a glorious opportunity to reach out to the faithful wherever they are placed, or displaced. Including, in some instances, Catholics that attend our services and vice versa.”

Reverend Atkinson´s message to the church is “let’s continue to pray for more priests in Guyana. An inadequate number of priests in Guyana might lead to the inevitable, but with the knowledge that God is in charge, I am excited that many young people will rise to the challenge so that someday our team of priests will be bolstered with the addition of bright young people to carry on the Great Commission of Jesus, in serving God’s people in Guyana”.

In concluding. During the Lenten season, the church is asked to fast and pray. And in this period of the Coronavirus pandemic, there is need to stop the spread of it and for people not to panic. Let our families pray at home to avoid it. God bless!