Linda Godsey serves as one of the Freedom Pastors at Gateway Church in Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas. She is also known as “The Velvet Hammer,” a name given to her because of her ability to communicate hard truth in a loving, compassionate way. Her passion is the message of freedom whether it’s writing, speaking, training or ministry to individuals. She oversees the Freedom Team at Gateway, and her passion is to see people set free and experiencing their destiny in Christ.

Linda is a regular speaker at Gateway’s Kairos, a Gateway freedom ministries quarterly event. She teaches freedom topical classes and is involved in training outside churches (national and international) desiring to establish a freedom ministry. 
Linda has been in ministry for over thirty years including freedom, women’s ministry and small groups. She has been a conference and retreat speaker and has written numerous devotionals for various Christian websites and magazines. She has also been a contributing writer to Gateway’s freedom materials, manuals and session guides used in the training processes.


The Church On The Way in Van Nuys, California, was her training ground where she and her husband served under the Pastorate of Dr. Jack Hayford for 16 years. Linda and her husband, Jim, served as elders along with numerous other ministries of the church including Cleansing Stream (a freedom ministry). She completed the School of the Bible founded by Dr. Hayford during that time and has a degree in Interior Design.

Linda has two daughters, four precious granddaughters and three amazing grandsons who all reside in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex.