"I have learned that what breaks us does not have to define us. When we place our broken pieces in God’s hands, He can turn them into something that helps someone else."
Introduction
Dr. Zanetta M. Howard’s life is built on faith, service, and an unrelenting desire to impact the lives of others. From the beginning of her life, she has had a strong connection with Jesus and a natural desire to help people. Even before she was in leadership or known for her work, she was a young girl who found happiness in worship, encouragement, and service to those around her.
Raised in Akron, Ohio, Dr. Zanetta was raised in a household influenced by Shirley Swain and Lawrence Zanders where she learned the importance of love, responsibility, generosity, and treating every person with dignity. As she matured, service became an integral part of her life. Her roles were always associated with supporting others, reflecting her belief that every opportunity had a purpose. Her career path then expanded to housing, where she supported families, trained others, took responsibilities and helped improve services for communities.
Outside of her professional life, Dr. Zanetta was an active participant in ministry and youth development. Her ability to connect with people came from her genuine interest in knowing them and helping them see their own potential.
But her journey was not only one of accomplishment but also of seasons that challenged her understanding of herself, her relationships, and her purpose. Through personal struggles and difficult transitions she learned the value of honesty, reflection, and allowing herself to grow. She came to see that faith does not take away every challenge, but it can give the strength and wisdom to move through them.
The ministry reflects her belief that brokenness itself is not beautiful, but with the guidance of God, the broken pieces of life can become a source of strength, healing and encouragement for others.
In her ministry, coaching, writing and continued service, Dr. Zanetta has focused on helping people find meaning in their experiences. Her message is about growth, purpose and the idea that healing can be a way of serving others.
Today, Dr. Zanetta’s call to serve continues through her ministry, her community involvement, and her plans to grow Beautifully Broken Ministries. Her story is of a lifetime of learning, service and transmuting personal experience into opportunities to uplift others. It is a journey of faith, buttressed by resilience and inspired by a desire to make a meaningful difference in the lives she touches.
“My mother taught me to give, to never look down on anyone, and to always remember that everyone deserves kindness..”
Phase 1: Lessons Written Around the Dinner Table
Dr. Zanetta M. Howard grew up in a loving, caring, responsible and generous home. She was born and raised in Akron, Ohio, where she was nurtured and guided by her parents, Shirley Swain and Lawrence Zanders, who promoted a culture that family values were extremely important. As the second of five children, three girls and two boys, she learned the importance of being united, forgiving one another, and caring for one another.
Her upbringing was filled with love and discipline. The family journey started early, and her parents worked hard to instill lifelong lessons in their children. Shirley Swain was especially influential in shaping the values Dr. Zanetta still carries today. She taught her children to be kind to others, to be thankful and to be supportive without expecting anything in return.
One of the most important lessons that Dr. Zanetta learned from her mother was the importance of giving. Her mother opened her home to others and ensured that kindness was not only for her family. When her father brought home his earnings, her mother surveyed the neighborhood to see who needed help and would find ways to support them. These simple but meaningful actions taught Dr. Zanetta that generosity was not about how much a person had to give but about a willingness to care.
Her mother also taught her children never to look down on anyone. She encouraged them to see the beauty and worth in others, to give compliments freely and to not let jealousy or comparison take root in their hearts. These teachings became part of Dr. Zanetta’s personal approach to life, influencing the way she later engaged with young people, families and communities.
As she grew older, Dr. Zanetta experienced changes within her family that shaped her understanding of relationships, resilience, and compassion. Through every season, the values instilled in her home remained a guiding force, teaching her the importance of forgiveness, responsibility, and caring for others.
Her father, Lawrence Zanders, worked hard to provide for the family and played an important role in her early upbringing. He protected Dr. Zanetta closer to home, giving her brothers more freedom to get out and do sports and outdoor activities. Although the expectations heaped upon her were different, she did not look back on those moments with resentment. Instead, she found comfort in her own world, spending time with music, reflection, and the interests that naturally drew her closer to who she was becoming.
She had a strong sense of individuality and a natural inclination toward service even as a child. She knew that helping others was something that was closely tied to her identity.
The compassion she witnessed, the selflessness she experienced, and the importance her family placed on respect for people became the guiding principles that have molded her journey in every aspect of her life. Long before she stepped into leadership roles or made community service her profession, she was steeped in the core values that would shape her journey.
"The church was never just a place I went. It was a place where I found purpose, connection, and service."
Phase 2 : The Little Girl Who Carried a Bible
Dr. Zanetta M. Howard has loved Jesus as long as she can remember. Faith was not merely something Dr. Zanetta grew up with; it became the center of how she understood herself, others, and the world around her. Worship, music, and learning about God were a comfort and joy to her from an early age.
At the age of six, she was baptized, launching her on a spiritual path that would follow her through all stages of her life. While other children were playing, Dr. Zanetta often felt drawn to quieter times of reflection. She would sit in her room with her record player, listening for hours to her mother’s gospel albums. The music became a source of inspiration and connection for her. She would also spend time reading hymnals, sometimes knowing the words even when she did not yet know the melodies.
