Rev. Dr. Carl Lynn Bailey

1944 - 2025

The Rev. Dr. C. Lynn Bailey DMin, MDiv, M.S.M., B.M., O.S.B., STS of Asheville, North Carolina, passed away peacefully on March 29, 2025. He was predeceased by his loving wife of over 52 years, Martha Busby Bailey, on May 14, 2024. He is survived by his son, Christopher Bailey and his wife, Suzanna Martin, of West Palm Beach, FL;, two brothers-in-law, Bob Busby and his wife, Bonnie, of Asheville, NC and Dr. Rudy Busby and his wife, Karen, of Salisbury, NC; as well as many nieces, nephews, and cousins in North Carolina, Georgia, and Texas.

Lynn was born on March 12, 1944 in Lubbock, TX; he was adopted as an infant by the late Carl Merle Bailey and Marguerite Bailey. In 1958, he joined The Ravens where he played bass, with lead singer David Box on vocals and Fender Stratocaster guitar, and Ernie Hall on drums. He later played with The Crickets after Buddy Holly's death. He graduated from Texas Tech University with a Bachelor of Music in Organ Performance in 1967. He then went on to study organ in Europe, first with Grethe Krogh at the Royal Academy of Music in Copenhagen in 1967, and then with Jean Langlais at the Basilica of Ste. Clothilde in Paris in 1968. He then returned to the United States where he attended Union Theological Seminary and studied with Alec Wyton at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, receiving a Master of Sacred Music in 1970.

Lynn moved to Salisbury, NC to become the organist and music director at St. John's Lutheran Church. While there he met Martha Busby, an avid gymnast and gymnastics instructor. They were married on December 26, 1971 and later moved to South Florida where Lynn was an organist/choirmaster in Delray Beach and Boca Raton while Martha taught gymnastics. They adopted their son, Christopher, in March of 1978 in West Palm Beach, FL.

By 1980, Lynn felt the call to ministry and enrolled at Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary in Columbia, SC. He interned at parishes in Walhalla, SC and Dayton, OH before receiving a Master of Divinity Cum Laude in 1984. His first call was as Associate Pastor and Music Director at Christ Lutheran Church in Charlotte, NC, where he was ordained into the Lutheran Church in America on August 14, 1984 by Bishop Michael C.D. McDaniel of the North Carolina Synod. In 1987, while at Christ Lutheran, he became an Oblate of the Benedictine Order at Belmont Abbey. He received and accepted the call to be the Senior Pastor at Reformation Lutheran Church in Columbia, SC in 1989. While at Reformation, Lynn received his Doctor of Ministry from Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary in 1994, writing his dissertation on The Worship and Music of the Taize Community, having maintained a close relationship with Brother Roger of Taize from 1989 until his untimely death in 2005. In 1995, he accepted the call to become head Pastor at St. Johannes Lutheran Church in Charleston, SC. He was active in the Charleston community, unofficially known as the "Bishop of Ansonborough", and developing a close relationship with Mepkin Abbey and the late Abbot Francis Kline. He was an honorary member of the German Friendly Society. In 2003, Lynn and Martha made the Pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago, Spain. In 2005 Lynn joined the Society of the Holy Trinity (STS), a Lutheran Ministerium. In 2006, Lynn made the decision to take on one more call before retirement and accepted the call to be head Pastor at Immanuel Lutheran Church in San Jose, CA.

Lynn retired from the ministry in 2012, but he and Martha still remained active in their community. While in San Jose, Bishop Mary Gray-Reeves issued to him a License to Officiate in the Episcopal Diocese of El Camino Real. He served at Trinity Cathedral as celebrant and preacher with Rev. David Bird. He was the supply clergy at Trinity in Fr. Bird's absence. He served as substitute organist/choirmaster at Trinity and also celebrated and preached twice a month for members of Trinity at the Villages gated retirement community. In 2016, Lynn and Martha moved to Asheville, NC. They were active in the community and loved being members at Calvary Episcopal Church in Fletcher, NC.

Lynn was an accomplished pianist, organist and harpist; music guided his life and his spirituality. He also wrote icons which will remain a lasting legacy to him. He will be dearly missed by all those who knew and loved him.

A Memorial Service will be held on Thursday, April 10th at 2:00pm at Calvary Episcopal Church, 2840 Hendersonville Rd, Fletcher, NC 28732. Lynn's remains will be cremated and interred beside his beloved Martha in the columbarium at Calvary Episcopal Church.