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MOTHER RUTH NEAL
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“I’m tired, my soul needs rest, can’t stop working for my master now”.
It was an unlikely beginning for a woman who became one among many great woman leaders, the city’s most well-known faith healers and missionary.
Ms. Ruth Kennedy was born to Kennedy and Anna Scott on April 17, 1910 in Elizabeth City, North Carolina. She was the fourth child of one sister and two brothers.
In the 1920’s she spent her childhood in the city of Philadelphia and attended a
school in the Philadelphia, city school system. She later met and married
Roosevelt Queen and between this union was born Gloria Queen.
After the death of her husband, Mrs. Ruth Queen came to Baltimore City with her parents in 1930. She continued her education at Frederick Douglas High School, worked at Lutheran Hospital as the head Dietitian. She later married Mr. Clinton Neal.
In 1937, one day the word of God caught up to her by surprise. She went to an all night dance party with her cousins and attended a service on Sunday morning at a church called Faith Baptist Church.
The preacher’s message was about wild parties and it seemed as though he was right there that night because he was so accurate. He really made her feel guilty about
being a sinner that she promised God then, if He would save her she would never walk that way again.
Upon her total surrender, she heard the Lord call her from un-cleanliness over into holiness up on the king’s highway. Her desire was to be a missionary and that is to serve the least one. So the Spirit of God began to deal with her in a supernatural way that she began praying hard, fasting without eating and drinking anything for three days and nights straight for spiritual guidance.
In the 1940’s, during World War II, at the time of the great depression and the
segregation era, when women were looked down upon and cast aside in the church, she answered the call of God.
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Visiting the fatherless and widows in their afflictions and sickness; going from house to house praying and breaking bread with gladness and singleness of heart, keeping themselves unspotted from this world.
In 1945 after World War II, her desire for a mission became a reality starting with four members; from Lexington Street fourth floor apartments, to a room on Linden Avenue, then in a basement on Mount Street, to a house at 1528 W. Fayette Street.
The mission begin to grow daily with Tuesday and Friday night 8:00 p.m. services where many walked by this church house looking in hearing the songs of Zion and effectual fervent prayers of the saints, and hearing powerful testimonies that God was healing, delivering and setting the captive free, even raising one from the dead.
From this mission, Pentecostal Holiness Church was established. Mother Ruth Neal, founder, Overseer Bishop C. A. Twine of the Pentecostal Churches of Christ Holiness in Portsmouth, Virginia, organizer. Elder Edward Clifford was appointed the first pastor and after he stepped down, Elder Eli Harden was appointed the second pastor. As God was adding to the church such as to be saved, it was needful for a larger building.
In the 1950’s she experienced the death of her mother, Anna Scott and the death of her only daughter, Gloria Queen and the separation from her husband. But in the midst of the tragedies, she still had a vision and mission in mind and spirit; that is to help the human family physically, mentally, emotionally and most of all spiritually.
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Through many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come;
‘Tis grace has brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.
Mother Neal met a gentleman named Mr. Singar who was described as a Caucasian rich man who owned property in the North Sandtown area. As she prayed for him and his family, God blessed. He blessed her with a building at 1116 -1118 N. Gilmore Street that was fully equipped with everything a sanctuary needed.
Psalms 122:1 say I was glad when they said unto me let us go into the house of the Lord, Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem. Jerusalem is built as a city that is compact together.
In 1957, the doors of the new sanctuary of Pentecostal Holiness Church was opened and dedicated as unto the Lord for His services. Regardless of your religion, color, creed, and nationality all was welcome. Service would begin nightly at 8 p.m.
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Monday was Youth Night; Tuesday was prayer night; Wednesday night was rehearsal; Thursday night was Missionary night; Friday, Bible Class and Sunday all day service from 10:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. at night.
In the 1960’s, being under the leadership of the late Overseer, Bishop C.A. Twine, Mother Neal’s uncle, founder and organizer of the local assembly Pentecostal Churches of Christ, Holiness Church of America went home to be with the Lord at the age of 103 years old. Then the late Elder Eli Hardin, pastor at that time, later stepped down and the church became independent. Many world-wide Religious organizations desired us to come under their leadership, but we stayed independent. A confederacy was called because Mother Neal firmly believed what the Scripture said (Numbers 27:16) “Let the Lord, the God of the Spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation” and Jeremiah 5:1 “Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now and know, and seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man. I Timothy 2:12, say I suffer not a woman to teach nor to usurp author over the man. Not that God could not use a woman, but she believed in God’s divine order. God, Christ, man and woman. “1 Corinthian 11:3.
Because Mother Ruth Neal being the founder of this great mission, by her faithfulness and total dedication by God’s permissive will, the head officers and the members of the church chose Mother Ruth Neal to be the leader and pastor of the Pentecostal Holiness Church, assisting her at the time was the late Elder C. Grant Hammond, the late Elder John H. Matthews and Elder Edward Widgeon, etc. so that the perfect will of God might go forward.
We believed the divine expired and infallible Word of God which is the Holy Bible. That God give His Son and the Son gave His life and His life paid it all. In order to be saved, you had to believe by faith by repenting and being converted that your sins maybe blotted out when the time of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord which is the Holy Ghost and you will become a new creature and old things are passed and behold all things will become new. Then you will walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise.
We believe in Hebrews 12:14 which says “ Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:” No!, Holiness is not a denomination, but a lifestyle; living a clean and sanctified life as unto the Lord and mankind because God requires us to be living epistles.
