Linda Jeffords Gilden

Linda Jeffords Gilden, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and faithful servant of Jesus Christ, went home to be with her Lord and Savior on October 12th, 2025.

Born December 30th, 1950, in Albemarle, North Carolina, and raised in Spartanburg, South Carolina, Linda’s life was a testament to creativity, service, and deep devotion. She was an Air Force wife who journeyed with her husband to New Jersey and the Azores. She embraced each new place with grace and joy, including helping start a mission in the Azores.

A gifted and passionate communicator, Linda authored more than 30 books and over a thousand articles sharing wisdom, encouragement, and humor with readers around the world. She was also a speaker, editor, and writing coach, who poured her time and talent into helping others find and strengthen their own voices.

Linda held two Bachelor of Arts degrees in French and Religion from Columbia College and earned an additional degree from the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. She was a graduate of the Institute of Children’s Literature and a respected member of numerous writers’ and speakers’ associations, receiving multiple awards for her outstanding work.

A natural teacher and encourager, Linda taught kindergarten, served as Children’s Director at First Baptist Spartanburg, and later became a personality consultant, developing her acclaimed Linked series to help others understand themselves and one another.

Linda’s leadership and vision shaped the Christian writing community in lasting ways. She was the Director of the Carolina Christian Writers Conference for 14 years, the Founder of the Writing 4 Him writer’s group, and served as Editor of The Encourager magazine. She also judged national writing competitions, including for Writer’s Digest and other Christian writers’ conferences.

Her heart for ministry extended far beyond the written word. She was part of the inaugural Kentucky Mission Trip more than 50 years ago and joyfully returned year after year as one of the beloved Mountain Mamas. She also helped found Ladies First Thursday, a ministry to encourage women in faith and fellowship.

Linda was endlessly creative—organizing Cousin’s Camp for her children, nieces, nephews, and, later, grandchildren—a cherished tradition filled with love, laughter, and learning.

Her greatest joy, however, was her relationship with Jesus Christ. Every word she wrote, every lesson she taught, and every life she touched reflected her desire to glorify Him.

Linda is survived by her devoted husband John Gilden; her children Kristi (Jim) Bowen, Ginger (Sean) Nichols, and Jeff (Delaine) Gilden; her beloved grandchildren Carson, Trey, Addi, Jeff, Kinley Grace, and Baylor who will forever cherish her example of steadfast faith, grace, and joy. She is also survived by her father, Bill Jeffords, her sister, Paula (Baxter) Wynn, her brother Loy (Susan) Jeffords, 5 nieces and nephews and many dear friends who will miss her dearly.

A celebration of Linda’s life will be held Saturday, October 18th, at 10:00 am at First Baptist Church Spartanburg as family and friends gather to honor her extraordinary legacy of faith, creativity, and love. For those sweet friends that are unable to attend due to conflict or distance, the service will be available via the First Baptist website at FBS.org.

Visitation will immediately follow the service after which the family will attend a private graveside service. For further visitation, the family will gather at home.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorials be made to the Linda Gilden Memorial Fund #2424 c/o the Spartanburg County Foundation, 424 E. Kennedy Street, Spartanburg, SC 29302, to continue Linda’s lifelong mission of encouraging writers and sharing the hope of Christ with others.