Let me introduce you to the founder of the world’s largest online church: “The Hive – Where milk and honey flows!”

Her name is Linderia Watts, and she is a truly extraordinary minister.

An ordained pastor, she shepherds a flock of nearly one million followers who follow her on social media from all over the world.

Today, she is revolutionizing the very concept of “church”—no longer understood simply as a group of believers gathered inside a building, but as a global community.

The name she chose for her congregation is “The Hive. Where milk and honey flows…” Just as in the Promised Land of biblical memory: a blessed land and therefore an extraordinarily abundant one.

Of course, results like these don’t happen overnight.

But Linderia is diligent, tenacious, and extraordinarily generous, pouring out herself, her time, and the revelations she receives during moments of profound intimacy with the Creator.

A pastor available 24/7

Every morning at 9 a.m.—3 p.m. in Italy—she goes live for a time devoted to teaching Scripture.

This is where she truly shines: bringing thousands-of-years-old stories into the present and turning the people at the heart of those stories into heroes, with all their strengths and flaws, just like us.

And by identifying with them and reliving their adventures, we can draw upon the wisdom of those who have already walked the road before us—avoiding other pitfalls, mistakes, and pain.

The minister speaks authentically, spontaneously, and directly. Without beating around the bush, she draws from every story a message of timeless value, a pearl of wisdom, a spiritual principle that can help her followers face and overcome the challenges of everyday life.

In addition, throughout the day, she posts around twenty inspirational reels—true prophetic messages she receives during her conversations with the Lord.

It was actually one of these messages that I happened upon three years ago that led me to start following her.

But let’s return to the pastor’s extraordinary generosity.

What strikes me about Pastor Linderia is that she doesn’t limit herself to offering valuable content, whether teachings or prophetic messages.

She shares with her followers not only the happy moments, the victories, and the milestones she reaches, but also the obstacles, vulnerabilities, personal struggles, moments of melancholy, and the resurfacing of memories that still hurt.

Her followers see her driving her children to school, or carving out a private moment with her congregation while still in the car, away from the noisy enthusiasm of the kids.

They see her in the bathroom, doing her makeup and fixing her hair before an event… Or in the kitchen, preparing dinner at the stove.

There is no place and no moment off-limits to those who follow her. And it feels as though we are living, with her and through her, the story of a visionary dreamer who, growing up in the harsh environment of public housing in East Gainesville—an outskirt of town where the bleakness of the projects directly borders isolated woods and ponds—finds redemption with God’s help by answering His Call: to make disciples for Jesus by nourishing them with sacred words, encouraging them to rise after their falls, and inspiring them not to repeat her mistakes—even though, in truth, those very mistakes helped shape the woman and the Minister she is today.

A painful past transformed into testimony

Linderia is the author of a collection of poetry, Midnight Dreams, and an autobiography, A Butterfly With Broken Wings, in which she recounts her carefree childhood, chasing butterflies and climbing trees to escape the painful reality of the world around her.

Before she was even thirteen, she would be subjected to the inappropriate attention of her uncle and father, who abused her, violating the purity, trust, and love she felt for the very people who should have loved and protected her.

And so, within her, that void of love became filled with anger and pain.

Over the years, she continued searching for affection and validation, throwing herself into the arms of men who could lure her with the words, “I love you.”

“I wonder who I would have been if my uncle had never molested me that summer, and if my father had never touched me where he never should have. Would I have been a happy little girl, chasing butterflies through the fields and daydreaming, forgetting the ugliness of the world?” she writes in a passage from her autobiography, reflecting on her childhood with deep anguish.

And she adds: “In this life, I have lived, I have loved, and I have suffered for love. Honestly, I don’t know what the future holds for me, but I pray that one day everyone will know my name and know that I still believe in love and that I never gave up. If you don’t succeed on the first try, get back up and try again: as long as I have breath in my body, I will breathe love!”

Through overcoming old traumas and experiencing profound inner healing, Linderia inspires and accompanies us on a journey of transformation—from caterpillars to butterflies.

The interview

J.: I know your mother is also a minister of the Gospel.
Was she the one who inspired you to follow in her footsteps?

L.: Yes my mother is an evangelist, her name is Margaret. To sum it up I come from a long line of ministers. I think it’s simply in my blood. My mom would always tell us that “we are special people.” I never understood what she meant until God called me. My mother has a major impact on my journey, as well as my family’s legacy.

J.: What was your first decisive encounter with God—the one that marked, for you, the beginning of a new life?

L.: In 2018 God called me. I started praying and studying, but not really understanding fully. In 2019 I experienced a gut wrenching heartbreak and I cried out to God as I contemplated if I was worthy of living. 

Lying on the living room floor, I called out to God, crying out for Him to help me: I could no longer face this life without Him.

The following day, on my way to work, the Holy Spirit came upon me as I was driving, and I was forced to pull over to the side of the road. He began to speak to me and show me my path. I wept and trembled. I realized then that my life would never be the same. I said to God, “Yes, I will obey.”

