Albertina Clay-Downing

Albertina Clay-Downing was born in Saint Louis, Missouri, on December 5, 1969.
She is the twelfth child of Pastors Albert and Mildred Clay. Her parents were
pastors of Angelic Temple of Deliverance. Albertina gave her life to the Lord
when she was five years old and has been devoted to him ever since. Albertina
went to Ranken University, where she received her associate degree in
computer technology and Forest Park Community College where she received a
degree in business administration/education.

 

Albertina received certifications in
education, childcare, lead technician, minor plumbing, minor electrician, real
estate, and she was trained to perform network cabling at MSD. She married
her childhood friend, Andre Downing. They have been married for thirty-two
years and have nine children together, three girls and six boys. Her mother
taught her how to handle business and manage finances. When her mother had
a stroke, Albertina stepped in and took care of all the finances and maintenance
of the properties her mother and father owned. Seeing how well she managed
the properties, her father made her the owner of the properties and gave her
and her husband ministerial classes to help them become pastors of Angelic
Temple of Deliverance, now called United in Worship Temple of Deliverance.

Her mother passed away in 2003 at the age of seventy-six. Twenty-two years
later her father passed away in 2021 at the age of ninety-eight. They both were
the jewels of her life. Albertina Clay-Downing is a Pastor, Motivational Speaker,
Community Helper, and an Author. She has written 5 books. Biblical Vitamins,
Live Again, Encouraging Words, Broken Within, and Live Again Under
construction. She was a private school teacher for 12 years. She became a
homeschool teacher and began homeschooling in 1999 with her children. In
2012, she started homeschooling other kids.

 

As more children began to enroll,
she received her license for educating children and moved into a building,
making it the first homeschool to be outside of the house. She named the school
Hardknocks Preparatory Homeschool. She had twenty-eight students. When
word got out of her educational skills, young adults came to her asking if there
was a way for them to get a degree. She created a program called HEAP

(Hardknocks Education Accelerated Program), an eight-to-twelve-week
program, that helps people earn a degree. 35 students applied to this program
and graduated, helping them to achieve their goal and open their own
businesses.

 

Albertina was diagnosed with MS (Multiple Sclerosis) in 2003.
Multiple Sclerosis is an affliction which causes the body to be in pain 24/7. She
went to the doctor for an MRI and found out that there were legions on her
brain and spine. Every three months she goes through a relapse that causes
dizziness, lack of balance, lack of strength, and spasms. She was paralyzed from
the waist down and went through nine major illnesses. It was only by the grace
of God and the support of her husband and children that she is still here. Her
books Live Again and Live Again Under Construction discuss all the obstacles
and illnesses she went through. She has lived with MS for twenty years and is
still pushing and striving to keep moving. Her faith gives her the strength to
overcome any battle.