National Mother Hazel Lindsay
“This is Your Life”
Saturday, August 17, 2002
“This is Your Life”
Wednesday, August 17, 1932 heralded the birth of a little girl, Hazel Lean, the fourth child of Ardell and Lawrence Lynch in Gastonia, North Carolina.
Hazel Lean had 3 older sisters: Beula Mae called “Eula”,
Vernie Eunice called “Bernice”, and Gladys. Her only brother,
William Andrew called “Andrew”, was born approximately two months before her fourth birthday.
Hazel was always a quiet and peaceful girl whom some kids taunted and picked on because she was very smart in school and would not argue or fight back. But, her sister Gladys would always fight anyone that harassed, teased, or made Hazel cry even if she had to get them the next day.
Hazel was never given a nickname, not even by her two best friends, Ruby Stringfellow and her sister, Gladys. As little girls they played jump plank, jump rope, and playhouse. They made a swing out of muska-dine vines and would swing across the pond. Her mother taught them how to cook. Hazel would stand on a little box crate and make tea cakes, biscuits, and pies.
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A Childhood Memory
When they were very young they decided to play church. Andrew, their little brother, built a moaning bench out of two wash benches. Wash benches are two planks that set up on blocks so the washtub could be reached when washing clothes. Andrew was the Preacher, so he told them to get on their knees and say “Save Me Lord”!
They just wanted to dance and holler like the people did at the church they attended which was Mt. Pisgah Baptist Church. They was ready to sing and fall back so somebody could fan them too. But, Andrew said they had to get on
“This is Your Life”
their knees at this moaning bench. So they started saying “Save Me Lord” faster and faster. Then something happened.
Hazel began to cry and kept crying. They all got up and asked her what was wrong with her, but, she could not stop crying. So, they got scared, ran and told Moma Lynch something was wrong with Hazel. She asked what was wrong. They told her they was playing church and now Hazel can’t stop crying.
Moma Lynch went to get Hazel who was still crying. She took them in the house and said “You can’t never play with God because He is real”. They were too afraid to play church or dance like the church people again, because something really happened to Hazel. This was years before she accepted Christ into her life.
Gladys Lowery
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They walked to school everyday – Pleasant Ridge School. Hazel was Valedictorian at her Jr. High graduation. Growing up as young girls, Gladys, Hazel, and Ruby would sometimes go to picture shows (note: technology – talking picture shows started in 1926). She went on to attend Lincoln Academy High School.
On May 24, 1950, Hazel gave birth to her one and only daughter, Vivian.
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Remembering A Conversation
Once while at our school in Greenville, I accompanied Mother Lindsay to her room. She began to remember the birthing experience and all the pain that only mothers can understand. Mother Lindsay told me that she decided “I’ll never go through that again”. I thought to myself “we all say that, but……Mother Lindsay kept that promise”.
Vernell Turner
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Hazel and Gladys used to sing in the Golden Star Gospel Chorus along with Elizabeth Williams, Dorothy Glenn, and Lavinia Adams. Most of the people in the choir were not saved. Rev. B.C. McCaskill had a radio broadcast every Sunday Morning at 9:30 a.m. He’d preach and the choir would sing a couple of numbers.
Her first anointing came while singing a song, “Move On Up A Little Higher”.
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Memories of Yesteryear
I first met her, this goes back to the 50’s. Oh Yes. We grew up and went to the same elementary school together in the 40’s. I got acquainted with her family. Gladys went to the school too. She was a couple of grades ahead, Pleasant Ridge Elementary. I remember her mother and father, Mr. Lawrence Lynch.
In the late 40’s we went to Victory Community Church. Rev. B.C. McCaskill was the pastor. He also pastored St. Matthew. It was on Lincoln Avenue then. At that time it was the mother church in the area. Mills Chapel pastored by Sis. Minnie Chambers was in the area too. We would congregate between them.
I was working over Sis. Lindsay when she got saved. I was already saved. I think I got saved the year before in 1953 (1954-1955), somewhere around then.
Sis. Mable Charles was a good missionary. She traveled the circuit to recruit and encourage young people to be saved. She pastored St. Hannah in Belmont, North Carolina.
