Baptisms on Bequia

My father, an Anglican clergyman and devout Christian, happily baptized many children on Bequia. Holding the babies in the crook of his left arm, he would chuckle at those who slept through the anointing with water, beam with pleasure at those who smiled, and cuddle those who wailed with outrage. Watching dad conduct these christenings was special – he loved welcoming innocent babies into the parish fold, and this love was obvious to the entire congregation.

For Anglicans, baptism (which means “plunging”) is a holy ritual to symbolize grace, a gift from our Lord Jesus Christ. The minister stands behind a baptismal font filled with water, with the parents and godparents close by. The baby is duly christened by the minister, who pours water over the baby’s forehead three times – in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. He (or she) then gently makes the sign of the cross on the child’s forehead, signaling the rite’s completion.

My father took this ritual seriously, and was therefore horrified when told that a visiting minister was denying baptisms to Bequia children born out of wedlock. The American clergyman was standing in for Father Adams at St. Mary’s church in Port Elizabeth, and his refusal to conduct baptisms caused quite a stir! As far as dad was concerned, if the parent(s) were baptized the child could be baptized too, marriage or no marriage, and Holy Cross at Paget Farm became the “go to” church for christenings for the duration of the American clergyman’s time on Bequia.

Marriage may not have been a prerequisite for christening, but dad was a real stickler when it came to the godparents. He needed to make sure that the people chosen by the baby’s parents knew that they were making promises to help guide their child to live life in a Christian manner. The godparents HAD to be baptized as well as confirmed, and pledge to take an interest in the child’s upbringing. Godparents were expected to be serious role models, and frivolous non-Christians need not apply!  My father was quite strict about prospective godparents, and, on more than one occasion, he instructed the parents to rethink their choices and select suitable friends or relatives to stand as godparents for their baby.

Godparents make solemn promises, and, while these promises are not legally binding, the godparents are expected to care for the well-being of the godchild. During the baptism they are speaking on behalf of the helpless infant, and, until that child is mature enough to make his or her own commitments, the godparent’s role is to guide them along the right path. Once the godchild has been confirmed by a Bishop the duties of the godparent come to an end, it means that the child is now old enough to confirm the promises made on his or her behalf while being baptized.

Dad LOVED baptizing babies, and it didn’t matter to him whether or not the parents were married as long as they were Christians. He may have preferred that they be married, but the child was the important factor when it came to baptisms. However, woe to the parents who chose unsuitable godparents – that’s where he drew the line!

As for the visiting clergyman from America, I doubt very much that he ever grew to understand Bequia….