IYANA PHILLIPS can attest to the ridicule and disdain that has bedevilled the Spiritual Baptist faith for decades.

She’s lived it.

And while she acknowledges that significant strides have been made by way of acceptance and respect, Phillips believes members of the faith are yet to embraced wholeheartedly.

“I have been profiled, singled out, falsely accused, slandered, reprimanded, demoralised and even dehumanised – not for being a Spiritual Baptist but for simply being perceived as one because I regularly wrap my hair,” she told WMN on March 25.

Phillips is a prominent member of the St Philomena Spiritual Baptist Church in Moriah, Tobago, a small but lively church that has been in existence for more than three decades.

Her parents, The Rev Fitzherbert Phillips and Bishop Mary Phillips, long-standing devotees, lead the congregation.

The church is part of the National Evangelical Spiritual Baptist Faith (NESBF), led by Archbishop Glenroy Jack.

As the country celebrates the 29th anniversary of Spiritual/Shouter Baptist Liberation Day being declared a public holiday in TT, Phillips lamented that more than 60 years after the repeal of the Shouter Prohibition Ordinance, which had prohibited Baptists from practising their traditions, discrimination against African spiritual denominations still “persists and exists.”

The former Bishop’s High School student observed, “Baptists, Shouters and Orishas still face prejudice for their style of worship, their attire and their rituals.”

Whether this changes or not, Phillips said, remains to be seen.

[caption id="attachment_1146886" align="alignnone" width="538"] Iyana Phillips believes a stronger sense of togetherness would allow Baptists to amplify their voices, preserve their traditions and better support the next generation. -[/caption]

“But the battle has already been fought (alluding to the repeal of the Ordinance), we are free to worship. And as every Christian knows, when you serve God, trials and tribulations will surely come your way.”

At St Philomena, Phillips is sometimes called “Mother,” while other members refer to her as “Matron.”

But she said she does not ascribe to titles.

“I am simply a child of the Most High God. In the church, there are different ‘Mothers,’ and sometimes a ‘head Mother.’ But for me, a true Mother is the one who bears the burden of the church and the weight of her spiritual children. She carries the fellowship on her back and shoulders, standing in the gap when needed.”

Phillips, who has been a devoted member of the church for about 20 years, said many people outside of the faith have superficial notions about the title.

“Many of them think that a ‘Mother’ is just the woman with the biggest head wrap, the widest belt or the prettiest frock. However, when the labourers are few, the ‘Mother’ must stand the grind by making interventions – cleaning the church, nursing mourners and helping them along their journey.”

But for her, “A ‘Mother’ in the church prays for and with the congregation, offering wisdom, encourage