My dad started attending Mt. Olive in Clover, North Carolina, that’s about 12 miles south of Gastonia. Sis. Mattie Mars was the pastor. She commuted from Spartanburg to Clover. She got Sis. Ida Mae Dewitt, a young evangelist, to run our Fall Revival and that is when I got saved along with 35 other people including Andrew, Sis. Lindsay’s brother.
Sis. Charles and others would hold prayer meetings in the community at people’s houses. I believe we were at my grand mother’s house, Grandma Mary Bird Williams. Sister Lindsay got convicted, fell out, and came up saying ‘”I’m saved”. She never stopped. She continued to seek the Lord and go to church. She got sanctified, and received the Holy Ghost. Lord began to use her, called her to the ministry.
Elder A.J. Lindsay
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In 1958 Sister Lindsay began to hold Prayer Meetings in her sister’s beauty shop, “Lowery’s Beauty Salon” on Queens Road.
The first offering raised was 75 cents. They used the money to buy food, firewood, and clothes for the needy in the community.
In 1960 at the age of 28 she began to build Faith Chapel FBH Church in Gastonia, North Carolina. Rev. Charlie Young brought the first message. Sister Linda Star was the first member. She also pastored in Packley, South Carolina. In 1962 she was appointed YPI Supervisor on the North Carolina District.
As Pastor Lindsay continued to labor Vivian was growing up. She attended the same elementary school as her mother, Pleasant Ridge, moved on to Greenville, South Carolina and graduated from Fuller Normal School. Vivian married in 1970. Pastor Lindsay became a grandmother for the first time with the birth of Yalonda in 1971. Her second granddaughter, Keela, was born in 1978, and her only grandson, Brian, was born in 1981.
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A Daughter’s Memories
I attended Fuller Normal School from the 9th to the 12th grade.
I hated going there. I’d cry and cry. My mama would come every week-end that first year and I’d cry and cry because I wanted to go home. My mother would say “Stay in there. You can make it. You’ll be all right”. The principal was L.B. Moore. She lived in Mt. Holly. I’d ride with her and come home every time I could. My mother would say “Why don’t you just stay. You never gonna get used to it”.
My mother was always going somewhere with Dad Young and Sister Young. Back then they wore their hair nappy. It was so nappy. My mother never wore her hair like that though. Unh-Unh. My mother remarked once “She need to do something with that hair”. I laughed. I’d laugh at those people. Sometimes I couldn’t stop laughing………
When I called myself dating Slim, my mother told me “Don’t you go out of here”. She fussed and fussed. I’d cry. I wasn’t tough. I couldn’t stand to be fussed at. My mama was tough.
I remember her telling me all the time, “Don’t marry that boy. Don’t you see that little snot nose boy up in that tree? You don’t need him. He aint gonna do you no good”.
After a while I think she gave up. She said “Go on and marry him if you want to. I’ll be gone to Ohio”.
Vivian Setzer
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In 1969 Pastor Lindsay was assigned as pastor of Antioch FBH Church in Cincinnati, Ohio. She has relentlessly given her time, talent, and abilities to this church for more than a quarter century. Pastor Lindsay saw people come and she saw people go. She has witnessed and participated in the Home-going services of many of the members here at Antioch. Some old, some not so old – just the mention of their names will trigger memories:
Mother Calhoun
Mother Bessie Smith
Mother Margaret Joy
Mother Julia Robinson
Mother Thomas
Mother Christian
Mother Woodard
Sister Moore
Evangelist C.M. Morgan
Evangelist Martha Bennett Hardy
Dad Lampkin
Jackie Lampkin
Sister Lula Mae Conley
Sister Margarite Conley
Sister Stucky (McKenzie)
Sister Lovette Nutt
Sister Nancy Jones
Brother Sam Jones
Cifford Monroe
Brother Willie James Wheeler
Sister Margaret St. Clair
Sister Francine Jackson
Brother Williams
Brother Camp
Brother Grissom
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Members Remember
I knew her before she became the pastor. She was on her way to Cleveland. I believe she was going to visit her aunt and uncle. The train had a layover in Cincinnati. I was the only one she knew in Cincinnati. I put her in the bed in the back room and gave her a whole lot of books to read. I was making a pie. After I finished the pie, I packed her a lunch. She always teased about that saying “She wanted me to rest, but gave me all them books to read”. Sister Lindsay said she ate the lunch before she got to Cleveland
Mother Lottie Lampkin
I met Sister Lindsay in 1962 in Thomasville, North Carolina, never even thinking she would become our pastor. I drove Rev. Robinson down there. They made him the elder on the North Carolina District.
