Rev. Linda Velto, Associate Pastor

The Reverend Linda Velto arrived at Good Shepherd United Church of Christ just after moving to Cary in July 2000. She was employed as the pianist while maintaining her membership in a local Catholic parish. In 2005 she made the UCC her spiritual home when she joined Good Shepherd and became fully engaged in the life of the congregation. In 2008 Linda entered Hood Theological Seminary, completing her Master of Divinity degree in 2013.

In 2010 Linda was licensed for ministry by the Eastern North Carolina Association of the UCC, a designation which authorizes her to serve in a ministerial capacity at Good Shepherd. She was unanimously called by GSUCC in 2017 to serve in the role of Associate Pastor. Her journey eventually lead to full ordination in the UCC on February 6, 2022. Linda’s role at Good Shepherd has expanded to include music and worship leadership, pastoral care, occasional preaching, and service in a variety of ministries. She is passionate about engaging people through music, social justice, and full inclusion of all people in the life and ministry of the church.

Linda is a native of northern New York. She holds degrees in music education and piano performance from Ithaca College and the University of Arizona. Her music career has included positions as a choral music educator, collaborative pianist, and church musician. Aside from her work at Good Shepherd, she is a full-time accompanist/choral assistant at Cary Academy, where she also engages in diversity and inclusion work. Linda’s husband Bill teaches in the Upper School history department at Cary Academy. They are proud parents of a son and a daughter, Alex and Margaret, who grew up as part of the Good Shepherd family.