Staff | Michele Gardner-Barnes (Bio) | The Lamp Newsletter International

Michele - bio (final)

Home / About / Staff Bios / Michele Gardner-Barnes

Biography

Michele Gardner-Barnes

Contributing Writer

Mrs. Michele Gardner-Barnes is an inspirational writer, motivational speaker, storyteller, and poet. She joined the writing staff of The Lamp Newsletter in 2015. She is a contributing writer. Michele is an historian and civil rights activist. She strongly promotes and participates in civic responsibilities and duties. She is greatly involved in touching the lives of children, the youth, senior citizens, and people deeply in need of sound advice and help.

Michele is daily involved in the lives of others, be it family members or friends, who need someone to help them with any challenges and difficulties in life. She manages to find time in her busy schedule to invest in others in their struggles and trials. Michele is a community worker. She is an advocate for neighbourhoods and schools in the Detroit area. She also works with other communities and schools where her children and grandchildren live. She is committed to volunteer work and aiding others in their endeavours.

She is vastly involved in community services and activities for the youth and senior citizens. Michele has an enormous heart for working with the seniors and the sick in her family and community. Michele regularly visits senior citizens. She is always amazed by their memory of the gospel hymns, scriptures, and their determination to live, which Michele feels is truly due to their strong faith. Her desire is to leave them inspired to continue to be of good courage and to fight the good fight. Michele’s main interest is for them to know that they are loved.

On June 30, 1972, Michele married Michael Barnes. In 2015, Michael died after an illness. They were married for 43 years. They have four adult children, two daughters and two sons. They are blessed with nine grandchildren.

Michele attended Marygrove College in Detroit, Michigan. Michele worked and retired as a Horticulturist Tech for TrueGreen-Chemlawn, Inc for several years. She was also employed at the Detroit Renaissance Center as one of their top specialists in flowers and plant care.

Michele organized and founded a group of twelve singers called the Metropolitan Christmas Choral. Her musical group sings Christmas carols and gospel hymns during the Christmas holiday at various locations. In her earlier years, she worked with her mother and family with the Palm Family Bible Study Group.

Michele gives heartfelt tribute and honor to her greatly loved grandfather, Elder Minor Palm, Sr. and her dearly loved mother, Missionary Lorraine Gardner, for their spiritual guidance and Christian upbringing. Her favorite and empowering scripture is, “I can do all things through Christ that strengtheneth me” (Philippians 4:13 KJV). This was her mother’s favorite scripture and it has now become her strong anchor.

She now attends Sunday services at Triumph Church in Detroit, MI with her daughters and their families. Reverend Solomon W. Kinloch, Jr. is the pastor.