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Let’s Go On Talking About The Good Old Way”
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She taught the young women how to be a “Peach Out of Reach” which means to save and respect yourself and to be sweet and feminine, to be virtuous, dress modestly with decency and shame- facedness being productive in life and abstaining from all appearance of evil and don’t be lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts; like evil communication, a proud look, shacking, strong drinks, smoking, playing cards, makeup and women wearing pants. She was raised strict and believe you should pray three times a day and turn your plate down (fasting) and walk in the Spirit that you would not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
Mother Ruth Neal believed that Adam was first formed than Eve and the man is the head of the women and God made man upright to be real, strong and holy and to take his place at home and at church and women should stay in their place and every man have his own wife and every women have her own husband and children obey their parents for this is right. Husbands should love their wives as Christ love the church and gave Himself for it. Wives should submit to their husbands in everything as unto the Lord. This is called “SOUND DOCTRINE” which you don’t hear too much today.
We believed in the virgin birth , death, burial, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the five- fold ministry, spiritual gifts and most of all the fruits of the Spirit which is love, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. So now faith, hope and love abideth, but the greatest is love. “Looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing at our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.”
We believed in hand clapping, feet stomping, tongue talking Church of the Living God where many came far and near to see and hear the sounds of Pentecost. We had many great events, such as Communion, Baptism services and Feet Washing; once a month birthday celebrations; choir anniversaries; Vacation Bible School; picnics and trips; Youth Crusades and Candle light Christmas service; weddings; funerals; and powerful revivals. We had national world- wide preachers such as Bishop Cornelius Showell and Evangelist Caroline Showell and the late Bishop Preston Toogood, etc.
Her charisma, anointing, gift and love attracted people of all ages. The first impression is that she reminds you of a stereotypical mother and grandmother. It is a smooth and unlined face; bright, alert eyes and a smile of warmth and sincerity. And a few moments of conversation will tell you that all the first impressions were correct. With a meek and quiet spirit which in the sight of God is a great price because she believed in James 1:26 which says “He that bridle not his tongue, his religion is vain. But when she did speak or give advice it was the truth in love, with wisdom and boldness and when you took heed you were blessed.
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She was authentic, extraordinary, unique, and walked with integrity and she was transparent. With love and compassion, forgiveness and understanding and much perseverance, she became all things to all men that I might win some according to (I Corinthians 9:19) She baby sit many, took people in, fed and clothes them, helped many with their bills and prayed for you regardless of time and place. She was like the Mother Theresa of Baltimore City. That’s why she was called Mother because she became a mother to many people.
Faith healing was a significant part of Mother Neal’s Ministry. She firmly believed that God is a divine healer and the God that lived in Moses time is just the same today. Not discounting the value of medication and physicians but she recounted numerous successful experience with faith healing. Many thought she use witch sorcery, but we knew that was not so because God was with her.
We remember those starch white uniform attire and Olive Oil in her hand as they began to kneel as she anointed you, they cried and prayed fervently singing hymns and spiritual songs like I Need The Every Hour, Pass Me Not, Remember Me, and We are healed by the wound in His Side, Yes Jesus Loves Me, Call Him By His Name and Send One Angel, and you would feel the Spirit of God moving in a mighty way. Many would testify that they were healed from sickness, diseases and death. No, she was not the healer; God was the healer, He just used her as an instrument in the gifts as she would say. The scripture says these signs shall follow them that believe….. They shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover. (Mark 16:16)
Being tired and bearing the body of Christ, within those sixty plus years she never took sick, never missed a church service and the door of the church were never closed regardless of the weather condition and circumstance. She gave herself unselfishly and unconditionally and she never murmured nor complained, never asked anything for return because she had a charge to keep, and was always about her Father’s business working hard while it is day because when night cometh no man can work. Romans 15:1-3 For even Christ pleased not Himself…
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Visiting institutions such as nursing homes, blind homes, schools, Baltimore City Hospital now called John Hopkins Bayview Medical Center and Maryland General Hospital now called University of Maryland Medical Center, Jessup Correctional Institution for Women where her and the saints did a great work. From this great mission, many off springs became successful entrepreneurs from generation to generation. Within those fifty years hundreds have come and gone.
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Yes! We were small in number, but we were well known in the community and had an impact within and out of the City of Baltimore, to the extent that News papers and magazines wrote about this great mission and awards and citations were received from the late Governor Donald Schaffer and others.
Oh How We Miss This Ministry!
In the 1980’s, being under the years of strain, Mother Ruth Neal health began to fail. In her absence Bishop Walter Barnes III and wife Sister Gwendolyn Barnes became the successors. On June 1, 2001 Mother Ruth Neal went home to be with the Lord at the age of 94. Oh come thou blessed, thou good and faithful servant, enter ye into the joy of the Lord that you may rest from your labour. Well Done.
Attention to all Leaders
The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, the leader of the nation of Islam made a powerful statement. “When death comes, what do you have at the end of life? Just a good word and fair speech; Just a grave, a box, flowers and materialistic things? Should we live and work for more than just ourselves and our families? Shouldn’t we work for a better world in which our children and grand children can grow up in? If you are that narrow minded that you can only think about what’s only in it for you, then when death comes to you, you are twice dead. (Jude Chapter 1:12) READ IT.
Do you know why Harriet Tubman, Martin Luther King and Rosa Park’s names and many other great leaders are remembered? Because they live for more than themselves! When you live for that, what goes on when you are gone, then you live in those that remember your sacrifice. That’s why the prophets, the apostles, and Jesus Christ is remembered because they lived for God and for the betterment of the human family circumstance.
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That was Mother Ruth Neal!!!! A Warrior Indeed!
The Historical and Legacy of this Church will never be forgotten!
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