I made out the forms. I made her appointment form when they made her the YPI Supervisor. She was pastoring 2 churches. One in Packley, South Carolina and the other in Gastonia, North Carolina.
Deacon Charles W. Lewis
I first met the pastor in Atlanta. She was a supervisor. She had a beautiful head of hair. Everyone admired the way she wore it. She was a church worker, believed in working for the Lord. At that time I didn’t have any idea that she would be my pastor.
She’s always been the same. I met her mother and fell in love with her mother. She had a beautiful mother.
She’s my pastor. She has pastored Antioch for 33 years.
May God richly bless you. Keep on building for the up-building of God’s Kingdom.
Rev. M.E. Sullivan
Pastor told us we was going to church to straighten up the kitchen. She pulled that big black stove out…had me on my hands and knees with ammonia and a butter knife. I told her I couldn’t do this. Then she had me behind the refrigerator.
I was down there crying behind that stove, because we was only supposed to me sweeping.
I went with Pastor to help her at her job. She had me on my hands and knees mopping the floor with paper towels. Then she gave me paper towels to dry the tub. I couldn’t understand why I had to dry the tub.
LaQueita Wilson
I remember when I first got saved. Pastor was real sick she couldn’t hardly walk up the steps. We had to help her. When she got in the pulpit I saw when the Spirit of God came upon her and her countenance changed. It was like she wasn’t even sick. That made me want to get to know God and believe that He was real and He could help me.
Cheryl Wilson
Pastor changed my name to Sister Audrey. We (me and Beano) used to be scared to talk to her. We thought the way she preached was the way she talked too. But, we found out riding along with her in the car that she had normal conversations and will answer questions that you have without you asking. It’s like God already gave her the answer and you didn’t have to ask.
Audrea Turner
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In 1986 Pastor Lindsay was appointed National Jr. Mother of the 3rd Episcopal Diocese of the Fire Baptized Church.
Her first great grandson, Darius, was born in 1989. The year 2000 brought the birth of her first great granddaughter, Keilah, and her second great grandson, AJ.
At the General Council held in June 2002, Jr. Mother Lindsay was elevated to National Mother and assigned to the 3rd Episcopal Diocese of the Fire Baptized Holiness Church.
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Friends Remember
I remember when she first started pastoring Faith Chapel. Well, she was in the process of getting it up. She used to say “The church that was brought all the way from scratch”.
I was at the convention when they moved her to Cincinnati. When she went to make her report she sang a song “Everything is Moving by the Power of God”. We were sitting back saying “Yeah, you moving too”.
I remember when she went to Cincinnati and the church came out of debt. I told her “It took a lady to do the job”.
Down through the years we’ve been friends. It’s just been a blessing. Sister Lindsay, Sister Janie Williams and myself were the first Junior Mothers in the Fire Baptized Church.
Congratulations to you for being elevated to National Mother of the 3rd Episcopal Diocese.
Mother Doris L. Heard,
National Mother
1st Episcopal Diocese
I remember when Sister Lindsay came to run a revival when I was pastoring in Columbus, Ohio. She stayed in my home. Such a beautiful person that stayed in my home. You know some folks make you glad when they come and glad when they leave. But, she left an everlasting impression of what kind of a person she really is. One day she even cooked dinner for me and my husband and Brother and Sister Porter. She would do every thing I asked her to do.
Pastor Mercy Dea Thomas
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Now, here we are celebrating your 70th birthday and your bountiful life. The Lord is good! He’s kept you safe, saved, and sustained – through health problems; episodes related to your congestive heart failure, your cardioversion procedure; the highs and lows – ebbs and tides of life, financial situations, spiritual valleys, family endeavors – your natural family and extended family. He gives you strength. Strength for the journey.
You have been blessed, you are blessed, and you are a blessing.
Mother Hazel Lindsay, This is Your Life!
Happy 70th Birthday!