The Rev. Dr. Donald R. Hayes, DTh (March 21, 1955) was born to the children of sharecroppers in South Carolina, USA. His maternal grandfather Aaron Moody planted 40 acres behind two hitched mules and a single plow. Aaron was the nephew of a Southern Methodist minister, Tapley, and himself a Southern Baptist deacon. His paternal grandfather, Bliss, found that he could make more out of an acre of corn in moonshine than he could at the farmers market. He made three barrels of 'shine' each week, enough to feed and clothe 9 children. He learned his trade from his uncle Angus McClellan, a late century immigrant from Scotland.
Donald's parents Paul Patrick and Mattie Lorene eloped when they were seniors at Lake View High School in SC and married at the Justice of the Peace. Five decades later they renewed their vows and had a sacred church wedding for their 50th wedding anniversary. Paul, the second oldest of 9 children drove a yellow school bus where he met the woman who would later become his wife for sixty-seven years before his passing in February 2013. He, like his father-in-law, was a Southern Baptist deacon. He was an insurance executive and 'steady at the helm' was his motto perhaps learned after years as a seaman in the U.S. Navy. Lorene enjoyed years in a lively environment working in the print shop at Francis Marion University. She taught the love of reading to her children and gave them a sense of purpose in life. The way she faced adversity with a smile and an old wives tale would long be remembered by her offspring.
Dr. Hayes, along with his twin brother Ronald, arrived on a cold and windy day during the week of the Ides of March as the manifestation of a prayer by a 5 year old little boy (older brother Michael). A year earlier middle brother Stephen Butler died of injuries at birth. Stephen was a mere three days old when he passed away and rode to heaven on the wings of angels. The twins were born premature at 8 months which is not uncommon today, but was very unusual in the mid 20th century. They were the first twins born in Florence, SC's McLeod Infirmary that year. Today, Michael is a retired (pilot) U.S. Air Force Colonel while Ronald is employed by the Medical University of South Carolina. He is President of the Scottish Society of Charleston.
The brothers grew up in an antebellum southern town where they enjoyed the twilight years of the American Graffiti period. After graduating West Florence High School, Dr. Hayes attended and graduated from Wofford College in Spartanburg, SC where he played college football, managed the college baseball team (Terriers), and was editor of The Bohemian yearbook. He continued his studies at American University in Washington, DC. Then he took an extended sabbatical to western Europe where at Huemoz, Switzerland he studied Calvinist theology under Francis Schaeffer at L'Abri Institute. He continued his studies years later at St. Andrews College and Seminary where he received his Master of Sacred Theology (STM) cum laude. He also received his Doctor of Theology (DTh) from the same seminary. Afterward he travelled to the home of C.S. Lewis in Oxford, England where he received a certificate for a theology course at St. Edmund Hall, Oxford University.
In addition to writing books, this is Dr. Hayes' second book (the first was Welcome to Hayestown, a private family genealogical publication now out of print), he serves two parishes, Our Saviour Anglican Catholic Church in Florence, SC as well as The Church of the Advent in Marion, SC. Dr. Hayes is an on-call volunteer clinical chaplain at Carolinas Hospital. He is certified after completing two years of Clinical Pastoral Education (Psychology) at First Health Medical Center in Pine Hurst, North Carolina. He also serves as a Chaplain (Major) in the South Carolina State Guard. Dr. Hayes has extensive training in Post traumatic Stress Disorders. To round out Dr. Hayes schedule he serves as a Hospice Chaplain where he works with bereavement and palliative care issues as well as end-of-life patients and families in need of emotional and spiritual care. He is available to care-givers and staff. Finally, he is a substitute teacher in District 4 Dillon Middle and High Schools.
Dr. Hayes is married for 25 years to Cynthia Bush of Cheverly, Maryland and Satellite Beach, Florida. Cynthia is a church secretary for the Church of the Advent. She loved to surf as a teenager and is gifted as an alto soprano. She is the youngest of five siblings. Her grandfather, Dr. A.D. Shoemaker, a native of Dumfries, Scotland, was a Southern Methodist minister and ahead of his time founding a correspondence seminary in the early sixties (now online education). Dr. Shoemaker graduated from Lehigh Seminary in Pennsylvania and served in the U.S. Army as a Chaplain (Major) WWII. He was educated at Harvard University and wrote a major article in the 1950's about the creeping Modernism (materialism) that would son overtake America and corrupt it. His insight was prophetic.
Donald and Cynthia Hayes make their home in Dillon, SC. They have two daughters, Tiffany and Carlyn as well as six grandchildren Joshua, Grace, Tyler, Savannah, Andrew, and Emily. And two wonderful sons-in-law, Patrick and Justin. And several nephews and nieces.
Dr. Hayes was knighted in 2012 and serves as Priory Chaplain of St. Vincent, the Sovereign Military Order of the Temple of Jerusalem (SMOTJ). He is also a member of the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR), life member of the Military Order of the Stars and Bars (MOSB), the Centennial Legion (CL), life member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV), life member of the National Rifle Association (NRA). He is an ordained priest canonically resident with the Anglican Catholic Church (ACC). He is a friar with the Anglican Society of St. Francis (ASF) as well as brother in the St. Augustinian Order of St. Stephen the Protomartyr (OSSP). He is a member of the Scottish Society of Charleston (SSOC) and Chapter Director of the Brotherhood of St. Andrew.
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