SHE IS likely to refer to herself as a village girl whose desire it was to become a preacher some day.
The truth is, Judy P. Linton has become more than that.
This former resident of Hothersal Turning, St Michael, has become a powerful preacher, prayer warrior, and an investment trader in Brooklyn, New York. Yet, no matter how great her achievements, Linton remains a humble soul, with a big heart – a heart big enough to give back to the children of Barbados, and especially those who reside at Hothersal Turning and its environs.
Linton’s name has also become synonymous with her own ministry, Healing The Soul Ministries, which hosts religious crusades in Barbados each year. In addition, her voice can be heard on 97.5 FM each Monday night during the Healing of the Soul Ministries broadcast.
One of five children born to Eudora and Beresford, Linton was educated at St Matthew’s Primary and St Anthony’s [secondary] School. On completion of her studies she worked at Harrison’s Department Store for one year, before migrating to New York, where she studied at the Metropolitan College and later the International Theological Seminary.
She is currently enrolled at Nyack College, where she is studying leadership and management. Linton the preacher, is the person most Barbadians get to see and each year.
An employee of Mitsubishi UFJ Trust and Banking Corporation, this daughter of the soil left Barbados as a member and youth leader of Hothersal Pilgrim Holiness Church – now Faith Wesleyan Holiness. She joined Beulah Church of the Nazarene in New York in 1979, the same year she migrated to the United States. She also became involved in that church’s youth ministry, and later its evangelism outreach programme.
Today, she is an associate pastor and minister in charge of evangelism and ministry development at this 800-odd membership church, which has become a haven for many West Indians.
In her role, she is responsible for the church’s outreach and community-based programme, and focuses on the spiritual and numerical growth of church members to help them discover their gifts and talents for placement in effective ministry.
There are also several ministries which fall under Linton’s portfolio, including the church’s prayer ministry, and the total development of all ministries.
Linton knew from her early days that she was being prepared for ministerial work.
“I was always reserved. While my friends and siblings stayed outdoors, I would be inside preaching to myself in the mirror. From a very young age I would also gather young people from the community and hold church.
“As the years went by, this developed,” explained Linton, who holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in theology, and is currently pursuing a doctorate in theology at International Theological Seminary.
Her passion is for evangelism and seeing the unsaved come to know Christ.
“I want to see people get saved, I want to help meet their psychological, emotional and spiritual needs,” Linton stressed.
“I believe in a wholistic approach to ministry. Sometimes before you get into the spiritual, there are a whole set of needs to be met”, she added.
Linton’s call to serve has seen her get involved in providing children each year with needed items. When she returns to Barbados annually for her Healing for the Soul Ministries’ crusades, these items are distributed to families in the communities.
Linton explained that Healing For The nContinued on next page.
Soul, which was first launched in Brooklyn, New York, in 2006, was born out of a desire to reach souls and restore broken lives.
Her annual crusades have been held at the Bank Hall Church of the Nazarene and at Carrington Wesleyan Holiness Church. She is usually joined by a team of ministers, who minister at other churches, the prison, and the Elayne Scantlebury Home for the physically and mentally challenged – a facility which the team adopted two years ago.
Her ministry has grown over the years.
“During the first year I brought a team of eight persons. We have now expanded to 25 persons, many of whom are Barbadians or Americans with Barbadian backgrounds. Included among them, are Minister Derek Burley and Oral Walcott.
While she sees the Caribbean as her harvest field, Linton’s heartbeat is Barbados.
“It’s where my heart is connected. I see lots of potential. I also see the issues which the youth face and I believe that with our resources we can develop programmes and facilitate workshops to help these young people,” Linton said.
Due to the response to this year’s programme, Linton is hoping to extend her ministry on the island.
“We usually visit in the Summer, but based on this year’s response, we may be coming more than once a year,” she stressed.
When time allows, Linton plays tennis, loves to travel and read. And, when her travels takes her to Barbados, she ensures she gets a plate of breadfruit cou Cou and Salt Fish.
However, she does not have to wait until she visits Bim to enjoy this dish. She describes her mum, with whom she lives as the best chef, and so without hopping on a plane, all her favourite dishes are prepared in the comfort of her own home.
