Bishop Donna Faria, 59, dons a traditional dress with matching head tie. She strikes an impressive pose in the large living area where African motifs adorn the open brick wall and a conspicuous Chinese altar is nudged in an area adjacent to the front door. The mood is festive as the door bell rings multiple times- a steady stream of friends and family drop in. "I have eight thrones," Bishop Donna said, referring to the number of times she has mourned. She approaches her spiritual calling with the sagacity that her title demands. She is a procurement analyst at New York City Department of Probation. Equally important is her position as head of Court of St Michael Spiritual Baptist Orisha Church on Beverly Road in Brooklyn.
And much is expected of her. She feeds the poor annually, preparing as much as 1,500 meals last June. She is also the chaplain at Bailey's House, a hospice. Membership in her church has grown exponentially over the last few years. She is enlivened as she talks about the upcoming members scheduled to mourn. It is a practice she believes that has bestowed unmatched wisdom to the believer. "One gets so much by working on the mourning ground. It is the little things - cleaning, nursing, cooking, making sure things are okay. That in itself is a blessing." But she reserves the most richly compelling language for the very act of mourning.
"I have gone to China and India without a visa," she intimated, a veiled reference to the much touted spiritual travels of the aspirant on the mourning ground. "You receive so much," but she cautioned that, "You are given gifts according to the integrity of your heart." Interestingly, Bishop Donna was not born into the faith. She recalls being an observant Seventh Day Adventist, adhering to the principles of the Sabbath and the faith's strict dietary prescriptions. She was also active in the choir. One day, trouble came knocking at the door of a family member. Neither traditional help nor the supplications of the "Adventist" brought alleviation. She and the stricken family member returned to Trinidad and were baptised in Gonzales, Port-of-Spain. Bishop Donna credits the discernment of Archbishops Gabriel and Grace Hunt for bringing hope to her beleaguered family. It is at this juncture that her spiritual odyssey took root. "I grew up hearing that 'Spiritual Baptists' are low class, but I soon learned that there is something special about this faith."
Bishop Donna is reluctant to be drawn into the Orisha-Spiritual Baptist debate. "My path took a different turn. It evolved as I was pointed to the path of the Orishas-another gift that must be nurtured. But I have always maintained that we find our own spiritual way. I have no quarrel with those who say they are strictly 'bell and water,'" a term used to signify non-indulgence in animal sacrifice. Despite this nagging theological issue, the Spiritual Baptist faith is growing at a marked rate in New York. And injecting a political tone to the discussion, Bishop Donna attributes "the new found respect for the Baptist movement" to Consul General Rudrawatee Nan Ramgoolam.
"I called my friends and said, 'this is what this government is doing for us here and it has never happened before'." Anticipating Spiritual/Shouter Baptist celebration at the Consulate today, Bishop Donna is optimistic of the future. "The Consulate has set a high standard. We are growing from strength to strength. It will be difficult to neglect us now."
-Dr Glenville Ashby
New York correspondent