J.: According to Scripture, all things work together for our ultimate good.
In what ways do you believe the most painful experiences you’ve lived through shaped you into the woman and minister you are today?

L.: Coming from the environment where I grew up—the daughter of a single teenage mother in the ghetto—there was no hope. I suffered abuse at the hands of my uncle between the ages of 12 and 14 and survived domestic violence. I believe these were some of the most humbling events of my life—the ones that shaped me into the woman and pastor I am today. Life is not defined by what happens to us, but by how we manage to rise above circumstances that seem to be working against us; it is the courage to keep going when everything urges you to give up. What I have learned from my past is, quite simply, never to give up and to turn all my wounds into wisdom.

J.: How did you come to understand that the Lord was calling you to leave your secular career and embrace full-time ministry?

L.: It has always been known that following God and leading His people requires leaving everything behind. That is partly why I did not fully embrace the call at an earlier stage of my life. God had spoken to me several times asking me to leave, but I was not entirely ready; giving up my only source of income—as a single mother of four—sounded insane.

God began to cause me to lose every job I held and made the work environment so toxic that I could no longer afford not to listen to Him. One night, He showed me a vision, and when I arrived at work, He confirmed it by saying, “You are no longer going back.”

After that I fully embraced His will and He’s provided every need since.

J.: How has your life changed since then?

L.: Serving in full-time ministry comes with challenges—such as opening and closing a church in a year—and has its ups and downs. The hardest part was finding my rhythm and a new identity, no longer having a job in the secular world. Once I got into a flow it all started making sense: I understood my unique purpose. It was like a lightbulb went off.

J.: From thousands to one million followers across your social media platforms, particularly Facebook and TikTok, your community has grown steadily over time. Was there a particular moment that marked the beginning of this incredible surge in numbers?

L.: It wasn’t a specific moment, but simply a word from God—four words, to be precise: “mega, max, mogul, more.” One night, God came to me, spoke those four words, and said I was about to become a household name. I didn’t fully grasp the meaning until my platforms began to take on a life of their own.

J.: What challenges, if any, have you faced on your journey from ordained minister to an active ministry serving people both in person and online? I’m referring specifically to the traditional Protestant evangelical Christian community.

L.: I believe this is something completely new, unlike anything we are used to. So yes, there will be criticism, but that is to be expected. People fear what they cannot label or understand, but my task is not to convince them, but rather to carry out the Lord’s will.

J.: How do you shepherd one million followers on your own? In addition to raising four children, you organize events, appear as a special guest at other events, offer online consultations, host a radio program, write…

L.: The simple answer is God: some days are easier than others, but all days are worth it. I truly enjoy what I do. I enjoy the in person events the most, very heart filling and intimate. My passion is people and healing. I identify with most people so I get my strength from knowing I’m being used potentially to help others. That’s my energy boost.

J.: How did you choose the name “The Hive”?

L.: One night, I had a dream: honey was flowing everywhere, and God spoke to me and gave me the name “Hive,” telling me: “They will come; feed them.” That very day, someone wrote to invite me to host an event in South Dakota, and the venue they were renting was called “The Hive.” I shouted! It was a confirmation!

J.: How do you see the future of the Christian church online? Can the digital presence of an “on-demand” pastor—available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, through reels and other online content—make up for the absence of a real hug or a physical place where people can gather and connect?

L.: Whatever God’s will is I can’t predict, but I will say I’ve been going strong for about 7 years online and the need is greater than ever. We live in a world where we have to be in the go a lot, so it’s a very accessible way to reach God’s sheep and it can reach globally, just as missionaries do. I think that it will only get bigger. It can’t physically replace a hug, but I promise you this: when you are in my pages, you can feel the hug. God is doing a new thing.

J.: Would you like to leave a message for your followers in Italy and Italian-speaking Switzerland? And, by the way, do you plan to come to Europe someday?

L.: Ideally I would like to travel the entire globe preaching the gospel so yes, I would. 

My message to you is this: “God said that we are a peculiar people, none of us will be the same. Stand out, find who you are, find who you are purposed to be and never let go. Say yes to God and He will change your life forever. Following God doesn’t have a certain look, but it comes with blind obedience. Say yes to God, and your life will never be the same again. If you have ever fallen in life, don’t stay there, tomorrow belongs to God and He will make your crooked paths straight. Know that God truly loves you and so do I. Chase the dream is waiting for you.”

 

As I thank Pastor Linderia for this interview, I would like to remind you of the platforms where you can follow her. Here, by stepping into her warm embrace, you can join the largest online community of believers: “The Hive, where milk and honey flow.”

 

FB: https://www.facebook.com/linderia.liljoesmommy/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rev.linderiawatts

YT: https://www.youtube.com/@pastorlinderiawatts

IG: https://www.instagram.com/linderiawatts/

Threads: https://www.threads.com/@linderiawatts