Jennifer Keane-Dawes, Contributor

Me dear mam,

God bless de parson man dem weh serve roun a St John's United Church. An de one ooman Rev Lorna Letts. But me dear mam, Rev Paul DaCosta Pinto, de new parson roun a da church now. A de right man fe de right time. Me heart full when me hear bout de progress das Rev. Pinto an him congregation a mek. For between yu, me an de door post, is just de grace of Almighty God.

Because fram de everlasting heap a hundred an towzin dallahs wut a money weh dis poor church, come een like smady bastard pickney, did owe fe all kine a sinting. Missis, me hear seh dem debt a come dung good good. Paint buy; church a paint up; de door dem weh did a drap off a fix; de windah dem weh did bruck out a put back een; de ministry dem a do dem little work; an most of all, de Holy Spirit a lead more community people fe come een one by few. An Missis, dis might nuh come een like nutten to some. But to smady like me, weh a go deh fram me a lilly pickney, mout full a Paradise Plum. Inna Rev Ashley Smith Sunday School. Wid me ounce a hair an me poun a ribbon mad fe slide off a me head top. Dis is a big deal.

Uunequal

For not all church created equal. St John's nuh hab plenty young professional. A me madda age group. Fe me age group. Few young adults an couple Sunday school pickney das mostly go deh. It coulda pass fe a senior citizens centre weh nuff a de poor memba dem full up a so-so pain. No pension. An a heap a medication expense. Plus, memba seh, it inna de heart a Hannah Town. Weh, when road to church entrance block wid light post, ole zinc an drum pan. A nuh nutten. An weh, if parson himself nuh tan up trang, him run outta de pulpit when organ mek any funny soun like gun shot. But one ting. If yu go deh, especially inna praise an worship. An yu nuh feel de Holy Spirit, y'a dead smady.

Leading by example

Suh de fuss day me meet Rev Pinto me did know seh him was de right man at de right time fe St John's. Plus, me fren, Rev Christopher Mason, who coulda pass fe me parents pickney. Except none a we nuh hab dat deh size foot. Seh Paul Pinto is a very good man. A man who mean it when him seh "wah gwone". Well, what a gwone is him a lead by example. Him tell de church: "Me need me pay. But fegat bout dat little. Mek we pull togedda an pay de debt."

Him tithe an beg de congregation fe len de church weh dem hab. Some pull out kerchief. Go under mattress. Barrah. An give. As fe my madda weh understand fe run pardner. Like how dumpling understand fe mek space fe gravy. She seh "How muss we len de church? When de church a we same one?" Plus, a Rev. Pinto an him wife das cry excuse to cruckin lizad an paint de manse demself.

Suh God bless Paul and Pamela Pinto. For him could be de wrong man at de wrong time. Like dis bus driver a foreign weh tell de bus load a we two time seh him name Pastor Johnson. An after a passenger start insist fe him stop de bus for him waan g'a bathroom. Him fly up lef de steering wheel. Tell de Holy Spirit doan move. Fe go kallah up de man. Well, tough time wi try kallah Rev Pinto. But Massa God's grace is sufficient fe him.

Dr Jennifer Keane-Dawes is a professor of communication at Elizabeth City State University, a constituent institution of the University of North Carolina System.