Jonathan Meyrick (Chairman)
Bishop Jonathan Meyrick is the former Suffragan Bishop of Lynn in Norwich Diocese where, amongst other things, he looked after the Diocesan link with the Anglican Church in Papua New Guinea which goes back to late 1960s – the then bishop of Popondota Diocese, and subsequently the first Archbishop of ACPNG, David Hand, was a son of a Norfolk Vicar and grew up in Rural West Norfolk. Jonathan has been involved with a number of Diocesan links over his ministry, and has made visits to Papua New Guinea in 2012, 2013 and 2015.
John Rea OBE (Vice Chairman)
A Yorkshireman who has spent more than half his life in Scotland, John Rea is Papua New Guinea Church Partnership’s Vice Chair. He worked mainly in the charity sector, developing and managing a number of pioneering services for children and families with special needs, finally helping create a children’s hospice service for Scotland. John has also worked in a number of international roles within the Anglican Communion for the last twenty five years. Both he and his head-teacher wife, Della, had earlier a number of volunteer roles overseas before they took early retirement to work as PNGCP-recruited mission volunteers with the Anglican Church of Papua New Guinea. From 2003 to late-2006 they shared a national development role with ACPNG, which included: educational development; communications; capacity-building for leaders; income-generation and fundraising; and initiating a Province-wide HIV & AIDS strategy for the Church.
Jan Nicholson (Treasurer)
Jan joined as PNGCP treasurer in 2020, having previously served as a primary school teacher, accountant and later auditor with public organisations across London. Jan now serves on her Parochial Church Council with whom she has also held school governor and treasurer roles.
Kola Akinola
Kola worked in Papua New Guinea on the Anglican Church’s HIV / AIDS programme. Kola returned to the Committee in 2022. Picture to follow.
Ed Backhouse
Ed studied theology independently at St John’s College, Nottingham and then after selection trained at Cranmer Hall, Durham, including two periods overseas in PNG.
Simon Courage
Simon first visited PNG in 2013, travelling to Simbai after being inspired by his father Michael. Michael went to PNG with VSO in 1960-61, living and working in Simbai alongside Peter and Olive Robin. His fascinating year was eventually written up in a book ‘New Guinea Venture’. When Simon discovered that Simbai hosted an annual Kalam Culture Festival, he decided to visit with three friends and a stack of photos printed from his father’s old slides. A follow up visit in 2017 was a double return, with both Simon and Michael, and his mother Rosalie, back in Simbai for an unforgettable journey. Simon works in London on healthcare software.
Lynn Fry
The Rev’d Lynn Fry went on secondment from Norwich Diocese with her husband, Tony, to Simbai, Aipo Rongo Diocese to re-enliven the diocesan link. They worked at the Simbai Agricultural and Vocational Centre teaching agriculture, business studies and hospitality. They oversaw the building of the new church at Simbai. Lynn originally trained as a primary school teacher, and was ordained in 2003.
Sue Martin
Sue represents the Norwich Link, the Diocese of Norwich as the Church of England link diocese with the Anglican Church of Papua New Guinea. Picture to follow.
Peter Ramsden
Originally from The Wirral, Peter read Geography at UCL and was trained for ordination at the College of the Resurrection, Mirfield. He is married to Sue, a landscape architect, and they have two grown up sons, Nicholas and Stephen. After two curacies in Durham Diocese, Peter and Sue moved to Papua New Guinea where they served three postings in Aipo Rongo Diocese. This period included a two year break to study for an MA in Theology at Leeds University, during which time Peter was Priest in Charge of Micklefield in York Diocese. He was Vicar of St Bartholomew’s Long Benton in Newcastle Diocese for ten years until his election as Bishop of Port Moresby in 2007. Bishop Peter and Sue returned to England in 2014. He is an Honorary Assistant Bishop in the Carlisle Diocese.
Janet Wells
Janet went to PNG as what she would describe as a ‘freelance missionary’ in the late 1960s with The Anglican Mission. What was intended as a three weeks stay turned into three years! She spent two of those years teaching at Agenehambo Primary School and the third being one of the two first women teachers at Martyrs Memorial School. Since her return to the UK she has been a supporter of PNGCP.
Barrie Slatter
Barrie Slatter is a retired parish priest and a Chartered Surveyor. His connection to PNG arose from Olive Robin being an old girl of St Felix School of which his wife, Susan, was Chaplain. On her retirement Susan suggested they visited St Felix School, Koinambe. On this visit they were asked if they could help with the building of a new church. In their five subsequent visits to PNG they have been involved with the construction of new churches at Koinambe, Kwima and Dega and are currently working on another four at stages varying from early planning to near completion.
William Spooner
William joined PNGCP in 2015, having been aware of the charity for many years through his father, a former treasurer. Alongside his contributions to PNGCP and a separate grant giving charity, William works in the public sector.