Just Like Home

Much like I found Jerry Causey up on the roof when we were set to have our conversation about his story, I learned that the person in today’s story was cleaning out closets when I arrived at the church to interview her.  We met the week before “First Impressions Week” at Hayes Barton Baptist Church,the week that was set to clean the church before the 85^th anniversary celebration.  While cleaning the church for many of us was something different to do, the person in today’s story has cleaned out many a closet and many other parts of the church through the years.  She is someone who was taken under the wing of Virginia Eagle when she was new in the church, and she is one of many who together carry on the “Virginia Eagle way.”  The person today is Kathy Teague.

Kathy Teague and her husband Bill joined Hayes Barton Baptist Church in 1979.  “Sally Swift, my great aunt, had been a member here,” recalls Kathy, “so I visited here often.  I love it, and I have always loved it.” 

One of the aspects of Hayes Barton Baptist Church that Kathy loves a lot is its multigenerational quality.  “I love the older members,” says Kathy, “and I love the way the church values its young people.”

Kathy adds to the church’s ability to be multigenerational as she is a main force in the church’s Hanging of the Greens service each year, a service which affords all generations of the church to actively participate in the decorating of the church for Advent.

As a member of the Seasonal Decorations Committee, Kathy says the Hanging of the Greens preparation is “kind of interesting.”  One of the behind the scenes challenges each year is storing all of the decorations that are used to transform the sanctuary from its every day beauty to the splendor of the Christmas season.   Think about all of your Christmas decorations and multiply by 100, and you may have a sense of scale…and storage requirements.

Kathy is involved in decorating the church throughout the year and adds a third dimension to the work of Audrey Lassiter and Debra Barrier (both previous blog post stories).  “It takes the three of us and others to do what Virginia Eagle (also a previous blog post) used to do,” says Kathy.  “Virginia took me under her wing and taught me how to do around here.”

In addition to decorating, Kathy has been involved in many aspects of Hayes Barton Baptist Church.  Teaching Sunday School to fourth and fifth graders, working in the nursery, serving on the Board of the Frankie Lemmon School and on the Children’s Ministry Council, and working on the consignment sale are a few of many. 

“The most fulfilling service by far was being cochair with my husband Bill of the capital campaign for the Family Life Center,” says Kathy.  “I felt the Holy Spirit on top of that project.  Along the way there were doors that opened and doors that closed.  It was hard work, and it was a wonderful project.”

“The Family Life Center is so much more today than we ever imagined during the campaign,” says Kathy.  “It means a lot. It breathed new life into our church.  And it helps us be multigenerational because it was made possible by the faith that older people had to decide to build it, and it is used by so many of the younger people.”

Of the heritage of Hayes Barton Baptist Church, Kathy says “that the church has changed and yet has stayed the same.  We adapt when we need to, and we value our history.  We don’t constantly reinvent ourselves and try to be all things to all people.  We keep our traditions, and we are careful and deliberate about our changes.”

The hope of the church, for Kathy, rests in the Holy Spirit.  “I see evidence that the Holy Spirit is at work here.  Christ created this church, and we have a huge responsibility to be His church, to work hard to be His church.”

The feeling of home that Kathy has for Hayes Barton Baptist Church is obvious.  “This is a wonderful church home,” says Kathy.  “Besides being in my home, I’m happiest when I’m in this home.  When I think of Hayes Barton, I think of home.”

And with that final comment about home, Kathy was off to clean out another closet, taking care of her church home much like she would take care of her own home.  Then again, it is just like her home, complete with closets to clean, decorations to store, and the Holy Spirit at work.