| “We were put on this earth to be of service to each other and to do so in a humble, sincere way, not looking for rewards but to improve the lives of our brothers and sisters.”The first thing that strikes you about him is his unassuming demeanor.Soft spoken and with a quick, winning smile, his persona conveys his love for humanity.But the occasional fiery flicker in his eyes and the conviction with which he speaks are telltale signs that despite his humility, Diocesan Bishop, The Rt. Rev. Bishop Randolph Oswald George’s fortitude is unwavering when it comes to achieving his goals.It is this dedication and resilience that despite challenges, has kept him in servitude to humanity all of his adult life in the Anglican diocese.Bishop Randolph GeorgeBishop George’s life has been characterized by sacrificial giving in many areas, and the material lucratives are almost non-existent, but in an interview with him at his High Street,Cheap Jerseys Store, Kingston home yesterday, an abode he shares with his wife of 37 years, Sheila, and son Christopher, he posited that if given the chance,NFL Jerseys Outlet, he would take the same humble path again.Bishop Randolph Oswald George is this week’s ‘special person’.“I found my reason for living…looking after people and giving of myself is what makes my life worth living. I feel privileged that I was able to be of service to so many people throughout the course of my life.”“It is important for persons to decide from early on what they want to spend their lives doing…the area that would offer them the least regret in life and this is the area that I know would have offered me the most fulfillment,” he posited.And while there will never be any regrets with the path chosen by him, he acknowledges that there have been instances along the way when he has been disappointed with the outcome of certain situations. With a smile he, however, notes that only “God will ever be told what those disappointments were.”His journey into a ‘life of service’ was motivated by his mother, who as a young woman was a ‘teacher catechist’ in the Berbice River.“As she related stories of her work, even as a young boy I was extremely impressed with her dedication and love for the job…This was a little after World War II, and this young woman was in the interior helping people, giving of her self to make the lives of others better, I saw the joy and happiness that it brought her and I wanted to experience that.”Another mentor of his was Bishop W.J. Hughes,Cheap NFL Jerseys, the then Dean of Georgetown,Cheap Jerseys From China, under whose Ministry he was ordained.Bishop Randolph George and his wife of 37 years, Sheila, at their Kingston home“The Dean represented everything I wanted to be… the way he guided his flock with wisdom, humility and grace was inspiring to me.”He also believes that the fact that he came from a closely knit family, where discipline and church attendance were not a matter of choice, may have influenced his decision.He tried his hand at teaching for a while after leaving school and though that profession offered an opportunity to nurture and guide young minds, it lacked the scope which he felt would enable him to “reach out and help persons in a tangible way”.The callingBishop George discovered early that God had blessed him with a number of talents, one of which was singing,Wholesale Jerseys China, which he exploited fully.In 1946, at the age of 21, he entered the Codrington Theological College in Barbados for training for the priesthood.He spent the next twenty years in Barbados, the UK and Trinidad where he served in a number of parishes.His forte has always been dealing with young people for whom he has a passion.This devotion was tested many times during the more than six decades that he has been reaching out to youths.“The issues that affect them now are very different from those that affected them sixty years ago and keeping abreast of what’s happening has sometimes been challenging, but it’s necessary if you are to be effective as a counselor and really help people.”He returned home in 1971 and became the first Guyanese to be installed as Rector of the St George’s Cathedral and Dean of Georgetown.Soon after, he became involved in advocating human rights and social justice issues.This interest never waned and resulted in his championing the cause for free and fair elections locally.He was asked in 1993 to head the Government Commission on Race Relations.In 1994 he received further recognition when he had the prestigious national award, the Cacique’s Crown of Honour (C.C.H.) conferred on him. He also served as chairperson of the Guyana Council of Churches for several years.In 1980, Bishop George was enthroned Diocesan Bishop, becoming the first Guyanese to have been elected to that post.He lamented that the ‘Church’ has not been completely spared from the political ferment that sometimes characterizes the local landscape, but expressed pride that the entity has been able to maintain its independence.“I believe that it is important that Christians have a good working relationship with any government of the day, but what is critical is that their integrity and beliefs are not compromised.”At the end of this month he would have officially retired from his position as Lord Bishop of the Diocese of Guyana (including Suriname and Cayenne), but will continue to be very active in the church.With a wry smile, he says the decision was motivated by the fact that he “is no longer a young man.”“I’m 84 years old, I want to get out while I still have some life left in me. I don’t want to become a burden to the church.”At present he holds the distinction of never being ill during his tenure with the diocese.“That’s because I will suddenly die,” he joked.Over the last 63 years, Bishop Randolph George has acted in the capacities of councilor, friend, spiritual leader, priest, guide, marriage officer and father,China Jerseys, and has touched the lives of hundreds of thousands of persons.He has ordained scores of Deacons and priests, one of whom is today a consecrated Bishop. This is rare within the worldwide Anglican Communion.But for him, if he had only managed to effect positive change in one life, setting them on the right track, his life would have been fulfilled.“We were put on this earth to be of service to each other and to do so in a humble, sincere way, not looking for rewards but to improve the lives of our brothers and sisters.” |
