by Tony van der Hiele

She calls herself a treasure hunter as she digs deep into Scripture to uncover God’s truths. Professors at CBT remember her as a gifted teacher. Her name is Kathy Howard, a lady from the southern United States with a big heart for the Lord. She graduated from the Canadian Baptist Theological Seminary and College in 2004 (then called CSBS) with a Master of Arts in Christian Education. When you meet this CBT alum, you’ll soon discover that her life’s mission is to teach the riches of God’s Word to women and equip them to study Scripture. Kathy has taught the Bible for over 30 years, written fifteen books, serves on the Lifeway Women’s Training Team, and has speaking engagements throughout North America and beyond. When asked how her ministry started, she answers, “It was something God was doing at Bow Valley Baptist Church while I was in seminary.”

When God called Kathy to seminary education, she didn’t yet know the ultimate purpose. But she knew she needed to prepare and equip herself. She laughs, “My seminary experience was humbling in that I learned how much I didn’t know!” Her favourite class was Systematic Theology with Dr. Jimmy Cobb: “I loved the way he taught the class and his heart for the students.” Dr. Kevin Peacock was the one who challenged Kathy personally and, as she puts it, “To really work at my game in studying. He was the only one who had us memorizing scripture at that time, and that too was impactful for me. It is something that I have been working on, but he started me on that.” God knew why Kathy needed seminary training. The material she began to develop and teach for Bow Valley Baptist’s “Seeker’s Class” has changed the lives of many. What God did there in the early 2000’s has been the catalyst for her ministry. “I was leading the women’s Bible studies at that time,” she starts. “After Vacation Bible School, a couple of unchurched moms had asked the church if there were any classes for adults who had never studied the Bible before.” Kathy’s response was, “We don’t, but we will!” Half of the women in that first group came to Christ, and soon, more seekers followed.

As Kathy and her husband Wayne were leading these studies that never lacked participants, she soon discovered that study materials for people with little Bible knowledge were scarce. When she started to understand what was needed, Kathy felt led to write the curriculum herself. Dr. Peacock approved this plan as a field study project for her Masters program. “And God worked through that,” Kathy smiles. Dozens of people found salvation through the class and the curriculum she wrote. After moving to Texas, the momentum continued for a while. Kathy shares, “God had used that curriculum so impactfully that I wanted to get it published.” After some initial rejections, God opened the door to publish her work, and her ministry has been steadily expanding ever since.

While ministering to thousands of women and observing their life challenges, Kathy fully recognizes the need for them to study Scripture. “If we don’t have a solid grasp on God’s truth, what happens to us out in the world can knock us over.” The tagline of her ministry reads “Unshakable Faith for Life,” as she longs for that to be a reality for every woman. “My desire is for women to be able to read and study God’s Word for themselves so they can know his truth and will be unshakable.” Kathy refers to Psalm 1 as one of her favourites. “The word picture of the tree points to being deeply rooted in God’s Word so that women will be spiritually healthy and stable no matter what goes on around them.” The title of her most recent published study series is linked to that hope, “Deep Rooted Devotionals.”

God has blessed her ministry to impact women across the globe. As a gifted communicator, Kathy continues to speak and write as God guides her. She also leads a daily Bible reading group on Facebook with almost 3,000 women from all over the world. This mom of three married children and grandmother to six grandchildren loves the opportunities God has opened for ministry. Kathy is greatly encouraged to hear from women who share stories of life transformation because of her teaching. “I feel that in the last few years, God has narrowed my focus toward helping women correctly handle God’s Word and foster a passion for Scripture. I keep telling ladies that Bible study is not hard; you just have to have the right tools!”

Visit Kathy’s website for a wealth of free resources, including Bible studies, articles, and links to her books, plus information on how to book Kathy for speaking engagements.

An essential part of CBT’s purpose is to train God-called men and women to equip others for the work of God’s kingdom. Every Tuesday morning, CBT’s faculty prays over students and alumni by name. The school deeply desires for each one of them to succeed in life and ministry. Whether their ministry is global, national, or local, it is a joy to witness how alums like Kathy Howard step into their calling and giftings to have a Kingdom impact.