The first time I met Malinda Baker, the “Hey, I know who you are” light bulb in my head didn’t go off right away.
That was back in 2005, and I was 22 years old. When we first met, all I knew about Malinda was that she was a high school math teacher. I had no clue she was anything other than that. But when I figured out who—and what—she really was, God used her to change my life.
Malinda Baker is the wife of Lawrence Baker—Pastor Lawrence Baker. When I started attending Pastor Lawrence’s church, I made the connection—and what a connection it turned out to be.
Malinda was on the worship team, and man, could she sing. She really had a gift. But once I got to know her and started working alongside her, it wasn’t her talent or musical knowledge that stood out to me. It was her attitude of worship.
I’d sung in church ever since I was a little kid, and by the time I started attending church with the Bakers, I was in love with Jesus. I was even preaching some. If you had asked 22-year-old me, I would’ve told you that yes, I’m definitely a worshipper. And yeah, I had a form of worship. But I saw an authenticity in Malinda I hadn’t seen before.
For her, it was so important that everyone in the church understand we need to adore the Lord, not because of what He can give us, but for who He is.
I still remember the way we selected songs. Over and over again, I’d hear her asking, “Is this biblical?” Her heart for worship matched up so well with her husband’s heart for the Word of God, and the more time I spent around Malinda, the more I truly began to understand what John 4 means when it talks about worshipping in spirit and in truth.
Seeing that played out in real life helped change the rhythm of my heart. My wife, Traci, and I began to pray and sensed that God was leading us to missions. Now, Traci serves with Send Relief, helping churches share Christ through compassion ministry, and I serve with Send Network, helping plant new congregations in communities all over St. Louis that need a gospel witness.
Twenty years later, I can look back and recognize how God used people like Malinda Baker to shape us for the work we’re doing now. She showed me what “worship” really is. It’s not just a song, and it’s not just what you do for an hour on Sunday morning. Worship is what we say and do. It’s how we live our lives.
I am where I am today because of people like Malinda Baker. She really was my Annie Armstrong.