Growing up on a dairy farm in rural Colorado, Linda Rowland watched her mother struggle to survive in a marriage marked by a lack of love and affection. From the outside, their family appeared normal. Linda’s father was considered a “good man”. Her mother worked tirelessly to manage their household with meager resources while also keeping up with all the farm chores.

They were faithful members of the local Nazarene church. But Linda and her sister watched their mother wither in a loveless marriage as their father’s miserly ways suffocated his wife. Linda recalls that his highest priority was the family farm. Linda was fourteen when her mother had all she could take, mustering the courage to walk away from the marriage, taking her two young daughters with her. Her two adult sons had already left home.

The family division was on display for everyone in their small town. The church shunned Linda’s mother. Longtime church friends went to great lengths to avoid any contact with her while Linda’s father continued his life, attending the same Nazarene church as though nothing had changed. Linda felt caught in the crosshairs. Consumed with grief and loneliness, this young teenage girl spent long nights crying out to the only true friend she could trust – her Heavenly Father. 

“My grandfather was a Nazarene Pastor. He was my mother’s father. I truly believe it was my grandparents’ prayers that surrounded me and our family during those days”.  Despite the rejection Linda’s mother experienced in the church, she insisted her daughters continue attending, dropping them off every week. The church became Linda’s surrogate family. She found a safe community in the Choir and the youth group.  Music soothed her wounded soul, and choirs offered a safe community where she experienced acceptance and unconditional love. She joined the Nazarene District Youth Choir, comprised of high school singers from various Colorado churches. She has continued to sing in church choirs and musicals ever since.  

“Music has always spoken to my heart. I’m a pretty shy person, but that is one way I can serve the Lord. I guess it is my ministry or gift; I’m not the greatest singer, but I just love being part of that small group. “ Work has never been foreign to Linda. She observed the strength, grit, and determination her mother demonstrated as a single mother of two teenage girls.  Linda describes her as “the strongest woman I have ever known.”   Learning the importance of work at a young age, Linda worked through high school, saving enough to pay for one year of college tuition. She attended Bethany Nazarene College (now called Southern Nazarene University).

There, she met Bob Bolton, choir director at a local Nazarene church. Bob had launched a travel choir and invited Linda to join. It seemed impossible because she had no transportation. The church removed all barriers to her participation by providing rides through its bus ministry. She has fond memories of the travel choir, but the cost of continuing her college education was unsustainable.

She returned home and began working part-time at Montgomery Ward's Department store. There, she met her future husband, Kimbol Rowland, also employed part-time while attending college. “I told the Lord, the man I marry has to be a Christian. Kimbol was a nice guy, but he was not a Christian”. His family seldom attended church. After six months of dating, value differences stalled the relationship.  Six months later, Kimbol called, reigniting their relationship. Something about this girl was unlike any other he had known. His curiosity continued to draw him in. He began a quest to learn everything about her. 

Through her quiet, steady presence and unwavering commitment to Jesus Christ, Linda’s influence drew Kimbol into her life and her church family. He drove 25 miles one way to attend church with her and gave his life to Jesus during a revival. He continued growing in his faith and began tithing. He walked away from all his worldly vices, fully committing himself to Christ. His life was transformed.

Eventually, all the qualities Linda had been praying for in a husband were fulfilled in Kimbol. God had heard and answered Linda’s prayers. Kimbol and Linda have been married for fifty-four years.

Linda pursued training in computer programming and key punching. She landed a job at Hughes Aircraft Company, a Department of Defense contractor, on a top-secret project. She worked there for several years as a keypunch operator. Kimbol worked full-time for the National Guard until finishing college.  Upon graduation, he launched his career as a National Bank Examiner with the Comptroller of the Currency, a Treasury Department agency. His job moved their family from Colorado to Florida, and in 1996, to Arizona. 

By this time, Kimbol and Linda had three children. His new office was situated not far from a small church in Chandler called “Dobson Ranch Church of the Nazarene”, now known as Crossroads Nazarene. The church's positive reputation was well known among some of their Florida friends. They began attending.

Linda eventually joined the church staff, taking on the role of the office manager and Pastoral secretary. She continued in that role for seven years until her mother was diagnosed with cancer. Linda retired from her job to help care for her mother.

The Rowland family’s influence has remained integral within the Nazarene Church and Crossroads. All three children graduated from Nazarene Universities. Their daughter Melanie moved back to Arizona after graduating from Trevecca Nazarene University as a Physician Assistant and began attending Crossroads. She met and married her husband, Cameron Calabrese, in the Crossroads Church Choir. They, too, have raised their family within the Crossroads community.

Linda’s unwavering commitment to Jesus continues to influence anyone she encounters. She and Kimbol have planted and watered deep, far-reaching roots within the Crossroads community and beyond. Participating and serving in various ministries has always been an essential part of their involvement at Crossroads.

Linda encountered a new faith-testing experience when diagnosed with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia. She has undergone chemotherapy and continues with recurring immunotherapy treatment. Although in remission, limiting involvement in some ministries at Crossroads has been necessary. But Linda still continues to serve on the Women’s Ministry Council, the Women’s Bible Study, and the Women’s Book Club. Her most treasured area of ministry remains in singing songs extolling the love of Jesus through the Crossroads Choir.  As long as she can remember, music has always been a treasured part of Linda’s life.