On Fatherhood
After Dr. Myles Munroe finished revealing his
hidden talents, we delved into the more
substantive matters he discusses in his
phenomenal book, The Fatherhood Principle:
Priority, Position, and the Role of the Male.
DH: Now, Dr. Munroe, in the face of such
grim statistics facing black men, what do you
say to single mothers?
MM: The single mother must know that she
can never be a father. The book is to explain
to the single mother, then, how important
fatherhood is to her and her children. Just
because you don’t have a father in that child’s
life doesn’t mean that you cannot have a
father in that child’s life. That child needs that
father image. That child needs that father
function. So the single mother must find—
can I use the term, a surrogate father… or
maybe a number of them. You know, I am a
pastor of probably one of the largest
After Dr. Myles Munroe finished revealing his
hidden talents, we delved into the more
substantive matters he discusses in his
phenomenal book, The Fatherhood Principle:
Priority, Position, and the Role of the Male.
DH: Now, Dr. Munroe, in the face of such
grim statistics facing black men, what do you
say to single mothers?
MM: The single mother must know that she
can never be a father. The book is to explain
to the single mother, then, how important
fatherhood is to her and her children. Just
because you don’t have a father in that child’s
life doesn’t mean that you cannot have a
father in that child’s life. That child needs that
father image. That child needs that father
function. So the single mother must find—
can I use the term, a surrogate father… or
maybe a number of them. You know, I am a
pastor of probably one of the largest
churches in this country in the Bahamas. And
I have to father a lot of kids. Now, my wife
and I got children. But if I really count all the
kids I have, I probably got about 400.
(laughing) I mean, literally, they think I’m
they’re father. You know, after every service
they run to me. You know, I give them hugs. I
tell them they’re doing good. I ask them how
they’re doing in school. I have a system in the
church where any child that makes an “A” in
his class, he [or she] gets $10 from the Senior
Pastor. I’ve been doing that for over fifteen
years. I have kids now that are college
graduates that I used to give ten dollars for
A’s. They went to college and graduated
because they had someone they could be
accountable to, someone who would help
them, someone who would shed a tear for
them, even invested in them.
They felt important, they felt significant--
(Continue reading bottom left)
I have to father a lot of kids. Now, my wife
and I got children. But if I really count all the
kids I have, I probably got about 400.
(laughing) I mean, literally, they think I’m
they’re father. You know, after every service
they run to me. You know, I give them hugs. I
tell them they’re doing good. I ask them how
they’re doing in school. I have a system in the
church where any child that makes an “A” in
his class, he [or she] gets $10 from the Senior
Pastor. I’ve been doing that for over fifteen
years. I have kids now that are college
graduates that I used to give ten dollars for
A’s. They went to college and graduated
because they had someone they could be
accountable to, someone who would help
them, someone who would shed a tear for
them, even invested in them.
They felt important, they felt significant--
(Continue reading bottom left)
Myles to Go (Pg. 2 of 3)
Dr. Myles Munroe on Fatherhood, Single Motherhood, and His Softer Side
Article and Interview by Dianna Hobbs
Dr. Myles Munroe on Fatherhood, Single Motherhood, and His Softer Side
Article and Interview by Dianna Hobbs
Pictured Above: Bestselling Author, Pastor, Lecturer Dr. Myles Munroe
--they felt loved, they felt valuable, and so
now today they are products of that. So we
need the single mothers to identify men who
fulfill the standards that I write about in the
book. There are ten specific things in the
book I talk about that make a father an
effective father. She—the woman should read
this book so that she can know what to look
for in a man. So that she can… can I use the
term, adopt fathers for her children. I think
we should stop using the term single mother,
and start using the term unmarried mother,
so she can be a good mother and identify a
wonderful father image—maybe two or
three—who will assume the role of the father.
Now let me just throw in very quickly, that
the reason I said “unmarried mother” is
because there are many mothers who are
married where the father is still not fathering
the children. They are absent or they are
ineffective, so it’s just as if they are not there.
So, there are many married women who are
experiencing the same thing that the single,
unmarried mothers are experiencing, because
the father’s not fulfilling his role. So that’s
what I say to single mothers. Don’t blame God
for your predicament, but God will always
provide for your predicament. He will help
you through it and He will provide the fathers
that your children need. He will provide the
support that they need.
DH: Now, you have your own two children,
aside from "the other 400".
MM: Laughs
DH: Your children are grown—your daughter
has already graduated with her Master’s
degree. What from your journey in
fatherhood-- from a practical standpoint--
what are the lessons you take away, you
know, some things you would share?
now today they are products of that. So we
need the single mothers to identify men who
fulfill the standards that I write about in the
book. There are ten specific things in the
book I talk about that make a father an
effective father. She—the woman should read
this book so that she can know what to look
for in a man. So that she can… can I use the
term, adopt fathers for her children. I think
we should stop using the term single mother,
and start using the term unmarried mother,
so she can be a good mother and identify a
wonderful father image—maybe two or
three—who will assume the role of the father.
Now let me just throw in very quickly, that
the reason I said “unmarried mother” is
because there are many mothers who are
married where the father is still not fathering
the children. They are absent or they are
ineffective, so it’s just as if they are not there.
