She has given up the opportunity to enjoy a
life of luxury and wealth, lost close friends because of her religious
belief, and has even been disrespected by her subordinates all because of
her love and respect for the Spiritual Baptist religion. Regardless of
whatever is the situation presented to her she has stated quite firmly, that
she will remain a ‘Baptist’ until the day that she dies. This is the woman
fondly referred to as Teacher Hazel among members of the Spiritual Baptist
religion.
In an interview with the Spiritual Baptist Online News Magazine on Sunday
October 1, (2006), Teacher Hazel whose entire name is Hazel Ann Gibbs-DePeza
spoke about her indoctrination into the Spiritual Baptist arena.
She said, “I was born into a Roman Catholic
family in San Fernando, Trinidad, and always attended Roman Catholic
schools. It was while attending ‘Convent’ that I learned about the benefits
of fasting and praying. As a teen I was always interested in reading and
research. As a result of my researches I discovered that there were many
flaws in my own religion, became disillusioned as a result of this.”
Teacher Hazel also added that during her
teenage years she attended seminars intended for adults in her church. Here
she also recognized that some of the Biblical truths were not maintained.
She said that she recognized that many of the crimes committed by the Church
in its earlier years were being covered up. She explained was referring to
the history of the Roman Catholic Church and the early Crusaders.
Teacher Hazel noted that this discovery led her
to leave the Church, however she did so quite reluctantly because this was
the only religion she had ever been active in.
However, she had no intentions of gerrymandering as some people who are in
search of a religious base. She waited.
She continued, “Then in my 20s I began getting
this urge to prayer and fast and I followed my feelings. It was during this
period that I began having what to me at that time was ‘strange dreams and
visions’. Fortunately for me I knew of this old Baptist lady and related my
experiences to her. She told me that the interpretation of those spiritual
experiences had something to do with baptism.”
Teacher Hazel said that at the time she knew
almost nothing about the Spiritual Baptism religion. All she remembered was
that sometimes on the streets she would hear a group of Baptist preaching
the words “In my father’s house there are many mansions and if it was not so
I would have told you.”
She added that she was aware that the Bible
spoke of baptism being requisite but was also knew that the Roman Catholic
Church did not adhere to that principle of the Bible.
Teacher Hazel noted that sometime later a female friend invited her to a
baptism ceremony and she accepted the invitation.
However, this baptism was not with a Spiritual
Baptist Church but with an Anglican Church located in South Trinidad. This
baptism was performed by an Anglican priest named Father Griffith, and quite
like the Spiritual Baptist religion it was done in the sea. Sometime later
Hazel Ann also accepted baptism at the hands of Father Griffith.
She revealed that when she received the ‘call
for mourning’ however, Father Griffith did not discourage her. He gave her
his support.
She went on, “By the time I was ready to go to
mourn I was already in Teachers’ Training College and on my way to
university.”
But what outward benefit did Hazel Ann receive
from this ‘mourning’? She said, “It was in my first throne that I received
healing.” Hazel Ann explained that she had sustained head injuries in a
vehicular accident and very often experienced blackouts and dizziness but
after her ‘mourning’ all this ceased.
She added that it was also in her first throne
that she was made a ‘spiritual Teacher’ of the faith. Already she had
achieved an academic degree as professional school teacher and this was like
receiving a religious degree. Hazel Ann holds a Bachelor’s Degree, a
Master’s Degree and is currently working on her Doctorate.
When asked why someone of her religious
upbringing and academic achievements would openly herald herself to being a
member of the faith she explained, “My introduction to the faith was
personal and spiritual. I had no perceptions as to what to expect about the
religion. It was only when I was already in that I began hearing about the
negativity surrounding the faith. By then I was convinced that here was
where God wanted me to be.”
However, despite her many professional
achievements such as being an adjunct at the University of the West Indies,
an author, a teacher at the Teachers’ Training College, Principal, school
teacher, Teacher Hazel has also experienced the prejudice faced by members
of the faith of far lesser academic achievements by enemies of the religion.
Sharing her experiences Teacher Hazel said,
“After mourning I was instructed to have my head covered at all times and
this I obeyed. One day a co-worker questioned me about my head being covered
and was overwhelmed when she learned that I am a member of the Spiritual
Baptist religion. This individual warned me that she will have to keep a
keen eye on me. Instead she stopped speaking to me entirely.
I remember an incident at University where a
student saw me enter the classroom before the class was scheduled to begin. My head was tied and she enquired as to who I was. When another student told
her that I was the professor she took up her books, walked out of the
classroom and never returned anytime again during that entire semester. Then
there was this parent whose child passed the Common Entrance Examination.
The child’s name was among the names of children who belonged to the Baptist
religion.
Our foundation, the Foundation for the Academic
Advancement of Spiritual Baptists Youth, offers scholarship to children of
our religion and this prompted me to call the parent. When the mother heard
that her daughter was being offered a scholarship she was pretty much
excited until I mentioned that our foundation was trying to assist children
of the Spiritual Baptist religion. The woman quickly interrupted me and told
me that although they were Baptists they were not ‘that kind’ of Baptist in
a very derogatory way.”
But how does she feel about it being ridiculed
for her religious beliefs? Teacher Hazel laughing replied, “I will remain a
Baptist until I die.”
Today, added to the many hats she wears,
Teacher Hazel is the Principal of the Herman Parris Spiritual Baptist
Southland School of Theology, located at Southern Main Road, Chinese
Village, La Brea.
About the strides of the Spiritual Baptist
religion, Teacher Hazel said that despite the many obstacles in the way she
feels happy about the achievements the religion has made so far.
About her message for the youths of the Spiritual Baptist religion, she
closed, “I want them to stand up and be proud of their religion. The
Foundation for the Academic Advancement of Spiritual Baptist Youth (FAASBY)
encourages our young people to aspire to be serious about their education
and to be proud of their religion.”
