Spring 2000

Page A-7

When Dr. Lindsay became co-pastor of First Baptist Church of Jacksonville, Richard Nixon had just taken office as President of the United States, Neil Armstrong had yet to walk on the moon, and First Baptist Church had 3,620 members.

For the next 31 years, Dr. Lindsay unyieldingly preached the Gospel of or Lord Jesus Christ and in so doing left his indelible mark on the people of Jacksonville, Florida. His enduring focus was simple –"That Jacksonville May Know Christ."

My family and I were blessed to be a part of the First Baptist family during these years. My husband A.C. and I raised three sons in our church. We witnessed first hand the love Dr. Linday had for people and his earnest desire that all come to have a saving faith in Jesus Christ.

As I reflect on these years, God’s great blessings on the First Baptist family are overwhelming. Dr. Lindsay was used as an instrument through which God led us.

If there is one word to describe Dr. Lindsay, it is "Faithful." He was a faithful son to Homer and Ruth Lindsay; he was a faithful husband to "his Shirley;" he was faithful father to Nancy, Clara, Peggy and Homer G.; and he was a faithful grandfather to his grandchildren.

He was faithful and totally committed to God’s call on his life to be a preacher and pastor. His great love for the people in his congregation was everywhere evident. Each of us felt we were special and important to him.

He was faithful in the great compassion he felt for those who had not heard of God’s love and Jesus’ gift of eternal life. He gave his life through his ministry as a zealous soul winner. Telling others of Jesus was his primary focus.

He was faithful in keeping our church "on task." That was one of his great strengths. Every effort Dr. Lindsay exerted was in furtherance of providing all with an opportunity to know Christ. It was this task Dr. Lindsay branded on our hearts.

He taught each of us to be a lighthouse for the Lord. To do so, he insisted that we learn to be thankful, expressing to God daily our gratefulness for His blessings, from the smallest to the greatest!

He implored us to daily spend time reading our Bible and committing ourselves to God. Dr. Lindsay knew that over time such a life style would lead us to have a great love for Jesus, which is the ultimate motivation for a Christian.

It was clear to us that he possessed a deep and abiding love for Jesus. I have heard many people say how much they were influenced by this quality in our pastor.

Dr. Lindsay’s style of preaching was unique and had a profound impact on all who listened. His expository approach was simply to choose a book of the Bible and teach through that book verse by verse.

He had an extraordinary ability to explain complex doctrine and difficult passages in easy- to-understand terms. When one continues under this type of teaching, he or she develops a wealth of understanding, and an appreciation for God’s word is developed.

At the same time, his goal was that the people put in use what was learned so that it impacted our daily lives in practical ways.

Dr. Lindsay was a great leader, not only to his congregation , but to the City of Jacksonville. At the end of his ministry First Baptist Church membership exceeded 26,000. Dr. Lindsay was a humble man who by his own admission was shy, introverted and uncomfortable in a crowd - not at all typical of a pastor.

His own father was surprised when he told him of his call to the ministry. Pastor Lindsay has preceded us into eternity, where we will meet him again. However, his message and example will live on!