Booker T. Hines Sr.

Pastor Booker Taliferro Hines, Sr., the Man of Faith, labored in the Lord’s work for over 73 years. Born January 1, 1930 to the late Lillie Williams Hines and Frank Hines of Snow Hill, NC was the seventh of thirteen children. He graduated from Shiloh Elementary school in Nash County, NC and from there went on to enter Middle School in Enfield, NC in 1940. A bright and obedient child, Pastor Hines worked alongside his parents in the fields until 1946. However, he was driven to make more money. Securing permission from his father, he moved to Rocky Mount, NC to work in the tobacco factory. He delivered ice to homes, and worked as a meat cutter, making that infamous North Carolina Sausage. At the age of 16, he met the love of his life, the late Mother Cora Mae Hines. He proposed to her the next day while she was still in High School and married her in 1953. Through that union, four children were birthed, Booker T. Jr. (Ted), Angela (Ann), Donald and Sabina. Although, Mother Hines worked for a short while, Pastor Hines says, his greatest accomplishment was becoming the primary breadwinner enabling his wife to be a stay at home mom. Pastor Hines always wanted to follow behind his older brothers. He recalls the time when he had asked to accompany them and they left him before he could get ready. Distraught, he went out back to sulk. It was at that time that the church across the field was having a revival service. Hearing the old songs of Zion, he asked his parents if he could go to church. The next night his parents took him to the old-time revival at Shiloh Baptist Church. Heeding the call of the Lord, Pastor Hines went straight to the mourning bench. It was during that week revival that Pastor Hines gave his life to the Lord. He left Shiloh and joined Zion Cross Baptist Church where he served on the Usher Board and also started a singing group that ministered to the surrounding churches. In 1950, Pastor Hines, followed his oldest Sister Anna Mae Watson to Washington DC. He worked at a hotel on R Street NW shining shoes and doing maintenance work, He also worked at the GSI cafeteria as a bus boy. He joined Mt. Moriah Baptist Church where he not only sang with the Male chorus but became a prayer leader at the age of 19. In 1951, He discovered that the military was looking for him, after seeing his name published in the newspaper. Pastor Hines returned to NC and enrolled in the Army. Having received orders to go to Korea, this Man of Faith prayed and his orders was changed to Germany to do basic labor. He received an honorable discharge in 1953. After this, he joined the Army Reserve and served for five years. Having secured employment back with the GSI Cafeteria, Pastor Hines got busy doing the Lord’s work at Mt. Moriah. When there was no service going on at his home church, Pastor Hines would fellowship with Bishop Kelsey and learned about holiness. At the same time, he met and befriended another young man from NC by the name of Alexander Dixon. It was through that friendship, that he met the late Bishop Archie Headen and joined the Refreshing Spring COGIC in November 1954 and received the baptism of the Holy Ghost at a Saturday night shut-in service. He served on varies departments as a member of Refreshing Spring COGIC. The usher board, he sang in the male chorus, a deacon on the Deacon board. In 1958, Pastor Hines answered the call to preach the gospel and ordained in 1965. In the Washington DC Jurisdiction, he served on the Evangelist board and the Field Representative of the State Sunday School Department. In 1960, Pastor Hines was employed at Andrew Air Force Base until retiring after 28 yrs. He began in the cafeteria and retired as a member of the motor pool. Although, going to the church building was wonderful, Pastor Hines had a longing to take the Word to the streets, as he had seen when he was a boy in NC. He conducted his first of many tent revivals in 1960. He held numerous tent revivals throughout the metropolitan area for years. Many came and were delivered and set free through the power of God. Pastor Hines has always had an entrepreneurial spirit. At the age of 12, he had his first business. He would hire the neighbors’ children to make chair seats for three dollars a chair while continuing to cut grass around the neighborhood. In 1960, he founded Silverline Building and Maintenance, and continued to hire many of the young people around the church. Pastor Hines used his company to employ those he ministered to. Even today, some have gone on to start their own business. Pastor Hines enjoyed over 47 years as a business owner securing numerous contracts all over the government and private sector. 1989, Pastor Hines heard the call of the Lord to go and pastor. With the permission of Bishop Headen, Pastor Hines opened the doors of Refreshing Rock Mission COGIC on Monroe and 14th street NW. This church was a refuge for many inmates and others as they successfully made transition from inmate to transformed citizens making meaningful contribution to society. But perhaps the greatest of this Man of Faith’s accomplishments is the work that he has performed by the grace of God, in the prisons. It was in the 40’s while visiting a family member in Prison in Rocky Mount that the Lord gave him a heart to minister to those who were behind bars. He saw the need to mend the ties and bonds between family members and the inmates. Seeing the hopelessness many inmates felt, and the fear of the unknown, Pastors Hines continued to serve inmates after returning to the DC area. His ministry was felt in numerous facilities including Lorton, DC Jail, and Upper Marlboro and Florida jail just to name a few. He not only ministered to the inmates, but was found ministering to the impacted families. He was known in the court system as a character witness for many of the inmates at their parole hearing. Securing their release, he was found escorting them to half way houses, securing employment, and mending the broken relationships of the parolees. This is a work that he continues to do, until the Lord called him home from labor to reward. Pastor Hines lives by his favorite scripture, Hebrew 11:1 – Now, faith is the sustenance of things hope for and the evidence of things unseen. He was preceded in death by his wife of 56 years Mother Cora Mae Hines. six brothers, four sisters two grandchildren Asley and Jason and his parents. He is survived by (2) sons Booker T, Hines Jr. (Kimberly), and Donald Hines, (2) daughters Angela Holt (William), and Sabina Marshall (Kerwyn), (8) grandchildren, Anisha Anthony(Paul), NeKisha Brooks, Marcus Cook(Candice), Demetra Brooks, Katrice Brooks, Lamar Brooks, Paige Edmonds(Frederick), Javon Marshall, (18) great grandchildren, (1) great great grandchild, (2) sisters Mozell Williams (Rick) and Dorothy Thames (Lee), and a host of other relatives and friends.

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Booker T. Hines Sr.

January 1, 1930 - June 22, 2020