Spiritual Baptist faith vibrant in Canada ... facing similar struggles to First Nations people
By William Doyle-MarshallHer Grace Archbishop Dr. Deloris Seiveright Head of the Canadian Diocese for the National Evangelistic Spiritual Baptist Faith (NESBF) told celebrants of the 62nd anniversary of Liberation that her congregation here is of a Caribbean nature.
In her Liberation sermon Archbishop Seiveright told celebrants “We do have a Caribbean church. It’s not about being Trinidad alone. Half of my church and churches affiliated with me are from the Caribbean and the other are from the countries,”she said.
Members of the National Evangelical Spiritual Baptist Faith (Shouters) in the Greater Toronto Area participated in a special celebratory service Sunday (March 24) under the direction of Archbishop Seiveright. All Spiritual Baptist, Revivalist and Zionist and other Churches are always welcome to attend its celebrations.
Member churches and their leaders assembled at 63 Mack Avenue in the east end of the City of Toronto for a joint occasion as Shouters observed Palm Sunday also. Among NESBF participating churches are St. Theresa’s Well of Life, Mount Refuge, Sacred Heart, Free for All Ministry, Rose of Sharon, Mystic Willow, The Refuge Church of Christ and Church of Jesus Christ Apostolic.
NESBF Clergy celebrate
Liberation Day in Toronto
Reverend Sebastian Homeward, left
Bishop Holness and Bishop Heron
Bishop Jezreel Batson, son of Dr. Seiveright, quite proud of his joint Jamaican (mother) and Barbadian (father) heritage recounted a major benefit he received from the experiences of a Spiritual Baptist child growing up in Canada. “There is a special feeling that I receive when I think of my mother. It’s not about just the fact that she cared for me. But my brother and I are special people, I would say.”
Reviewing his cousins and all the grand children in the family, the Bishop concludes that he is from a peculiar stock of first generation Canadians because of his Jamaican and Barbadian heritage. Being involved in a faith and an organization that has its roots and Diocese in Trinidad and rubbing shoulders with friends and family that he know from Saint Vincent and Grenada and all these different islands, Bishop Batson grew up as a person who is in a Caribbean melting pot, what he calls a Caribbean soup, a pepper pot, a peleau in Trinidad or a Jamaican run down.
The Head of the Shouters’ Canadian Diocese in her sermon “Freedom Open Doors” Dr. Seiveright recapped challenges to her leadership by individuals of the faith who would prefer a male Archbishop doing her work. Irrespective of one’s gender Dr. Seiveright stressed it is important for people to stand up for their rights. Never-the-less, she concluded the Spiritual Baptist faith is vibrant in Canada but “they have too many masters; too many chiefs and not enough members”.
While the middle-level leadership was concerned with creating divisions, Archbishop Seiveright regretted that spiritual Baptists have been going back to Pentecostal churches because they are tired with the foolishness.
“We have to come together. We have to know where it (Spiritual Baptist Faith) came from. What goes around comes around. Everybody is coming back (to the Shouters church),”the NESBF Head predicted. As Spiritual Baptists in Canada join with their counterparts throughout the Caribbean celebrating the 62nd anniversary of their liberation, Archbishop Seiveright appealed to them to take advantage of the many opportunities available in this country.
Dr. Seiveright urged Shouters to realize their dreams to be nurses, doctors, teachers, lawyers, whatever they want to be when they migrated from the lands of their birth. Having reached the land of opportunity Shouters were advised to recognize their freedom and use it wisely. Getting close to their parliamentary representatives at every political level is a key, Dr. Seiveright counselled.
Trinidad and Tobago’s Consul General in Toronto Dr. Vidhya Tota-Maharaj and MPP Bas Balkissoon, a national of Trinidad and Tobago and long-time supporter of Shouters, were among dignitaries who address the gathering.
Balkissoon MPP for Scarborough Rouge wants to see more young people as followers of the faith. “You got to change all the young ones that they will have to be here,” he urged. Through NESBF Balkissoon has learnt about some of the history of his own country of birth and the wrongs that have been done against the Shouters’ community.
“Over the years of being here I have also known that a lot of people have tried to address those wrongs and it’s no different than some of the wrongs that have been done in this country to the First Nations people and we are still struggling to correct those wrongs,” the MPP observed.
Dr. Tota-Maharaj reminded the gathering that in Trinidad and Tobago there was a long and tedious struggle for the Baptist faith to be recognized there. She proudly informed the congregation that Shouters now have a Baptist school and a public holiday. The Consul General proudly acknowledged that the Shouters have spread their wings and migrated to Canada and have established themselves. Dr. Tota-Maharaj commended NESBF members for the wonderful work they are doing in their Canadian-Caribbean community, keeping them together in good and urgent cases. In congratulating the Diocese, the Consul General wished them the best, continued success and prayed the church’s growth in spirit and numbers.
Jim Karygiannis MP for Scarborough-Agincourt in the Canadian House of Commons acknowledged that NESBF brought its indigenous faith and other cultures to the country. He recognized contributions by the church to local communities. “Canada is a proud multicultural nation that embraces a wide variety of religions, cultures and heritages and organizations like NESBF help to foster the identity and strengthen the fabric of Canadian society,” MP Karygiannis said in his Liberation Day message. Venezuelan-born Eduardo Hariri who represented the federal parliamentarian told celebrants it was good to see the spirit of Trinidad brought to life by the Shouters here in Canada .
Shouters also received messages from Bishop Steadman Heron of The Refuge Church of Christ and Bishop Samuel Holness of Church of Jesus Christ Apostolic.
March 30, 2013
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