Our Pastor

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 Rev. Linda D. Stevens is a native of the Eastern Shore of Virginia, and currently serves as Senior Pastor and Founder of New Life Empowerment Temple in Richmond, Virginia.  Prior to establishing this church in January 2006, she served as Pastor of Westwood Baptist Church in Richmond, VA.  That assignment distinguished her as the first female to be called by a historical Black Baptist Church in the state, concurrent with the first female called to a Baptist Church in the city of Richmond.  She has preached in conferences with Pastor Paula White, Dr. Rita Twiggs and Dr. Jeremiah Wright.  She has been the guest preacher for Presbyterian/USA Black Caucus;  Lott Carey Foreign Mission Convention, the Progressive National Baptist Convention, Women’s Summit at the Samuel Dewitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University; and renowned Hampton University Ministers’ Conference.  Internationally, she has preached on three continents: Africa, Europe, South America; and also preached in the Caribbean.  First  African-American female pastor to offer invocation at Virginia General Assembly; first African-American appointed to Accomack County Social Service Board; Team Leader, Lott Carey Pastoral Excellence Program; Ministerial Leadership Commission of American Baptist Churches/USA; Virginia Commission HIV/AIDS Task Force.  Rev. Stevens is a graduate of Virginia State University (B.S.); Old Dominion University (M. Ed), graduating Magna Cum Laude; and Union Theological Seminary, earning a Masters of Divinity.  She was also a Clinical Fellow at the Medical College of Virginia.  Rev. Stevens has furthered her theological pursuit by graduating from Harvard Divinity Summer Leadership Institute.