Fort Worth, Texas – Monday, June 2, 2025 – Valerie Overton Howard the Co-founder of God’s Kngdom Ministries will be conferred with an Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from West Coast Bible College & Seminary (WCBCS). This distinguished accolade will be formally bestowed upon her at a ceremonial event scheduled for June 7, 2025.
Dr. Phillip S. Porter, President of WCBCS, stated: “Valerie, a pastor, author, Qualified Mental Health Specialist and Peer Support Specialist, entrepreneur, Success Coach, and Mentor has been a resolute advocate for the economically underserved for over thirty years. It is my privilege to welcome her to the esteemed West Coast family.”
Dr. Valerie Overton Howard—affectionately known as Pastor Valerie— public servant with transformative leadership experience in building healthier communities and strengthening organizational systems. She is a dynamic force in mental health advocacy, faith leadership, and community empowerment. She is renowned for her innovative, passionate and interagency approach to tackling complex societal issues such as poverty, addiction, suicide, mental health stigma and has pioneered multiple undertakings along with rallies leading her to Washington DC.
Co-founder of God’s Kngdom Ministries since 2003 in Lorain, Ohio, alongside her husband, Bishop Charles Howard, Pastor Valerie has pioneered numerous local and state initiatives along with raising thousands upon thousands of dollars to advance ministry and communal rehabilitation. Her coalition, Joining Forces to Save Lives, brings together political leaders, law enforcement, mental health professionals, and faith communities to address the growing mental health and addiction crisis exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and other traumatic circumstances. Dr. Valerie continues to impact lives through advocacy, education, and faith-driven projects, inspiring hope, and revolution in communities nationwide.
A Qualified Mental Health Specialist, Peer Support Specialist, Success Coach and Mentor, and published author, Dr. Valerie has reached audiences in Alaska and conducted book tours around the United States. After the murder of her covenant son, losing 30 individuals within a year, including her mother in January 2021 and Aunt February 2021, Dr. Howard rose above the trauma and turned her pain into purpose. She has written It All Came Tumbling Down: Considerations on How to Deal with Grief, Trauma, and Loss, ‘Disappointed Parents,’ other published materials with additional mental health tools and children’s books forthcoming in 2026.
Pastor Valerie is also the creative mind behind Just Keeping It Real, a widely viewed media show that fosters honest dialogue on controversial social topics. As the founder of Releasing the Sound Productions and Love of Elizabeth, she merges artistic expression with social outreach, regardless of one’s socioeconomic status. She also leads efforts that support people experiencing health inequities, marginalized populations, underrepresented minorities, those facing systemic barriers and vulnerable populations through wellness endeavors, food distribution, shelter, and creative engagement.
Her trailblazing leadership includes the first-ever HBCU College Fair, Mental Health Conference for Men, and the original mental health stage play written and directed by Dr. Howard, The FaCe in Lorain County—all of which received widespread community participation, televised coverage, and media recognition.
Dr. Howard’s partnerships with figures such as Dr. Church, Mayor Frank Whitfield, Mayor Jack Bradley, and leaders from the Urban League, YWCA, MHARS Board, Lorain County Community College and nationwide executives have elevated educational and social support programs. She intertwines social emotional learning and trauma informed care, while facilitating her impactful workshops. These intergenerational sessions are geared towards strengthening families, grief-trauma, life skills, marital enrichment, and youth endeavors, emphasizing self-love and empowerments within judicial systems and spanning across the U.S.
Her accolades include the Voices of Courage Award (NCNW), Bright Light Award (MWW), First Lady of the Year (NANBPWC), and Trail Blazer Award (Black River Career Prep High School), where her strategies helped boost graduation rates by 90%. She has also been nominated among the most influential women in Lorain County.
Dr. Valerie Overton Howard relishes the upcoming opportunity to pursue her lifelong dream of establishing an orphanage in Africa January 2026. She continues to be a voice of hope, healing, and transformation, inspiring through advocacy, education, creativity, and unwavering faith. Dr. Howard, a celebrated leader and activist is acknowledged for cultivating change and has made a profound impact as a mental health advocate, spiritual leader, and stands as a testament to over three decades of tireless work in ministry, as an entrepreneur and nonprofit leadership.
We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Valerie Overton Howard on the well-deserved honor of receiving an Honorary Doctorate Degree in Humane Letters from West Coast Bible College & Seminary.
About West Coast Bible College and Seminary
West Coast Bible College and Seminary was founded with the mission to provide affordable Christian education. The institution offers programs such as the Diploma of General Ministries, Associate of Ministry, Bachelor of Ministry, and the Certification in Family Success. In partnership with Success Training Institute, West Coast also offers students the opportunity to earn soft skills certifications, gain access to virtual internship programs, earn additional funds for college, and more. As a leading provider of soft skills training, West Coast equips its students with valuable skills such as leadership, time management, focus, conflict resolution, and more. To learn more visit, https://westcoastbc.org.
