January 28th, 1950 – Reverend Lucier Baltimore was born to Ashley Ralph of Liberta and Helen Emeline Quinland of Bethesda.
She was raised in the Bethesda community where she began her early education at the Bethesda Government School before moving on to the Princess Margaret Secondary School. She attended the Leeward Islands Teaching College and earned a Diploma in Education and from the University of the West Indies (UWI) a Certificate In Education, specialising in the Teaching of Reading, and a Health And Family life Educator Certification (with Distinction). She also holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree (with Hons), from The West Indies Theological College.
At home, she learned very early on the value of hard work from her mother, who worked as a labourer on the nearby plantation, weeding and caring for the young sugarcane plants, or on private plots, wherever work was available, as well as from her grandmother and aunt. Though the family did not have much, they were taught to have a satisfied mind, and much value was placed on education and loving God.
Reverend Baltimore describes her life growing up in Bethesda as quite enjoyable with lots to do, whether it be going down to Thomas Bay for a swim to picking grapes on the grape wharf and playing games with friends such as marble, hop-scotch, warri, stone, and jump-rope. She describes her time at the Bethesda Government School, which was at the Bethesda Methodist Church at the time, as an exciting experience. She highlights Language as being her best subject as it not only taught her how to express herself with words but to also view herself with dignity. She enjoyed writing poetry and by age 14 would have won first and second place in two inter-school poetry competitions.
Reverend Baltimore joined the teaching fraternity on May 7th,1968 where she would serve for over 40 years. Becoming a teacher was something she had resolved in her mind as a young child having been inspired by Teacher Iris Emmanuel who lived close by to her family home. She recalls Teacher Emmanuel’s willingness to share what day it was with her every day and would often admire how well-dressed she was. It was these qualities that made an impact on Reverend Baltimore and made her want to aspire toward the noble profession. Her teaching tenure included working as a classroom teacher at Bethesda Primary School (1968-1996), Glanvilles Junior Secondary School (1996-1998), and later as principal of The Freetown Primary School (1998-2010).
To Reverend Baltimore, teaching was not just a job, it was a ministry. She went over and beyond the call of duty to ensure that the children placed in her care excelled in every area of their developmental process. No one was left behind.
Church was where she experienced most of her fondest memories. She recalls being a part of activities such as youth fellowship and the choir and notes the indelible mark that her Pastor, Reverend Telemaque, left on the lives of her fellow peers and herself. It was through him that she gained her exposure to core areas of development such as public speaking and music. She was also a member of the 4H club where she enjoyed writing weekly articles for their newspaper, The Choice.
Alongside her teaching career, Reverend Baltimore also embarked on a journey in church ministry in 1997 as a ‘counselor, mentor and spiritual leader’. As part of her ministry, she has authored two books; ‘Pruned for Purpose and Productivity’ and ‘Be-Attitudes’. She pastored the Bethesda Zion Church of God for the past 25 years and is the Vice Chairman of the General Assembly of the Church of God in Antigua. Church of God Antigua Chairman, Reverend Ivor Davis, in describing the calibre of her contribution to the body refers to her as ‘A great woman of God, relevant in her spoken words and elegant in her non-verbal expressions’.
Reverend Baltimore is always willing to share in conferences, seminars, crusades and pulpit ministry both locally and regionally. She is also a very active participant in women’s ministry. Though she engaged in teaching and ministry somewhat simultaneously, she notes that it was not a difficult undertaking as her children were grown and she had much assistance from her mother. In reflecting on her experience handling the two she posits, ‘I look at both teaching and pastoring as ministries to which God had called me to and the Lord enabled me to be effective in both, not only as a classroom teacher but also later as a principal. I had to manage the school, home, family, and also the church, but when you get people involved in what you do, it makes your work easier. I believe in empowering others. A good leader inspires people to be the best that they can be. And the people that I have worked with and the people that I have pastored have always been supportive of the ministry, so it was not a great burden on me.’
In 2007 Rev. Baltimore was nominated as one of Digicel’s Women of Influence, for her contribution to the development of Antigua and Barbuda. In 2013, she was vested as a Commander of the Most Illustrious Order of Merit (CM) by the Government and people of Antigua and Barbuda, for her contribution to Education, community development and the Church. In May 2022 Reverend Baltimore was presented with the Vigo Blake Community Service Award by the Bethesda School Heritage Foundation Inc in recognition of her outstanding service in education.
Reverend Baltimore leaves these words for women in particular as they go about seeking to achieve their full potential and live a purpose-driven life: ‘For me, it is ‘First Things First’: Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and all other things shall be added onto you; Also, In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path. When you surrender your life to Christ when you are ‘all in’, everything you do and the choices you make revolve around the one who is in charge of your life; you seek His guidance, and you seek His direction. That is not to say that mistakes are not made. You may veer off sometimes, but God’s love will pull you back and you are able to be focused. Have value in yourself, knowing that your life does not belong to you but to God. This informs how we live. Hold your body as the temple of God. Live a life that respects others, respects yourself, and causes others to respect you. To sum up: Seek God first in all you do, put Him in your business, and follow His leading. Listen to what He says. Let the Bible, the Word of God, become your friend. My Bible from a very young age was my companion. I loved the Word. Allow God and His Word to be the guiding principles of your life.’