Pastor Linster L Strayhorn, III is a native North Carolinian. Upon graduating from Jones

Senior High, he earned a baseball scholarship from Shaw University where he served

as captain on the baseball team receiving the Most Improved Award in 1992. In 1993,

he graduated from Shaw, receiving a BA degree in Criminal Justice. Pastor Strayhorn

attended Shaw University Divinity School to further his education earning many hours of

credits towards Master of Divinity degree with a concentration in Pastoral Counseling.

In 2020, Pastor Strayhorn earned a Master of Arts in Ministry with a concentration in

Pastoral Care and Counseling from Ohio Christian University in Circleville, Ohio. Pastor

Strayhorn professional career has been an array of opportunities where he has been

employed through the local Mental Health Agency during the years as a Group Home

Program Director, Qualified Mental Health Professional, Intensive In-Home Clinical

Counselor, and Mentor. He later became an entrepreneur co-establishing Excel Human

Service, Inc. A company that provided an array of mental health services. Later

providing consultant services for private Mental Health Agency through policy and

procedure development for national accreditation. Pastor Strayhorn was ordained as a

deacon at his home church, Zion Chapel Missionary Baptist Church, Pollocksville NC,

by the Twin River Oakey Grove Association NC in 1996 becoming the youngest deacon

in the Association. He began his walk of faith to fulfill his life’s purpose, as the under

shepherd of United Missionary Baptist Church, within one year of his calling. He has

been pastoring now at United Worship Center for the past 27 years where the vision is,

“Transition Vision to Movement.” During this time, God has allowed him to develop

ministries to enhance the lives of others. These ministries include Counseling Services,

Prison Ministry, Eldercare Ministry, Feed One Save One Ministry, Afterschool Program,

Male/Females Transitional housing for ex-offenders, Annual Youth Camping Retreat,

Youth baseball team, Nehemiah Men/Women Ministry, and Annual Community Day to

give back to the community. He also served as the Overseer of the Full Gospel Baptist

Church Fellowship, Southeast District for over 5 years under the leadership of Bishop

Luther K Brooks before residing. God has blessed Pastor Strayhorn to reach so many

lives in the US through counseling services, outreach ministries, radio broadcasts, guest

speaker at New Bern NC Unity Racial Community Walk event as well as appearances

on local talk shows. He has ministered abroad in Zimbabwe, Africa and the launching

of LS3 Ministries which offer spiritual counseling, seminars, conferences for Kingdom

Living and Youth Survival of Fittest Life skills sessions, and Spiritual Intentional Living

Adults workshops. He has received several recognitions for his commitment to

enhancing the lives of others form NAACP Award, proclamation from Mayor Lee Wilson

Bettis, Jr. of Craven County NC, Spirit of Excellence Award from Save the Seed, Allstate

Tom Joyner Hardest Working Church Leader Award 2007, 2013, appointed VIP

Ambassador for Craven Community College and served as a member of the Foundation

board of Craven Community College, NC for the past 8 years. In 2018, Pastor

Strayhorn was featured for Economic Development & Community Redevelopment Our

Place, This Place, Your Place: The Outlook for New Bern’s Future on UNC Public TV

Public Media North Carolina Cares. He was honored to have his article on “Actualizing

Worship Through Service” published in My New Bern Magazine in the spring of 2019.

Later, he was selected and honored in 2020 as one of New Bern’s 52 Faces of

Community.

God has blessed Pastor Strayhorn to be joined together in Holy Matrimony to Kimberly

Walker in 2022. He’s a devoted, loving father of three children and three bonus children

along with two grandchildren.