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God has brought the Lindsay Street Baptist Church Family a long
way from its brush arbor beginnings. From 1912, the English Avenue
Community has been meeting at the corner of Lindsay Street and
North Avenue to lift up praises to Almighty God. Mother Moore
and Reverend Tillman were a part of those humble beginnings. Once
known as the Greenwood Baptist Church because of the beautiful
greenery surrounding the meeting area, Lindsay Street developed
from a storefront building to a white shingle edifice. With the
new building came the new name of Lindsay Street Baptist Church.
Reverend E.S. Swanson served as its first pastor. A bell was placed
in the tower inviting all who could hear the ringing to come and
fellowship in the house of the Lord. Baptismal services were held
in the creek that runs through North Avenue woods.
After the death of Reverend Swanson, the church
continued to grow and prosper under the blessed leadership of
Reverends Hines and Y.L. Davenport. In 1950, Lindsay Street called
Reverend H.M. Alexander as its shepherd. Under Reverend Alexander’s
divine spiritual guidance and God’s rich blessings, Lindsay
Street focused on God’s true purpose and will. Lindsay Street
was committed to saving lost souls, building a Christian community,
increasing its membership and building an edifice acceptable and
pleasing to God. Under God’s direction and protection, the
Heritage church was completed and the cornerstone laid in 1951.
Pastor Alexander became ill in his 27th year
of service and it became necessary to call an assistant pastor,
Reverend Danny Nance. Reverend Nance served as pastor for only
a short time.
In 1980, God blessed the Lindsay Street congregation
again in the person of Reverend Anthony A.W. Motley. Under Pastor
Motley’s spiritual leadership, Lindsay Street has been the
spiritual foundation for many Christian leaders and preachers.
The membership continues to grow as we travel the paths that God
has laid for this congregation. Pastor Motley sees the vision
of God and continues to build up the congregation through his
powerful preaching and teaching ministries.
God is directing Lindsay Street to serve as a
beacon of light to the English Avenue Community and to reach outside
the walls of the church to meet the needs of the people of God.
Lindsay Street seeks to fulfill the will of God through the birth
of the English Avenue Community Development Corporation, the Tuesday
Night Men’s Ministry, the Evangelistic Outreach Team, the
New Members Committee, the Early Sunday Morning Worship and many
other ministries.
As the various communities and church ministries
were blessed with continuous growth, more space was needed. Lead
by God, Reverend Motley and the members began to prayerfully consider
whether to move to another location or remain in the present location.
Through prayer and faith in God, a revelation came to Pastor and
the congregation to continue to worship and to serve in the English
Avenue Community.
Pastor Motley and the church officers set the
wheels in motion to build a new edifice in the community. Now
we are enjoying the fruits of our labor. September 9, 2001 marked
the day we entered and dedicated our new Horizon facility at 550
Lindsay Street.
May we continue to have faith in God, praise
His holy name and witness to him.
Pastor Motley was born in Tuskegee, Alabama. He received his
elementary school education at Whitley Elementary School, Plateau,
Alabama. His family then moved to Cincinnati, Ohio where he received
his high school education at Woodard High School. His college
career began at Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio with a
major in philosophy. He then transferred his credits to Morehouse
College, majoring in Religion and minoring in Philosophy. He received
his Bachelor’s Degree in 1980. Upon completing studies at
the Interdenominational Theological Center, he was awarded a Master
of Arts Degree in Christian Education.
Reverend Motley comes from a deeply religious
family from whom the Lord has called many ministers. He received
Christ at the age of eight and was called into the ministry when
he was eighteen years of age. His father, the late Dr. D. L. Motley,
Sr., the renowned and respected Pastor Emeritus of the Peace Baptist
Church in Cincinnati, Ohio, licensed and ordained him in 1971
and 1973, respectively.
Reverend Motley served the following churches:
Mt. Sinai Baptist Church, Tallapoosa, Georgia, Wares Grove Baptist
Church, Cedartown, Georgia, and Flat Rock Baptist Church in Rome,
Georgia.
Reverend Motley accepted the pastorship of the
Lindsay Street Baptist Church on September 7, 1980.
He is the proud father of his daughter Shaunae
and a beautiful granddaughter Sanaa Lauren.
Pastor Motley is deeply involved in community
activities seeking to improve the conditions of the socially and
economically oppressed and the spiritually impoverished. He is
active with many organizations which include the Concerned Black
Clergy, the Progressive National Baptist Convention, the American
Baptist Convention, past President of the Atlanta Baptist Ministers’
Union and the New Era State Convention of Georgia, board member
of Vine City Housing Ministry and the chairman of the English
Avenue Community Development Corporation. He was an adjunct professor
at Morris Brown College, 1998-2002. Reverend Motley is much sought
after as a speaker, lecturer, teacher and preacher.
Under the leadership of Reverend Anthony Motley,
the congregation of Lindsay Street completed a major worship edifice,
which seats upwards of 1,000 people. If there is one word to describe
Reverend Motley, it is “visionary”. |
