Story of 'Reverend Mother'

RECENTLY, ERON Henry, Baptist minister, launched his first novel, Reverend Mother, at his alma mater, United Theological College of the West Indies (UTCWI). Henry is associate director of communications at the Baptist World Alliance. This former pastor is a former Gleaner columnist and uses all his experience as a pastor and columnist to write on an important issue of an unmarried female pastor wanting a child and deciding to fulfil her maternal instincts through artificial insemination.

I was intrigued by this topic because some years ago I was faced with a similar pastoral question. One of my outstanding female young leaders in her 20s asked if it was okay to have a baby by artificial insemination. Indeed, many single Christian women desire to have a child while maintaining their Christian commitment. However, there are not enough men in the church when it is considered that, generally speaking, there are two women to every man. Furthermore, in many churches there is a prohibition against women marrying men who are not Christians or churchgoers.

Therefore, the options for a female Christian are limited. Some females with a desire to fulfil their maternal instincts, and noticing that the prospects of getting married are slim, will have a child outside of marriage and leave the church for a while and then return after a hiatus. This action is still frowned on as engaging in a sexual immoral act to conceive. Some will adopt children.

Christian men do not have this problem because they have many desirable females to chose from to fulfil their need for marriage and parenting. And sometimes men do not understand female sexuality and female instincts. And since men dominate the hierarchy of the church, the rules tend to be insensitive to the needs, aspirations and orientation of women. It is, therefore, paradoxical that Henry, a husband and father of two, has brought this matter to public attention.

Financially practical?

Henry is following in the footsteps of another Baptist minister, Vivian Panton, talk-show host and former police chaplain, who wrote The Church and Common Law Unions. Panton's book argued for recognition and respect for common-law unions. Indeed, it is women who are at a greater disadvantage in common-law unions, based on societal discrimination and no legal rights to property.

Henry differs from Panton in that he raises issues for and against the actions of the reverend mother but does not take sides. There are some who will wonder how financially practical is this solution of in vitro fertilisation for Jamaican women in this challenging economic environment. Additionally, would artificial insemination further marginalise the role of men in the society? And what of the need of the child for a father figure?

Serious issues

This novel raises serious issues. And most good novels have a touch of reality and are based on reality. Henry claimed at the launch that he was inspired by his conversations on theological and ethical issues with Marvia Lawes. Lawes, former Baptist missionary to Panama, was the guest speaker at the launch.

Henry started writing this book in 2003 and in 2008 the manuscript was awarded a prize by the JCDC Creative Writing competition.

This novel deals with an issue that could happen, and is likely to happen sooner than later, with more women entering the ordained ministry of the church and some of these women desiring to have a family of their own, more so the bearing of children, and yet remain single women.

This novel challenges the church community to wrestle with single Christian women choosing assisted reproductive technology while remaining in the church.

Rev Devon Dick is pastor of the Boulevard Baptist Church in St Andrew.