From the pit to His purposes—that’s not just Shirley Luckadoo’s tagline, it’s her testimony.

After retiring from her role as a community college vice president, Shirley stepped into a brandnew mission field: helping others find freedom, healing, and purpose through Jesus Christ. For more than seventeen years, she has faithfully served as the ministry director of Celebrate Recovery at Trading Ford Baptist Church in Salisbury, North Carolina, where she’s witnessed countless lives transformed by God’s grace.

She’s the co-founder and board chair of Capstone Recovery Center, a Christ-centered residential program for women battling addiction, and also serves as executive director of Hope House of Rowan, a transitional home for women rebuilding their lives after recovery. Now, Shirley is preparing to launch King’s Haven Ministries, a vision close to her heart that will provide transitional housing for men on their journey to healing. Every dollar from her book sales goes directly toward supporting this life-changing mission.

As an author, speaker, pastor, and teacher, Shirley brings both wisdom and compassion to every story she tells and every stage she steps onto. She is the author of Beyond Coincidence: God Moments Amid Life’s Challenges and the general editor of True Stories of People in Recovery: Finding Healing from Life’s Hurts, Addictions, and Compulsive Behaviors. Whether writing or speaking, her message is always clear: No one is too broken for God to redeem, and your story isn’t over.

Shirley holds an EdD from North Carolina State University and an MDiv from Gardner-Webb University. But her greatest joy is spending time with her three incredible sons, their wives, her grandchildren, and her great-grandchild—traveling, laughing, and cherishing every moment.

If you’re looking for real hope, practical truth, and a powerful reminder that God still changes lives—you’re in the right place.