First Lady Sonya Palmer

Loving the Lord and honoring him was a way of life from my youth to adulthood; until I finally realized that I was still empty and wasting time. Then one day I was witnessed to by Brother Winston Palmer (now my husband and Bishop) who showed me in the word of God what I must do to be save according to Acts 2:38; “Then Peter said unto them repent, and be baptised everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost”. (KJV) 

As my spirit bore witnesss to the scriptures and my heart was pricked, I was baptised by my spiritual father and father-in-law, the late Apostle William R. Palmer, Jr., in December 1985 during Watch Night service. I understood and knew that this was what I was missing. 

The teachings from our Esteemed Mother Lerah Palmer and instructions given by our Pastor the late Apostle Palmer caused me to grow and helped me to mirror the mothers of the church early in my walk in the “Way of Holiness”. From the beginning I was taught faithfulness and obedience; and that my salvation was incomplete without the Holy Ghost. 

On February 7, 1986 at approximately 4 am, I received the precious gift of the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in tongues as the spirit of God gave me utterance. Thank you, Jesus! 

On June 28, 1986, I was married to the most important man that walks on this earth, my husband and now my pastor for almost 17 years. We have been blessed to have eight children and all of them have been baptized in the name of Jesus Christ and seven have received the gift of the Holy Ghost. I have learned over the years that the Lord does not put more on you than you are able to bear; and if He takes you to it, He will bring you through it. 

I have held many offices in the church. I began my service as the secretary of the Women’s Auxiliary Department and the business manager of the L&WRP, Jr. Voices of Praise, the choir named in honor of our late Apostle William R. Palmer, Jr. and Esteemed Mother Lerah Palmer. Also, I was blessed to teach Sunday School at all levels and assist my husband with starting “Family and Friends Day”, as well as other youth department activities, such as plays and sleepovers.

Today the Lord has found favor in my husband and I. Our late Apostle William R. Palmer, Jr. appointed, then Elder Winston R. Palmer, Suffragan Bishop of the Bethuel Temple Churches of Christ Apostolic Inc. upon learning of his illness. What a great honor and responsibly to know that our spiritual father entrusted us to carry on his legacy.  

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ; shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine or nakedness or peril, or sword?...” Romans 8: 35-39….