In Her Own Words...

Even though we have many more stories to write and days to celebrate our 85 years of ministries, missions, and members at Hayes Barton Baptist Church, as we celebrate today, I can’t think of a better story to post than the one that follows here.  “In Her Own Words” is a letter written by Helen Cashwell, wife of Pastor T.L. Cashwell who served Hayes Barton Baptist Church from 1964 to 1985.  Mrs. Cashwell and I have met twice over the last several weeks.  I have been truly blessed by these conversations, and I have learned so very much about her and her beloved “T.L.”.  I’ll share some of those stories in another post, but, for now, I will pass along Mrs. Cashwell’s thoughts which reflect her grace, gratitude, and love of Christ and Hayes Barton Baptist Church.

To write this article really takes me down Memory Lane.  It was about 48 years ago (January, 1964) that my husband, T.L. Cashwell, Jr., was called to become Pastor of this congregation called Hayes Barton Baptist Church.  At that time, he was the Pastor of the First Baptist Church of Albemarle, North Carolina.  We came to Raleigh for the first Sunday on January 26, 1964, where there was a wonderful congregation waiting  to once again in the future enjoy attending church in a building that belonged to them.  Since 1962 they had been meeting in Myrtle Underwood School in the winter (to be warm) and in the Colony Theater in the summer months (to be cool).  A fired had destroyed the church building except for the Chapel wing. 

I will fast forward to say that the Thanksgiving Morning of November, 1966, we entered the beautiful sanctuary that we enjoy today.  The additional edifice was the Fellowship Hall and Educational Building.  Now years later during the time of the present Pastor, the Family Life Center has been built and is a blessing to all of us.

The twenty-one years that T.L. served as Pastor here were some of the happiest years of our lives.  He was 42 years old when he began as Pastor here.  Our two children, Tommy (14) and Susan (11), dreaded leaving their friends in Albemarle, but they quickly made new friends here after we moved to Raleigh.  We were so young, so blest! T.L. continued until he was 63 and decided to retire because he felt he didn’t have the energy needed to serve the congregation as they deserved.  The end result was his struggle with Alzheimer Disease, and his death came on May 15, 2003.  The Church was so wonderful and caring during those years and expressed their love by assisting with his care in a financial way while he was a patient in the Stewart Health Center at Springmoor Retirement Community for two years and three months.  Our family was so grateful.

The crowning moment came when at T.L.’s last service in the pulpit. On the Retirement Sunday it was announced that he had been named the first Pastor Emeritus at Hayes Barton Baptist Church.  Other fine Pastors had preceded him, but he had served twenty-one years which was the longest tenure at that time.  We felt greatly honored by the Church’s gracious recognition and love.  The remaining diamond in the crown came when the Church honored him one more time by naming the new addition to the sanctuary the Cashwell Corridor.  It is so special because it is handicap friendly and also affords all of us the beautiful walk into our lovely place of worship.  We can never thank you adequately.  The Memorial Service for T.L. was beautiful, and the reception that followed was lovely and so appreciated.

I could never list all of the joys of our years at Hayes Barton Baptist Church, but these are some of those that rise to the top.  Thank you for allowing this 90 year old lady to still be a part of this wonderful congregation that I love with all my heart. 

I pray that God will continue to bless this wonderful Church and that it will always be a beacon that lights the way for people to gain their salvation because here is where they learn of the love our Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.