THE Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church’s 36th anniversary was marked by controversy when during the celebration service on Labour Day, May 23, the officiating priest refused to baptize a man wearing dreadlocks, telling him that he had to cut his hair first.

“It’s the rule of the church,” said Rev Father Haile Molekot who assisted the resident Kes Gabre Selassie during the baptismal ceremony.

Although he sought to downplay the issue, the dreadlocked Garth Drummond could not conceal his disappointment.

When it was pointed out to him that he would have to renounce certain teachings of Rastafari, Drummond said he had no problem.

“It doesn’t matter. I’ve certain literal works to really perform, y’know, and that will speak for itself,” said Drummond, who still attends services at the Tewahedo Church.

Drummond told the Sunday Observer that the request to remove his locks came as a surprise.

“As I approached the altar, he came and whispered in my ears, after you get baptized you gotta cut your dread and groom your beard,” he said.

According to Drummond the priest said as that as long he as was not into the worship of Emperor Haile Selassie as god, there was no problem.

“He said after you get baptized, you sign a paper to renounce the emperor,” Drummond said.

“Prior to being up at the altar, he should have had all those things clarified if that was the case. So I decided to stand down because that not going to stop me to perform certain works, ” said Drummond.

Although Rastafarians make up a significant portion of its membership, the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, one of the oldest Christian churches, does not preach the divinity of Haile Selassie I, whom Rastafarians deify.

Through the instrumentation of Haile Selassie, the Ethiopian Orthodox Church was established in Jamaica in 1970, as a response to the Rasta community which for many years clamoured for its establishment in Jamaica.

At the church’s inception, many prominent dreadlocked Rastafarians were baptized there, among them, Rastafarian patriarch Mortimo Planno, singer Peter Tosh, and at a later date Rita Marley and journalist Barbara Blake Hannah.

However, in recent years, while female Rastafarians are allowed to wear dreadlocks, there have been efforts to get the ‘brethren’ to shed their locks.

“At the same time,” said Molekot, himself a former Rastafarian, “you still have men in the church who are dreadlocks, but they were baptized in the early days when the church came here. They were accepted as what you called the pioneers of the church. But the church is here for 36 years now, so therefore people should learn.”

But not all members of the clergy were in agreement with the decision not to baptize dreadlocked Rastafarian males.

Deacon Zedingel Greenland who was once also a Rastafarian, expressed disappointment.

“Other churches do it,” said Greenland, adding that in other churches, during baptism, have altar calls and that anyone who has the urge to be baptized may come forward.

“Baptism does not mean that a man is a Christian; baptism is just the door to enter in the fold for you to teach him Christianity,” said Greenland.

However, Molekot said the international church hierarchy has been insisting that the rules be strictly adhered to.

“All Ethiopians who came to Jamaica over these many years stated that the rules of the church must be upheld. Even our Archbishop, His Holiness Abuna Yesehaq, tried to implement it many times, but as soon as he turned his back, there is a difference,” said Molekot.

“It is as if they try to compromise the rules by baptizing dreadlocks,” he added, saying it was not the rule of the church internationally.

The baptism of dreadlocked members happened only in Jamaica and sometimes in the United States, said Molekot.

Normally, he added, the church offers sacrament classes at the end of which it determines those who are ready for baptism. At that point, males are required to cut their dreadlocks.

“The same rule does not apply to women,” said Molekot.

“No, women’s hair is their beauty. So they wear the locks as they like. So it’s the teaching of the church, it’s not my personal thing.”

But that reasoning did not find favour with elder Kes Mahitama Selassie. “It shouldn’t be so with that beloved brother,” he said, referring to Drummond.

“Because, from what I understand, he had been to instruction classes … and what they should have at least helped him to do, was to learn certain things.”

Speaking about the works he intends to do, Drummond, a returning resident who is also a freelance writer, plans “to get people more familiar with the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, about its canons and the liturgy which is something I’m familiar with for a very long time,” he said.

“And at this stage, I decided to show a greater solidarity and identify with the church. But I see that they have a little attitude with the Rastafarian brothers here, and so forth, y’know.”

waltersb@jamaicaobserver.com