Guyana, South America
Guyana is located in the northern part of South America. Venezuela borders it on the west and Suriname on the east. It is 83,000 square miles with a population of a little more than 750,000 people. Guyana is English-speaking and comprises African-Black, East Indians, Amerindian, Portuguese, and mixed races.
Our work in Guyana was established through the efforts of the late Dr. Westley Stepp.
Under the leadership of the late Dr. Stepp, the Bible Institute for Christian Missions began in 1974, helping train a generation of ministers and educators who have started over 155 new churches, and served in countless others.
BICM has been working in Guyana since 1975. At that time Guyana was under a Socialist government. The economy slowed the training, making it difficult to travel to class. Students were leaving the country, which caused BICM to start over, recruiting students several times.
Mission Journeys began sending short-term teams to Guyana in 1993.
One of the great success stories is the Adelphi church (Leslie Hopkinson, minister), the first church in this country to be self-supporting. This church was planted around 1995 by Brother Leslie in a community that consisted mostly of Hindu families. In 2005, the Adelphi church had over 200 members, purchased property, and began a building program.
Today, teams travel to Guyana through Mission Journeys, working with local churches and holding seminars, training sessions, and medical clinics.
