Jane Ford

The Nature of Grace Jane Ford

"Bring up a child in the way he shall go and when he is older he shall not depart from it."Grace Lee believed that Bible verse fervently. She was certain her daughter, Rosemary, would be not only an active Southern Baptist but a foreign missionary as well. During the late 60s, changes were afoot, forcing Grace to realize things were not what they ought to have been. Though she tried to close her eyes to political and social turmoil, the glaring faults she began seeing in her church were another matter. Dorothy Blackwell, a fellow-member in the Womans Missionary Union, had the reputation of being a good Southerner but church members were often askance at her vocal championing of what was considered the Radical Left. Dorothys strong convictions prompted Grace to explore her own unspoken doubts about the new direction their church was taking. She was utterly amazed when she realized the profound influence Miss Dorothy had on Rosemary, as well. While the rumble of fundamentalism shook her church to its very foundations, Grace also struggled with her vision of service for Rosemary. Was she prepared for the consequences of what she and Dorothy championed: the commitment to conscience?