TYLER, Texas (KETK) — The Remarkable Woman of East Texas winner was announced Thursday morning on East Texas Live.
Pastor Denise Walker won the 2021 Remarkable Woman of East Texas and will receive $1,000 to give to her ministry. Walker also qualifies to be names Nexstar Media Group’s national Woman of the Year award.
On April 1, one woman in each market will be announced as a finalist for the National “Nexstar Women of the Year” award. Then on April 8, their will be a taping of the Nexstar Remarkable Women Show at WGN studios in Chicago.
The Remarkable Women Special will air at 4 p.m. on WGN. A 60 minute special for Remarkable Women will be on April 11 at noon, KFXK on April 11 at 1:30 p.m. and KTPN on April 17 at 1 p.m.
Walker has helped people struggling in her community for more than two decades.
She is in charge of A.D.D.I.C.T. Ministries, which stands for A Dedicated Disciple in Christ Today. She works with those with addictions and people who were incarcerated.
“I’m not telling you something I learned out of a book,” Walker said. “If God can change my life and keep me out of the pit that I was in, he can do the same for you.”
According to Walker, the hardest part of her job is helping those who don’t want to help themselves.
“I keep trying till God tells me to stop,” Walker said.
Faith is a big part of her job. Showing reverence to God is something Walker is very passionate about.
“You can’t stay the same, you got to be transformed by the renewing of your mind. We got to become something different something we never even thought we can be.”
DENISE WALKER, PASTOR OF A.D.D.I.C.T. MINISTRIES
She’s balancing her duties with her ministry and helping taking care of her parents. Her mother is bedridden and it’s taking a toll on Walker.
“To be really honest it’s painful, learning how to just to love her and meet her right there where she is, and to see her become someone you never knew before,” Walker said.
Despite being stressed most of the time, Walker chooses to smile instead of complain. That’s just one of the many things that makes her remarkable.
The other nominees for Remarkable Woman of East Texas were:
Pastor Denise Walker is the director and founder of A.D.D.I.C.T. Ministries. After being saved by God and filled with the holy ghost Pastor Walker birthed the idea of a ministry and in 1998 A Dedicated Disciple In Christ Today (ADDICT) was opened in North Tyler under the leadership of Bishop Houston called the Smith Temple House of Restoration. In 2001 ADDICT Ministry received 501©3 status and parted ways with Bishop Houston and Smith Temple. ADDICT Ministries’ mission is to help men who have lost their way in life from incarceration, addition or whatever to regain their status as head and not the tail through faith and believing the word of God. The men in the program are accepted free of charge if they have no means to pay. Pastor Walker has operated solely on donations since the day she has opened her doors. Over the 20 years that Pastor Walker has been in ministry she has always put her trust in the Lord for everything and believe me that ministry has stayed open and willing to serve. At capacity she has had more than 20 men at one time there. The men respect her tremendously, but she doesn’t let them intimidate her. I am the secretary of the ministry and I have seen how Pastor Denise has struggled through life, but she has never doubted that this is the path that God has for her even at times forsaken her own needs for the needs of others. Pastor Denise is always giving to others around her when she knows of a need or just because she has been blessed with an abundance. Also, Pastor Denise takes care of her elderly parents. As she juggles the busy schedules of the men at the ministry she also makes sure that her mother who is living with dementia and Alzheimer’s is taken care of. With all of this you will never hear her complain, she gets a little bossy, but she doesn’t really complain and you definitely never her have any regrets. Oh, Did I mention that Pastor Denise Walker is my sister. My big sister is awesome Five hundred words is not enough for me to tell her story, but you can ask anyone who knowns Pastor Denise Walker and they will tell you that 1st she loves the Lord and 2nd she loves her family and 3rd she will give you the shirt off her back.
Nominated by, Kimberly Friend
