What does your job involve?
My job involves recruiting, training and empowering women to serve where God has gifted and called them in ministry.
Where were you born and raised?
I grew up on a dairy farm in South Orlando.
How large is the family you grew up in?
I am one of five girls, the second oldest.
When and how did you come to know Christ?
I made a profession of faith when I was 9 years old. We were attending First Orlando when it was downtown. I made my profession based on my knowledge of who Christ was and what He had done, but it was not until I was about 12 or 13 when I attended a Christian camp at Lake Yale, that I truly came to know Him. I remember my counselor talking about having a relationship with Christ and I realized that I had never really heard that, or if I did, it never took root in my heart. I came to understand that being a Christian is about having a relationship with God, not about what I know. When I look back at that time of my life, I would say that is when I came to truly know the Lord, not when I was 9. It was when I was 12 or 13 that my heart was changed and I had a desire to know the Lord in a very real way. I had a great hunger to read His Word and know what He specifically wanted for my life.
What was the first job you ever had?
When I was in the 8th grade, I got a job in a dressmaker’s shop in Kissimmee. I started off selling fabric, but she actually started letting me cut dresses and sew for her within a few weeks.
Where did you go to college?
I went to Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama, where I received a degree in Home Economics and a minor in Music.
When and to whom did you marry?
I married my husband, Jerry, August 18, 1979, two years after I graduated from college. We met in the church our families attended here in Orlando.
How many children do you have?
Three daughters.
Have you ever done any long- or short-term missionary work?
The summer after my freshman year in college, I worked with the Home Mission Board in a Pittsford, New York, church plant. It was a unique experience — and included a lot of culture shock. When I returned home, I’ll never forget sitting in my home church and sensing the moving of the Holy Spirit — something I had taken for granted. The people in New York were cold and spiritually lifeless. I was so grateful to be home. Years later, our family went to Honduras where we worked a week in some very remote areas. We worked in feeding kitchens, distributed solar-powered radios and helped build some homes.
What was the Honduras experience like?
It was a great family time for us and a very powerful experience. We always hear how “everyone” in America is rich, and it’s true. Even for those of humble means, we’re still rich compared to the people of Honduras, not only financially and materially, but also, spiritually. As a family, we got to see, experience and understand that in a way we wouldn’t have — if we had not had that opportunity.
What was the turning point of your life?
A significant spiritual marker and turning point in my life came through a very difficult circumstance. When we were expecting our third daughter, I was caring for some friends’ baby. Tragically, while in my care, she died of crib death. The reason it was a turning point in my life was that I took on a great amount of guilt over it. I believed I should have been in control and could have done something different to prevent it. Because I grew up in a Christian home and desired to live a life pleasing to the Lord, I never experienced such deep guilt as I did in this situation. I experienced the Lord’s mercy and grace and He used this experience to teach me several things. I learned more about God’s sovereignty and what that really means. It impacts me even today. As I encounter life situations, whether good or bad, I am more confident of who God is and of His character — that He is good and faithful and trustworthy in everything. Also, because I carried such guilt over this situation, I experienced the depth of His forgiveness in a way I had never known. Because I had a pretty uneventful life and was always the “good girl,” experiencing this deep guilt and then experiencing what it means to be set free and released from bondage is a glorious thing! I am grateful for the Lord allowing this dark and difficult time in my life because He taught me much about Himself and His love for me.
What do you like most about your job?
There are several things! I love watching women move to a higher place in their relationship with the Lord. Many times the Lord allows me to observe this happen when a woman gets involved in an area of Women’s Ministries and God’s truths take root in her heart and transforms her thinking and beliefs about Him. She then lives them out in her daily life and the work of Christ becomes more evident in her life. Basically, I’m a director, and many times my job is not about “doing” a particular ministry, but it’s about making provision for resources and encouragement so that others can serve more effectively in the calling God has placed on their lives. It is a great joy to me when I see a woman find her place and niche according to how God created her for service. I love being able to help women do that. It gives me a great sense of joy!
Do you have a favorite Bible verse or passage?
I love Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians in chapter 3:14-21 and especially verse 20: “Now to him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory …” It’s not about us and our abilities — but it’s about Him and His work in our lives through the Holy Spirit. This passage shows us that we cannot even imagine or comprehend what He can do in and through our lives when we are yielded to Him.
What do you like doing in your free time?
I enjoy being with my family and friends, relaxing at the beach, being a “homebody” and being “still”!
Is there something people would be surprised to learn about you?
When I was a little girl, we lived on a farm. My mother wanted us to grow up to be ladies and she didn’t want us driving the tractor or milking the cows. But there were times we needed to do those kinds of things to help my dad. There was a season when my sister and I walked down to the pasture every Sunday morning and brought the cows to the milking parlor. We were probably 6 or 7 at the time. That’s probably something a lot of people could not imagine me doing — I’m sort of a “girly girl”!