About Me

Rev. Lydia P. Ford is a licensed and ordained minister of the Gospel.  She is the founding pastor of the “Don’t Forget To Say Your Prayers International Worship Center.”  Rev. Ford is a gifted preacher, teacher, mentor, author, and workshop facilitator. She is a retired teacher who worked in the Hartford School System for 28 years and in the Schenectady City School System for eight years. Rev Ford earned an Associate Degree in Nursery Education from S.U.N.Y Cobleskill, N.Y., a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from S.U.N.Y Oneonta, N.Y., and a Master’s of Science Degree from S.U.N.Y at Albany, N.Y.

In May of 2014, Rev. Ford attended the Greater Hartford NAACP’s (W. I. N. Gala).  Rev. Ford was one of 19 African-American women honored with the “W.I. N. Award.”  The initials stand for: Women in the NAACP.  This is an award created and initiated by women and for women. The award recognizes women for their exceptional work in the Greater Hartford Community.

Pastor Ford is the author of three books: “Don’t Forget to Say Your Prayers,” which was released by Total Publishing and Media on March 21, 2012; and “Carest Thou Not That I Perish, which was released in February 2016. Pastor Ford recently published an E-book on Amazon Kindle entitled: from Broken bread to Poured Out Wine. It went live on January 16, 2018. You can find the books on Amazon, or purchase them directly from Rev. Ford. Each of her books represents Pastor Ford’s faith challenges, and brokenness, recovery, and healing, following the deaths of her daughter and husband.

Rev. Ford completed the Pastoral Counseling Training Program of the Saint Francis Academy for Clinical Pastoral Training. She graduated from the Hartford Seminary’s Black Ministers Program in 2008 and completed the Faith Works Faith-based Community Development Leadership Institute sponsored by the Capital Region Conference of Churches in May and June 2008 respectively. 

In 2008, Rev. Ford started “Soul Talk,” a mentorship ministry for and about women. The purpose of the ministry was to provide Christian fellowship, friendship, spiritual guidance, mentorship, and soul support for women seeking a closer with the Lord. It was out of the Soul Talk ministry that the annual BFF (Best Friends Forever) Valentine Celebration of women was birthed. 

Presently Pastor Ford is in her seventh year of pastoral leadership at “Don’t Forget to Say Your Prayers Church.” Pastor Ford is a member of the Greater Hartford IMA. 
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Pastor Ford has been blessed to have been a part of "Team Kenya" in 2018, where she was a part of an International Educational Summit in Kimana, Kenya. Her assignment was to minister and teach a group of widows for four days on the topic: "Rising Up From Widowhood to Pursue Your Purpose." In 2019, Pastor Ford's mission work took her to Spanish Town, Jamaica. Once again with women under the leadership of Min. Sharon Savage. This 10-day mission trip involved workshops during the day and revivals in the evening.  Pastor Ford was privileged to teach on the topic of Four Types of Grief not Usually Talked About. . Rev. Ford credits Min. Sharon with being the "Midwife" who helped to birth her passion for evangelism and mission work internationally. 
Pastor Ford is the parent of an adult son, Trevor James Ford, a daughter-in-law Allyson,  two granddaughters, Brianna Marie age 6, and Brittany Renee age 5,  a son-in-law Jamus Geter, and her first-born granddaughter, Jayla Marie Geter age 11.