Her Sundays were also centered around faith. When she was not attending church with her grandmother, Minnie Pearl Zanders, or Mrs. Emma Griffith, she would watch gospel programming and continue surrounding herself with messages of worship. Her desire to be in the presence of God was something that came naturally to her. She didn’t need to be persuaded into searching for faith, it was already a big part of her.
As a teenager, Pastor Earl Thomas and his wife Geraldine Thomas saw her dedication and invited her to church with them. With her mother’s permission, Shirley Swain, she continued to grow in her spiritual environment. Her devotion was so great that she would often walk about a mile to get to church. For Dr. Zanetta, attending worship was not a requirement. It was something she really wanted to do.
Over time, her faith became something she shared with others. Eventually her mother began going to church, then her siblings, and the influence of faith spread through her home. One of the most meaningful moments of her childhood came when she was able to lead five people to Christ in her own home. Even at a young age, she showed a desire to encourage others and help them discover the same spiritual connection that had become important to her.
In school, her faith continued to impact the way she interacted with others. She became known for holding Bible study in the bathroom, creating a space where conversations about faith could naturally take place amongst her peers. For Dr. Zanetta this wasn’t something out of the ordinary or something she did to gain attention. It was simply an extension of who she was. If she saw someone struggling or feeling down, her instinct was to approach them, listen and offer support.
Her interests in childhood were not the same as many of the children around her. While her siblings explored other areas of interest, Dr. Zanetta found fulfillment in the church, in worship, in music and in service. She enjoyed her childhood and appreciated the freedom to follow what made her happy. Her world was shaped by the relationships she built, the people she encouraged and the opportunities she had to serve.
“I have always believed that service is not about a position. It is about being willing to help where you are needed.”
Phase 3 : Service Before She Had a Title
Before Dr. Zanetta M. Howard found herself in positions of leadership, she was born with a natural desire to serve. She didn’t have to be tasked with the job of helping others at some point in her life, this was who she was from the beginning. Be it supporting someone through a difficult time, giving guidance or finding ways to support her community, she set a pattern of service that would continue to shape her path.
From a young age, as a teen, she started taking advantage of summer job opportunities through school programs, experiences that allowed her to work in different settings and learn from the people and communities around her. Her work throughout those years reflected a desire to serve others and helped her realize that work is not just a title but about the difference one can make through their actions.
Through these early opportunities, Dr. Zanetta gained valuable lessons about people, commitment, and community needs. She believed that the Lord blessed her with opportunities she was not initially qualified for and then prepared her to fulfill those responsibilities. For her, growth came through learning, experience, and trusting that she could develop the skills necessary to complete each assignment placed before her.
One of the earliest areas where she developed her sense of responsibility was through church service. Her faith was already central to her life and she continued to search for ways to serve her community and those around her. She found that service could take many different forms, from personal encouragement to larger community initiatives. This became a cornerstone that guided her professional and personal decisions.
Dr. Zanetta also discovered as a young person that she had a talent for connecting with children and young people. She had an instinctive sense of when others needed encouragement, and she was there for them, a quality that would later be a hallmark of her ministry and leadership but was already present in her early years.
Her dedication to serving young people extended beyond formal roles. She became a cheerleading coach for junior football, described as Pop Warner football, where she worked with young girls and continued maintaining relationships with some of them even years later. Encounters with former participants would remind her of the influence she had during their younger years. For Dr. Zanetta, these moments reinforced that the impact of service often continues long after the original act has passed.
Recognition was never the goal of her service. She served because she believed people mattered. And the same qualities that defined her childhood. Kindness, patience, and a desire to help others continued to show up in the opportunities she accepted. She was a person who paid attention to people, saw their needs, and responded with care.
Note of Thanks
Dr. Zanetta M. Howard has a sincere thankfulness to God whose presence has been the foundation of her faith, ministry, recovery and continuous purpose. In every change of her life she has depended on His guidance and has found the power to keep serving, learning and maturing.
She expresses gratitude to her mother, Pastor Shirley Swain, for the relationship they now share and for the spiritual connection that continues to unite them. She also pays tribute to her father, Lawrence Zanders, and recalls the formative impact of her grandmother, Minnie Pearl Zanders. She also thanks Mrs. Emma Griffith, Pastor Earl Thomas and Dr. T. DeWitt Smith, Jr. whose presence, guidance and nurturing were important factors in her spiritual development.
She offers special thanks to her husband, Darrell L. Howard, for sharing this season of life with her, and to her children, including Tiara Blackburn, whose love and willingness to preserve their bond mean so much to her. Her grandchildren and great grandsons continue to bring joy, pride, and purpose to her life. Each member of her family has contributed to the woman she has become, whether through love, patience, encouragement, forgiveness, or simply remaining close.
She also thanks the churches, congregations, ministry leaders, Bible students, young people, colleagues, and communities who welcomed her service throughout the years. The people connected with New Hope Baptist Church, Mt. Olive Baptist Church, Berkley Mt. Zion Baptist Church, St. Mark Baptist Church, and St. Mark at Bethel gave her opportunities to teach, lead, support, and grow.
To everyone who prayed for her, believed in her calling, received her teaching, or trusted her with their story, Dr. Zanetta appreciates them for keeps. Their presence has shown her no significant voyage is made alone.
thanks,
– Dr. Zanetta M. Howard