Today we’d like to introduce you to Esther Valdes.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My story has been one of saying yes to God in every season, even when it didn’t seem possible. I first began in ministry by sharing a short message in a small group. That opened doors for me to lead Bible studies and start life groups in homes, which eventually grew into a deep passion for helping others walk in faith.
But the path here hasn’t been easy. I was a single mother of three, studying full-time, working full-time, parenting full-time and volunteering my time in the church. It was exhausting at times, but it also taught me resilience, faith, and the importance of community. In those years, I learned that God doesn’t waste our struggles He uses them to shape us for greater purpose.
Today, I serve as Senior Pastor of Parkway Christian Church in South Florida. Looking back, I can see how every challenge and every opportunity whether in the classroom, in parenting, or in ministry was preparing me to lead with both compassion and conviction.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. One of the hardest seasons was as a single mom raising three children while working and studying full-time. I’ll never forget the day I opened my pantry and found only a can of beans and a cup of rice. That’s what I cooked for my children that night, and as long as they were fed and had a roof over their heads, I didn’t care about going without.
But the struggles weren’t just financial. They were also deeply emotional. I often wrestled with questions like, Am I enough? Can I really do this? There were nights I felt lonely and broken, but I worked hard to make sure my children always felt safe and secure even when I didn’t feel that way myself.
One of the moments that stays with me is our first Christmas alone. I didn’t have money for gifts or even a tree, so I went to the dollar store, bought a little tinfoil tree, and created a Christmas wall in our apartment. I hung four envelopes one for each of us and told my kids that from December 1st until Christmas we would write daily notes to each other on index cards and place them in the envelopes. On Christmas morning, we gathered together and read every single note out loud. We cried, we hugged, and it turned into the most meaningful Christmas we had ever shared. I was able to surprise them with one outfit each and a couple of small items, but it was the letters that they cherished the most. To this day, writing those letters has become our family tradition.
Through all of it, I felt broken at times but my faith in knowing God was present, guiding me, and preparing me for a future I couldn’t yet see was the hope I held onto. That hope carried me, and it continues to shape the way I lead today with empathy, compassion, and a deep belief that even in the hardest seasons, God is at work.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I serve as the Senior Pastor of Parkway Christian Church in South Florida, where I lead a vibrant and diverse congregation alongside a thriving Christian school. My work centers on transformational ministry helping people renew their hearts, walk in faith, and live out the hope of Christ in practical, everyday ways. I specialize in creating spaces where people from different cultures and generations can worship, grow, and serve together, and I’m known for building connections that make the church feel like family.
What I’m most proud of is seeing lives truly changed watching people who once felt far from God find healing, belonging, and purpose. I’m also deeply proud of how our church has grown more diverse and united over the years, becoming a reflection of the Kingdom of God right here in our community.
What sets me apart is both my story and my leadership style. I’m honored to be the first female Hispanic to be selected as Senior Pastor in Parkway’s history, a role that reminds me daily of God’s faithfulness and the importance of representation. My own journey of raising three children as a single mom while working, studying, and serving taught me resilience, empathy and that I am stronger than I give myself credit for. I lead with authenticity and with a collaborative, relational style empowering others to discover their gifts and step into leadership.
For me, ministry is about transformation, not performance helping people encounter God’s love in a way that reshapes their lives from the inside out.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
The quality that has been most important to my success is resilience rooted in faith. I had two choices: either quit, give up, and go down paths that would destroy my life, or stand up with courage and face the challenges head-on with faith, hope, and determination. I chose the latter and that choice has defined who I am.
That resilience has been paired with empathy. Because I’ve walked through hard seasons myself, I can lead and serve with a deep understanding of what people are going through. Those two qualities faith-filled resilience and compassionate empathy have shaped my leadership and allowed me to guide others not just with words, but with authenticity and hope.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.parkwaychristianchurch.org/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@parkwaychristianchurch/streams
Image Credits
Parkway Christian Church family
