The following article on the life and work of the late Bishop George Connor, of South Hill, was sent to The Anguillian for publishing. He was a beloved and admired preacher in Anguilla whose memory will live on in the hearts and minds of many persons for a long time.
George, as his parents named him was born in Nevis in 1925 and was saved at the age of 12 in 1937 in St. Kitts under the preaching of a Pastor Green, a powerful preacher and great example. He began preaching as a youth. In 1949, Bishop Connor retired from all work and heeded the call to go full time in the ministry. He was at the time working with the Astaphans in St. Kitts. He was on his way to Anguilla when a Mr. Hawley told him that he had a good job for him but Bishop Connor said he had to cut from him as he was serious about his call, and waited until the Carmella came. He left for Anguilla never looking back on friends or family. On a trip to St. Maarten, he met Chrissie Connor and left with him to go to St. Croix but was given only one day admittance by the immigration, so he went to Tortola where he met a Mr. Georges and held services with him and many young men got saved.
Bro. Connor came back to Anguilla and then on to Antigua. He met the Church there in confusion and after preaching, the church was united and healed and all who had left came back to the church. He came back to Anguilla and then on to Montsarrat where many souls were saved. Then on to St. Kitts and Nevis preaching a burning Message. Bro. Connor was inspired by the verse in John Ch. 15, V. 16 – You have not chosen me, I have chosen you and ordained that you you should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
He then met Walter C. Bates, the church’s Caribbean representative, who taught him many things
. In Anguilla, he was about to see destiny unfold before his very eyes. Elvira Drew, a young Christian lady from Nevis was visiting Anguilla with a lady from Bermuda. He fell in love with Elvira. It was love at first sight. She was well mannered, loved people and loved the Lord and His work. He rushed off to Nevis to meet her parents and ask for their daughter’s hand in marriage. Bishop Conn0r and Elvira were married in 1955 and remained happily married for 49 years until she went to be with the Lord in 2004. For Bishop Connor, there was one woman only, no sweet hearts, no playing around.
.
He established the Church of God branch in South Hill in 1953-54 and licensed it so that people could be married there.
Bishop Bates requested that he go to Aruba where he remained for about 5 years. There he met Bro. Gibbs who invited him to go to Curacao. There he became too hot for his church and met with much opposition. He went to Curacao and established a church there. While in Curacao, he received a vision during an early morning prayer meeting. In the vision, he saw a great land appear before him and after intense focusing, he saw the name Venezuela appear before him. Venezuela had a reputation as a bad place with much crime and violence. He stayed in Curacao and Aruba in the ministry, not easy at all with out money. There he preached against the growing trade of prostitution. In 1968, nine years after receiving the Venezuelan vision, just when he thought it was forgotten, he met a man from Santo Domingo, who was in Curacao illegally. This man got saved as a result of Bishop Connor’s witness. This man said that he wanted to go to Venezuela since he could not stay in Curacao and could not go back to Santo Domingo as he feared Truhillio would have him killed. He went and in 3 weeks wrote to Bishop Connor inviting him to come to Venezuele to preach. Bishop Connor ignored him and after 3 more weeks, received another letter from the man and finally in 1968 he went to Venezuela, in answer to the call. God sent some one whom he met on the flight to offer him accommodation there. Bishop Connor needed an interpreter as he could not speak Spanish. He met a Puerto Rican Presbytarian minister who agreed to interpret for him. There they preached for 3 nights, and on the Sunday, Bishop Connor went to the Presbytarian Church where he stopped the service, selected 10 men, told them what he was doing there. They were trained by The Church of God headquarters and became missionaries. God sent interpreters who could speak Spanish. After 3 weeks, he went back to Curacao. He paid 2 more visits to Venezuela. Many people got saved. He was astonished at the growth there. Over 100 churches of God were formed there. They went into the uncivilized areas and saw a Chief get saved, resulting in the whole village won to Christ
.
He then received a request from Head Quarters to go to Trinidad. Many young people got saved there. He was then made an overseer. He spent two and a half years there and left a growing work . Then on to Antigua where he would spend 9 years building the work there. He was later posted in St. Maarten where he would remain for about 5 years then to return to his home, Anguilla to continue to pastor and build the work here until his retirement in 1991, after over 50 years of a full and distinguished hard working career, as a minister and servant of the Lord, passionate about winning souls into the Kingdom of God. Nothing mattered to him more. Bishop Connor has always been a humble servant winning and turning thousands to the Lord and against sin.
When asked how did he provide for his family, he said God always took care of them and provided their every need. He was always kind to every one in his way. God always had people to give to him because he was fully devoted to God. In the words of Dr. Charles Stanley, God takes full responsibility for the life of those who are completely devoted to Him.
Bishop George Connor, a man with no formal college training, just filled with the Holy Ghost, the love for souls, and the Word of God as in Acts 1:7-8 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
Only eternity will reveal the true result of his life’s work.
(Published without editing by The Anguillian newspaper.)