So, there are many married women who are
experiencing the same thing that the single,
unmarried mothers are experiencing, because
the father’s not fulfilling his role. So that’s
what I say to single mothers. Don’t blame God
for your predicament, but God will always
provide for your predicament. He will help
you through it and He will provide the fathers
that your children need. He will provide the
support that they need.
DH: Now, you have your own two children,
aside from "the other 400".
MM: Laughs
DH: Your children are grown—your daughter
has already graduated with her Master’s
degree. What from your journey in
fatherhood-- from a practical standpoint--
what are the lessons you take away, you
know, some things you would share?
MM: First of all, I learned that both the male
and female child need the father. They need
the father more than the mother because the
father is the source of identity for both the
male and the female. As a matter of fact, I
think there is an incorrect perception that the
male needs the man, but the female doesn’t.
That is not true. The daughter needs the
father more than the male needs his father
because the male gets his manhood from the
father, but the daughter gets her identity
from the father. This is why, every female
that I know wants their father. Even if they
never saw him before there’s a deep craving
on the inside to want a father. And so my
daughter, I knew needed me. When my
daughter was sixteen years old, we didn’t
allow them to date anyone [before then]--
and female child need the father. They need
the father more than the mother because the
father is the source of identity for both the
male and the female. As a matter of fact, I
think there is an incorrect perception that the
male needs the man, but the female doesn’t.
That is not true. The daughter needs the
father more than the male needs his father
because the male gets his manhood from the
father, but the daughter gets her identity
from the father. This is why, every female
that I know wants their father. Even if they
never saw him before there’s a deep craving
on the inside to want a father. And so my
daughter, I knew needed me. When my
daughter was sixteen years old, we didn’t
allow them to date anyone [before then]--
At age sixteen I said, look, you are now
turning sixteen. I’m gonna take you on your
first date. So I told her to go to the store—I
gave her money. I said you buy yourself the
most beautiful evening gown no matter how
much it costs. I’m gonna take you to the best
hotel in the country, the best restaurant in the
hotel, on the beach, and I’m gonna take you
on an evening just you and I—not your
mother, not your brother, I’m gonna show
you how a man is supposed to treat you. So
we put on our tuxedo, she put on a beautiful
evening gown, put on her jewels and
everything from her momma. We went out. I
made her sit in the back of the car. We went
to the restaurant and she was on my arm as
we walked in there. I had arranged
everything. I had arranged flowers to be at
the restaurant, roses, I had arranged a gift for
her. I arranged a special card and everything
for her. And I told all the restaurant people
who knew me very well that we were coming
there on a date. So we went out and we dined.
I told her, order anything you want on this
menu. And she ordered. We pulled the chair
out for her. I made sure she was comfortable.
We had a beautiful meal together. We toasted
her sixteenth birthday, and then I told them
to bring out the roses and I gave her roses,
and I kissed her hand. Then I gave her the
gifts and the cards. We had a long talk about
life, about the future, and about what her
plans were, what she wanted to be, become
and do, and I had a great time with my
daughter.
DH: How sweet! What would your wife and
kids say about you? Are you funny, sensitive,
a tyrant? What would they say about you?
Continue reading on the next page to find out
what his wife and kids would say. Plus, get his
take on how a man should treat a woman!
<<Go Back >> Continue Reading
turning sixteen. I’m gonna take you on your
first date. So I told her to go to the store—I
gave her money. I said you buy yourself the
most beautiful evening gown no matter how
much it costs. I’m gonna take you to the best
hotel in the country, the best restaurant in the
hotel, on the beach, and I’m gonna take you
on an evening just you and I—not your
mother, not your brother, I’m gonna show
you how a man is supposed to treat you. So
we put on our tuxedo, she put on a beautiful
evening gown, put on her jewels and
everything from her momma. We went out. I
made her sit in the back of the car. We went
to the restaurant and she was on my arm as
we walked in there. I had arranged
everything. I had arranged flowers to be at
the restaurant, roses, I had arranged a gift for
her. I arranged a special card and everything
for her. And I told all the restaurant people
who knew me very well that we were coming
there on a date. So we went out and we dined.
I told her, order anything you want on this
menu. And she ordered. We pulled the chair
out for her. I made sure she was comfortable.
We had a beautiful meal together. We toasted
her sixteenth birthday, and then I told them
to bring out the roses and I gave her roses,
and I kissed her hand. Then I gave her the
gifts and the cards. We had a long talk about
life, about the future, and about what her
plans were, what she wanted to be, become
and do, and I had a great time with my
daughter.
DH: How sweet! What would your wife and
kids say about you? Are you funny, sensitive,
a tyrant? What would they say about you?
Continue reading on the next page to find out
what his wife and kids would say. Plus, get his
take on how a man should treat a woman!
<<Go Back >> Continue Reading
Daughter Charissa is following in the footsteps of Dad
Munroe; he has obtained three degrees from ORU--Fine
Arts, Education, and Theology. Charissa has earned her
Master's Degree.
Munroe; he has obtained three degrees from ORU--Fine
Arts, Education, and Theology. Charissa has earned her
Master's Degree.
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