Percival J. Patterson's surprise appointment of Professor Kenneth Hall as governor general caught many off guard because one did not know a principal of UWI and history professor would want to be governor general. In modern times the post was filled by persons who have retired from one's main calling in life.

A few days before the announcement of Hall's appointment, I meet him at a function at UWI. He told me that the organisers had placed his name on the programme before consulting him and he could only do greetings and leave. He made his speech but did not tell the audience about the organisers' faux pas. He is a humble man. During his tenure, Hall instigated Youth Awards and confidently allowed his wife to speak at the National Leadership Prayer Breakfast.

Monumental mistake

However, his monumental mistake, in my opinion, was signing with undue and unnecessary haste the order to fire the Public Services Commission on the grounds of misbehaviour. I say this because Prime Minister Golding, subsequently stated after an out of court settlement had been arrived at that those fired were not guilty of personal misbehaviour. This was a slap in the face of the GG. For there to be collective misbehaviour there has to be personal misbehaviour. So, if all were not guilty of any personal misbehaviour, it is impossible to have collective misbehaviour as the grounds for firing. It means there was no grounds for the dismissal of the PSC and the Governor General should, in my opinion, have resigned.

Well, if Hall's appointment was surprising then the appointment of a clergyman, Dr Patrick Allen was astonishing. A governor general should be well-known, well-liked, well-rounded and well-respected. Dr Allen's résumé as printed by The Gleaner appears narrow and limited. There is no record of involvement as an educator with the Jamaica Teachers' Association at a leadership level. No record as a Custos or JP. No record of being a member of or leader in any ecumenical church council. Therefore, he could become a Sarah Palin or a Michael Holding who was a surprise pick for the West Indies team that toured Australia in the 1970s.

The first time I met Dr Allen was at a restaurant in Hagley Park Plaza. He struck me as a humble man. Under his leadership the SDA has undergone growth and Northern Caribbean University has developed so why would he want to be a governor general when he is a success in his chosen calling?

A couple years ago, Edward Seaga opined that the governor general should not mouth the Government policies but rather should give a throne speech reflecting certain values. I agree with Seaga.

Why would any governor general want to become a mouthpiece for government policies?

Furthermore, local and overseas SDA websites claim "the God-given right of religious liberty is best exercised when church and state are separate" therefore Dr Allen and other leaders of the SDA church need to explain to their membership, this about-turn on church and state relationships.

Lack of understanding

A clergy person is set apart (Acts 13) for specific ministry in the church. So how can Dr Allen renounce that ordination on his life to become a representative of the Queen of England? Apparently, Dr Allen does not understand what the Queen of England symbolises, represents and articulates?

Some preachers pressure Christian women saying that they must give up unsaved men because it is unequal yoking (2 Corinthians 6: 14) but here is an ordained minister entering into an apparent unequal yoking situation by becoming a full-time repre-sentative of the Queen of England. This is an unfortunate development.

Devon Dick is pastor of the Boulevard Baptist Church and author of Rebellion to Riot: the church in nation building. Feedback may be sent to columns@gleanerjm.com