Greg and Sylvia Venables

Greg and Sylvia Venables

Greg Venables is the Primate of the Southern Cone, and has lived and worked in South America since January 1978. Prior to this, Greg studied modern languages and education at Canterbury Christ Church University College and taught English in Broadstairs.  He was an active member of St Luke's church - members of the congregation remember him mostly for his long hair and guitar!

Until 1990, he served as a missionary priest in Paraguay and was Principal of St Andrews College in Asuncion during the difficult years of military dictatorship.

Following three years in parish ministry in England, Gregory Venables was elected bishop of the diocese of Bolivia and Peru. Living at 12,500 feet and travelling constantly in difficult terrain, much of the task was the training and preparation of new clergy.

At the present moment, he and his wife Sylvia live in the sprawling city of Buenos Aires, Argentina, from where Gregory Venables oversees a province which stretches from the southernmost tip of the continent to the jungles of the Amazon.

Two of their grown up children live and work in La Paz, Bolivia and a third in Paraguay. They have two Bolivian granddaughters.

St Luke's Church members continue to support Greg and Sylvia through their prayers and regular gifts.  Greg and Sylvia always visit the church family whenever they are in the UK.  When they last visited, Greg was asked what he would like the church to pray for on his behalf.  His answer was that he would continue to live under God's grace seeking to serve him in every way possible.