STAFF

John & Linda Craddox

Bishop & First Lady

Senior pastor and first family.

Biography of First Lady Linda W. Craddox

First Lady Craddox is a native of Mississippi. She is a 1976 graduate of Calhoun City High School, Calhoun City, Mississippi. She is a 1980 Graduate of Mississippi Valley State University, Itta Bena, Mississippi, Where she earned her BA in Political Science. During her Sophmore year, First Lady was inducted into the Sisterhood of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. First Lady relocated to California for a season and then to New Jersey, where she met and married her husband of 37 years, Bishop John A. Craddox. 

Together the Lord has blessed them to raise 5 beautifully blessed children. 
First Lady continued her post graduate studies at New Jersey City University in Jersey City, NJ, where she earned her Teacher of the Handicapped Certificate in 1993. In 1998 she received her Masters Degree in Special Education. In 2004 she received her New Jersey Supervisors Certificate. In 2005 she was she was certified as a New Jersey Highly qualified Teacher. 2007 she was honored to receive the New Jersey Governor's Teacher Recognition Award, (Teacher of the Year). Voted Most Outstanding Elementary School Teacher by Veterans of Foreign War (VFW) Post 1333, Asbury Park, New Jersey. During this same time she was also nominated Monmouth County 2007 Teacher of the Year. In 2009, First Lady served as President of the Thurgood Marshall Elementary School Leadership Council. A position she held for 3 years. 

Since the birth of Praise Temple Ministries, First Lady humbly and faithfully served as Substitute Sunday School Teacher, Sunday School Secretary, and Sunday School Superintendent, assistant President of the Women's Ministry and Preparer of the Lord's Body (The Communion Table). 

For over 25 years First Lady has worked as a Special Education Teacher. Three and a half years as a Job Coach and Job Developer for Mercer County Community College, Trenton, New Jersey. There she worked with Displaced Homemakers. Seven years of her career, she taught Math and Reading to incarcerated youths at the-Monmouth County Youth Detention Center, Freehold, and NJ. First Lady is currently a Special Education Teacher at the Thurgood Marshall Elementary School, Asbury Park, New Jersey. 

She serves as President of Praise Temple's Women's Ministry. Not feeling fulfilled, First Lady began to seek God. After much fasting and prayer, The Lord Birthed "Daughters of The King" a ministry that addresses, real women, with real talk, about real issues. No matter, the race, creed or color, all are welcome to join the conversation. First Lady firmly believes we are all helpers of one another. Soon after the birth of Daughters of the King. 

The Lord placed a desire in First Lady's heart to birth the "I'm Still Standing!" Women's Conference, which celebrates women from all walks of life who have endured life's trial and tribulations and have come out victorious! Each year the Lord takes this great ministry to another level. The Lord has truly blessed First Lady to be an outstanding example of a true virtuous woman of God. Through it all, God was preparing First Lady for such a time as this. 
First Lady humbly walks and works side-by-side with her husband, Bishop John Craddox, and the members of Praise Temple to carry out God's assignment for her life.