Faye was born in High Point, North
Carolina, and went to schools there through high school. She went
to Pfeiffer College and from there to Presbyterian Hospital and
Queen’s College, both in Charlotte, where she obtained her
R.N. and B.S. in Nursing Education, then worked in Presbyterian
Hospital for two years on the administrative staff. She married
Rev. Edwin A. Hackney and they served in Western North Carolina
Conference in Mitchell County. In one of the churches they taught
a mission course using James K. Matthews’ book South of the
Himalayas, and became convinced they ought to go as missionaries.
After attending the Kennedy School of Missions in Hartford,
Connecticut, they went to India for language school for two
years. They were then sent to work in Patiala, Punjab, the first
time missionaries had lived and worked in that village. There
Rev. Hackney became a District Superintendent for twelve years
and for another twelve years in Delhi. Faye did village medical
work among persons with leprosy and later medical and educational
work and evangelism. They came back to the United States, and had
two appointments, in Gastonia and Morganton. They then retired in
Charlotte, and Rev. Hackney died soon afterwards.Faye was active in itineration for five years in both North Carolina conferences. She went to India to visit and renewed her acquaintance with Joseph Lance, and they were married in India. Faye has four sons from her first marriage: Mark, John, Paul and James, who live in Asheville, Hendersonville, Charlotte, and Salt Lake City.
Joe was born in Meerut, India, son of a Methodist pastor. His grandfather became a Christian, and as the custom was, was given the name of an American who had supported the mission work for years. His grandfather was the first convert to the Christian faith under the ministry of the man who named him.
Joe went to school in Meerut the first years, then Junior High in Ghaziabad in a Methodist Boys’ School, and High School at Parker High School in Moradabad in north India. He then attended Lucknow Christian College, where he majored in Political Science. At a youth camp conducted by Bishop Brenton Badley he accepted Christ, when he was in the seventh grade. Later Joe completed the course of study and was ordained a deacon in the Methodist Church by Bishop Pickett, while he was still in college. He was ready to leave for seminary when he became very ill. He spent the next three years when he should have been in the seminary in the hospital almost on his deathbed with undiagnosed illnesses. Luckily, he was admitted by his Parsi doctor to an Anglo-Indian Hospital where Indians weren’t usually accepted. Here his three years’ treatment was free. He was married to a nurse, Sushita, who was head of nursing in that hospital.
Based on his academic achievement, Joe was selected as a Crusade Scholar to attend Garrett Biblical Insitute, where he obtained his M.Th. and then returned to India. He was a chaplain in the TB Hospital where his wife was, but only for a very short time. The Administrator asked him to take the Hospital’s report to Annual Conference. He evidently greatly impressed the Bishop, for after he returned home the Bishop sent a telegram asking him to be the pastor of Christ Church in Delhi. He was the senior pastor for eight and one-half years. During that period of his ministry the congregation doubled and the budget also, so they could support five other churches. Following this he was Secretary of the Council of Social Concerns of the Methodist Church for three and one-half years. Later he was elected bishop on the second ballot, and at forty-two was the youngest bishop ever elected. He was bishop for twelve years in the Lucknow area and eight years in Delhi. He took early retirement then for health reasons, and his wife died. After marrying Faye they returned together to live in Charlotte until June 1, 2001, when they came to Brooks-Howell Home.