When I received the book, the first thing I noticed was that it came with signatures from all three sisters. Each pen stroke is as unique as each sister. Wispy, narrow, neat and symmetrical, small and squarish. I noticed that they were close together, just like the sisters. I first met the three Hines sisters at the 52nd Quadrennial General Conference. They were pre-selling copies of the book A Bishop Called Bonnie. As you may recall, this was my first experience at a general conference, so I was excited and bopped around from place to place, making notes, asking questions, and taking pictures of shoes (IYKYK).
Maybe I picked up on their excitement, or they picked up on mine, but I found myself drawn to their table. As they offered me a York Peppermint Patty, they told me the story of how Bishop Bonnie would take one, just one patty, and put it in her pocket for an energy boost when she preached. It was a very endearing story. What immediately became apparent to me was that they love their sister. What was even more evident to me when we met via Zoom for an interview is that love is a golden thread that binds the sisters together.
Two sisters were together when we met, while one was in a different location. As I asked them questions, they supported each other and reminded each other of their favorite family stories’ little details and embellishments. The Hines Sisters are a safe space. I felt it the minute they locked into their shared connection. It is like stepping under a shelter when it rains cats and dogs. The noise that comes from the deluge is quieted. The distortion that comes from squinting your eyes is cleared. The love that the three Hines sisters have for each other is palpable. Because they allowed me into their connection, I, too, was safe. I wanted to stay there and listen to their stories of love, support, and protection. I made myself an honorary Hines Sister. Like the Hines sisters, I grew up in a house with five girls. Like the Hines sisters, there are only 3 of us girls left. Unlike the Hines sisters, we were not very close. The closeness of the Hines sisters is something that I have always longed for. The best way to have that is not to become an interloper in their connective tissue but to create better connective tissue with my own sisters. I’ll be working on that this year.
Although I had never met Bishop Bonnie, I now feel like I know her because of how her sisters presented the Bishop Bonnie they know and love in the pages of this book. I cannot tell the story of her life as they and others who knew her can, but what I can tell you is that if you read this book, you may want to be a Hines sister, too. I urge you to support this beautiful work if you have not yet done so. It is a beautiful tribute to the humble history maker Bishop Mildred Bernadetta “Bonnie” Hines, the first woman Bishop of The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church.
A Bishop Called Bonnie is available at www.wisdomhousebooks.com.
For more information, contact thehinessisters3@yahoo.com
