Lightsey, Guy

Hillabee Baptist Church, Alexander City
Tallapoosa Baptist Association

Favorite Bible Verse: John 3:16
Favorite Hymn: “When We All See Jesus”
Family Status: Widowed after 64 years of marriage to Katiera; two children, James and Sarah; many grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren

Guy Lightsey is 105 years old. He is a charter member of Hillabee Baptist Church, Alexander City, which he helped found in 1952. Lightsey was one of the first men ordained as a deacon of the church. He also taught Sunday School over the years.

Q: What are some of your first memories of church?
A: I can remember well going to church when I was 4 years old. It wasn’t like it is today. They had church services once a month, and they had prayer meeting before preaching for about an hour. There were more tears shed at church during those days than there are now at funerals. People felt the spirit of the Lord every time they met. There weren’t as many people in the country as there are today, but what was there went to church.

Q: What did you do on Sunday mornings?
A: I got up on Sunday morning. We didn’t do anything else but go. I was raised up to go to church. My parents carried me. They had two or three Sunday School classes back in those days.

Q: How did you become a Christian?
A: It was summertime in 1913, and we were in summer school. My church, (Mount Carmel Baptist, Dadeville), was about 100 yards from the school. We were having a protracted meeting for a week or 10 days. It was then that I became a Christian.

Q: What is the secret of your longevity?
A: I can’t say but one thing about it. I give the Lord credit for all of it. I didn’t ever chew, smoke, drink or do anything like that. But I broke the law of God many times, which I regret very much.