Judy Howard Faces Next Big Step of Faith

CHICAGO (June, 2000) - Two years ago, Judy Howard wanted to take a step of faith and she did so in a big way.

Howard traveled 4,000 miles across the United States from Grayland Beach, Washington, before reaching Key Biscayne, Florida, on May 15, 1999, a journey documented regularly on the Covenant website and in The Covenant Companion

Thirteen months later, she faces the next step – how to constructively use her experiences in some area of ministry. Howard will graduate from North Park Theological Seminary in December. Howard shared her experiences during her presentation during the Covenant Women Ministries annual meeting June 23, part of the 115th Annual Meeting of the Evangelical Covenant Church in St. Paul.

During most weeks, Howard plowed through a full class load as a student on scholarship. Most weekends, she traveled to various churches and Christian organizations as a public speaker. About half of her invitations were with Evangelical Covenant churches, although she was pleased that about 20 percent of her speaking engagements were in the secular venues - high schools, business meetings and the like.

Traveling across America and being provided for during the entire trip has affected Howard's faith greatly, especially as she trusts God for her daily needs. For that reason, she doesn't ask for a stipend when she speaks at a church. "I've been going on the same mentality I did all year (on the walk), that I have this very wealthy father in heaven who gives me just what I need, never too much, never not enough," she said. "I continue to trust God for my finances. It is scary, but it is miraculous."

Howard recalled one month where she came home from a speaking engagement with just $100 in savings and the rent due in a week. That week she received $2,400 in checks, half from total strangers. Stories like these remind Howard that God is in control of her life, allowing her to meet the needs of people at that moment without worry about how her future will turn out.

"If I had (constantly) thought of the 4,000 miles I would have to walk I would've quit," said Howard. "But, if I walk my 20 miles today, and tomorrow I walk another 20 miles, at the end of the week I will be 140 miles closer to where God wants me to be, even if I have no clue where that is."

Another way God has provided for Howard is through relationships, particularly with her fiancee Jeff Peterson, whom she plans to marry in September. The two parted ways before Howard began her trip, believing that Howard needed to be single-minded about her journey. However, they began dating again as Howard walked in the Chicago area and solidified their relationship during the past academic year.

Howard is anything but shy, which makes her a natural evangelist. For Howard, a long-time waitress, giving a $5 tip to cashiers when she buys a cup of coffee at a local cafe is just another way to talk about God. When they ask why she does this she replies, "I've been bringing God the wrong order my whole life, and yet He continues to tip me."

It is evangelistic outreach that drives Howard and she doesn't care how it comes about. She has become even more convinced that there is a place that God has fashioned just for her ministry skills and passion. "My gifts (in ministry) are more for non-believers, they're more for outreach, they are more for people who are probably now in high school," she said. "I am so committed to Kingdom ministry. I love stirring the pot . . . and I love giving them a way to do evangelism," she continued.

"Originally, when I started walking across America, I thought it would be a great way to minister to a crowd who never went to church," she continued. "And it (the walk) continues to be a hook for me in conversation."

Going from the excitement of life on the road to sitting in the classroom may have seemed a tough transition for Howard this past year. However, finishing seminary was imperative for the Burnsville, Minnesota, native and she has no regrets. She says her education in and out of class was too valuable. "I respect the faculty at North Park like you can't believe," said Howard. "I have found that other seminaries that have Master of Divinity programs may grill students harder on their Greek, but their teachers turn out eligible Ph.D. students, but not qualified pastors. We learn how to be pastors because our faculty models that. I think seminary has been pivotal for me. I have been challenged. I have been pushed. I have been applauded when it's something good, disciplined if it's been incorrect. It's been a tremendous blessing for me. It has solidified my call," she continued.

"The motivation for me is that I want to know the truth, so I don't have Judy's agenda with the Jesus stamp on it. In the kind of ministry I'm doing, there isn't always a lot of accountability in my day-to-day conversation. I want to be under accountability. For a pastor, when he preaches, there's accountability. But, for me, when I'm speaking in front of mainly on-Christians, you know what, they don't know. So I could say something really heretical and they wouldn't have any idea. They would follow that and I could lead a whole bunch of people down the wrong path. For someone who wants to lead, it's very dangerous unless they are truth-based"

Having spent much of the past two years traveling to ECC churches, Howard has come to appreciate much about the denomination in which she grew up. "The Covenant has something that's unique - it doesn't feel as if it has cornered the market on church," she said. "It says, 'we've got something great, but if your needs are not met here, we bless you as you go somewhere else.' It is probably one of the most honest (denominational) approaches."

Howard isn't concerned about how she changes lives for Jesus. She only wants to be part of the process, whether it's through the church she worships in, or in the restaurant she waitresses in, or in the park where she walks her dog. "I'm so internally convicted about my time and I want to see the Kingdom grow so much I can hardly stand it," Howard said. "There isn't a time when I'm not working. I'm always looking for opportunities."

Printable version of this page.