A life of service is what Linda Strickland has embraced. She has held positions in the local church and in religious organizations since her teen years. Currently, she serves as a member of the Board of Directors, Sunday Bible Studies teacher, volunteer office support staff, and member of the Heart to Heart Women’s Ministry and prayer ministry at Victory Tabernacle Church International in McDonough, GA. Victory Tabernacle was birthed by the Lord through her husband, the late Dr. Hopie Strickland, Jr., in November, 200l and is now shepherded by her son, Bishop Michael A. Strickland. As her husband’s number one cheerleader, Mrs. Strickland faithfully encouraged, motivated, inspired, and supported his ministry for more than 39 years. She is the mother of four adult children, the grandmother of six, and the great grandmother of nine.
Mrs. Strickland’s work in the religious area is noteworthy, especially in the New Era Convention. Beginning in her teen and early adult years, she served as a driver for her Pastor and First Lady, the late Reverend and Mrs. R. N. Martin; chaperoned the youth attending the annual youth congress from her church, the Neriah Baptist Church in East Point, and participated in all phases of Convention life. Mrs. Strickland also served as the “unofficial secretary” to her First Lady, Mrs. Ann Martin, when Mrs. Martin served as President of the Women’s Department of New Era. Mrs. Strickland has served the Women’s Department of New Era as Northern Region President, annual session workshop leader, chairperson, and member of various committees, and coordinator of the “Women on Whose Shoulders We Stand” and the annual “Ms. New Era” Pageant.
For 15 years, Mrs. Strickland served with distinction as Dean of the Congress of Christian Education for the New Era Missionary Baptist Convention of Georgia, Inc. During this time, our Congress experienced phenomenal spiritual and numerical growth. Special guest lecturers were brought in from all over the country and the Congress sessions were moved from local church sites to the Georgia Baptist Conference Center in Toccoa. Mrs. Strickland also served for five years as the Executive Coordinator for the New Era Convention. During that time, she spearheaded a statewide effort with the two other Baptist conventions to provide clothing, non-perishable foods, school supplies, medical and housing assistance to the residents of Camilla, Georgia, an area that was in great need at the time. Mrs. Strickland has the distinction of being the first woman to hold both these positions.
Mrs. Strickland has enjoyed a remarkable association with ministers’ wives organizations since 1971. She is a past president and current treasurer of the Atlanta Chapter MWMW; former departmental secretary for the education department and current instructor and Chair of the Executive Board of the Georgia Association of MWMW; and former corresponding secretary, statistician, financial secretary, vice president-at-large, and secretary of the Executive Board, for the International Association of Ministers’ Wives and Ministers’ Widows. Mrs. Strickland currently serves the International Association as chair of the Constitution Committee and instructor in the Education Department. Her work with these organizations has been recognized by her being inducted into the International Association’s Gallery of Fame in Richmond, VA in 2009; she received the International Association’s Widow of the Year Award in 2015; the Excellence in Ministry Life Changer Award from the Atlanta Chapter in 2018 and the Living Legacy Award from the International Association in June 2019.
Professionally, after graduating from the Manpower Business School and attending Georgia State University, Mrs. Strickland enjoyed a full-time career with the Atlanta Public School System. Having become industry certified as a Help Desk Manager and Knowledge Center Manager, Mrs. Strickland supervised the school district’s Technology Help Desk. In January 2003, Mrs. Strickland retired from the system, having given 36 years of stellar service. Having been licensed as an evangelist in 2017, she is currently a student at Luther Rice College and Seminary.
Linda D. Strickland is a leader, speaker, motivator, encourager, mentor, organizer, friend, confidant, and servant. She loves the Lord with all her heart, her family, the church universal, and people in general. Her life goal is to hear the Master say, “come, ye blessed of my father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”
10/20