John Sharpe, 1967

Containers:
Box 1, Folder 10
Scope and content:

Letter from English missionary John Sharpe while serving at the St. David's Anglican Mission at Eiwo, Papua New Guinea. The letter discusses fundraising efforts in England, deaths of missionaries due to a volcanic eruption, fighting during war, and other topics.

Biographical / historical:

The Reverend John Leslie Sharpe (1934-2006) was a missionary in Papua New Guinea, doing pastoral work on the frontier between the Church and mental-health care. He completed his National Service as a medical orderly. In 1954 he went to train at Kelham, then in 1958 he was ordained to a curacy in Charlton, in south London. There he ran a secular youth club of more than 1000 members, and another for 140 church young people. Four years later, he began an eight-year ministry in Papua New Guinea, first as a parish priest, then as Archdeacon of Northern Papua, working alongside Bishop George Ambo. In 1970, he returned to England to study for the Birmingham University Diploma in Pastoral Studies. As a curate, he had met the founder of the Richmond Fellowship, who awakened in him an interest in psychotherapy. After four years in the Southampton City Centre Team Ministry, he was chaplain to the South West Hampshire Psychiatric Services from 1975 to 1993. He was based at Knowle Hospital, a large Victorian mental institution near Fareham. He undertook further training, including courses at the Institute of Group Analysis. This enabled him to work as a group analyst and psychotherapist, particularly among adult survivors of sexual abuse; as a supervisor of psychotherapists and counsellors; and as a consultant to team ministries. He became the Bishop of Portsmouth's Adviser on the Ministry of Healing, and promoted this ministry in the diocese. In 1986, he was made an Hon. Canon of Portsmouth Cathedral.

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