Book excerpt: Pastor Susie M. Elliott is the senior pastor of Mt. Paran Baptist Church in Brooklyn, New York. Through her leadership, Mt. Paran has established innovative programs that minister to the spiritual and social needs of our parishioners and members of the surrounding community. She is guided by Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (KJV). Pastor Susie holds a B.S. from Shaw University in Home Economics and Science and a Master’s degree in Guidance and Counseling from Brooklyn College. Pastor Susie has also studied at the New York Theological Seminary. She has certification from the state of New York in Guidance and Counseling. She is a retired Counselor after having spent more than 25 years in the New York public school system. As a Counselor, she dared to make a difference in the lives of the students with whom she came in contact. She was “guilty” of having gone the extra mile for her students. Pastor Susie has given workshops on topics such as: “Managing Stress Before It Manages You,” “Spiritual Maturity,” “Self Esteem and Personal Growth,” and “Effective Communication For Couples.” She is the president of the Brooklyn Council of Churches, the Founder of the Mother/Daughters of Zion and the Founding Mother of Refreshing Springs Ministries International. Pastor Susie was married to the late Bishop John B. Elliott for 51 years. She is the mother of five children, the grandmother of eight grandchildren, and great grandmother of 10 great grandchildren.