My Walk with The Father
Hello everyone, my name is Lewis C. Rutherford Jr, and I’m from Indianapolis, Indiana. Called to be a chaplain minister, I am studying at the Christian Leaders Institute (Learn more about studying the Bible online, Click Here).
My Early Walk
I’m a preacher’s kid and grew up most of my life in the church. My father is a pastor, and my mom is an evangelist. My mom always told my brother and me that we are destined for great things. However, I never knew what that was at that time. Later in my teen years, I lived with my mom in Indy and begin to have a relationship with Christ. I came to know who I am and what God called me to be.
1 Samuel 16:7 really stood out to me. God was revealing to me what he called me to be at the age of 16. It was a call to be a pastor. At that time, I wasn’t sure how that would be possible since I didn’t like speaking in front of others. But my response to God was: “Lord if this is what you call me to be, then help me not to be what I see.” I want to be a pastor who is always after God’s own heart and to serve His people the way He intended for me to serve.
My Late And Present Walk
I’m married and have two daughters, even though I had some valleys and trenches to go through like going through a divorce with my first wife in my early adulthood. God helped me heal and move forward. He helped me to understand the difference of what it means to have a real helpmeet that He chose for me. God helped me find my voice again in a place where fear and rejection spoke up for me. God gave me someone that not only sees me but also sees the purpose and plan God has for my life. Further, she is able to be a mom to my two daughters.
Every day, I’m grateful to God for putting me and Erica Rutherford together. Every day, she helps me to be what God wants me to be. We are book authors and publishers. We have written 16 books and started a magazine line. I’m a licensed CNA at Methodist Hospital and also a deacon at my local church. God uses me to minister and empower others through my writings and also encourage people at my job. I’m also a singer and songwriter. I play piano and drums and am working on the guitar.
My New Chaplain Minister Journey with CLI
I’m thankful that I came to the Christian Leaders convention of 2022. My wife Erica was getting her wedding officiant license. It was powerful to hear the testimonies of how CLI helped the students’ lives. I enjoyed being around the leaders and others while fellowshipping. Being there really helped me to know my why and the path to take to get there. I understand that being a chaplain and also getting my deacon minister’s license is part of my calling and part of the process of becoming a pastor. I’m thankful for this opportunity to be able to be a student at CLI and able to be the Christian leader that God wants me to be.
Register for a Study Account
Register for a free study account that automatically enrolls you in the Getting Started Class at the Christian Leaders Learning Platform. The Getting Started class will take you less than an hour to complete.
When you log in to the Learning Platform, you will notice that the Getting Started Class automatically appears on your dashboard.
The Getting Started Class will orientate you to the Christian Leaders Learning Platform, and the Programs offered, including:
- Minister Awards, Certificates, and Diplomas with the Christian Leaders Institute.
- College Degrees with the CLI’s Leadership Excellence School.
- Minister Credentialling (Ordination) with the Christian Leaders Alliance, including local Soul Center registration possibilities.
Note: You can enroll in tuition-free courses or mini-courses immediately without finishing the getting started class.
Learn more about ordination at the Christian Leaders Alliance. Interested in a low-cost college degree? Check out the CLI’s Leadership Excellence School.
God’s Work in My Life
My name is Ni Putu Airawathi Kryml. I am from Bali, Indonesia. Married with three children, I want to study the Bible more in depth and found the Christian Leaders Institute (Learn more about studying the Bible online, Click Here).
My Youth
I grew up in a common Hindu family. My childhood was full of fun, dirt, friends, ferns, and dragonflies. We lived in a small village surrounded by rice paddies. My days were spent chasing dragonflies or picking ferns for dinner. Besides these activities, the next best thing was my grandmother’s bedtime story about heaven. I was always fascinated by them. I don’t remember exactly which stories she told us just that they were about heaven and I liked hearing them. From a very young age, I was already very interested in the unseen world. The world of the spirits and God.
During one Hindu festival, my father took me to the beach to watch some performances. There were also many stalls selling toys and trinkets. He let me buy a necklace that day. So, I bought a necklace with a cross pendant. When we got home, one of my grandmas, who is Catholic, saw my necklace and asked if I want to be a Christian when I grew up. I didn’t say anything, however, I think that stayed in my heart. It feels like our Heavenly Father was speaking to me through her. I was around 5 or 6 years old.
Loss, Anger, and Salvation in Christ
When I was 17, my mother passed away in a car accident. Devastated, I had so much anger and pain in my heart. I felt God didn’t love me because He took my mother away. I felt alone and abandoned.
In 2002, there was a bombing in one of our cities and many people died. At this time, I was in college studying hotel management. Some students arranged for a group of volunteers to help out at the nearby hospital. So I joined them. I was at the crisis center when I met two people who told me about Christ. They shared the Good News.
I still wasn’t sure until the night I watched the Jesus movie. The Holy Spirit helped me to see myself for who I am, a sinner who needs salvation in Christ Jesus. I opened myself to Jesus and accepted Him as my Lord and Saviour. From that day, I joined a Bible study and went to church. In March 2003, I was baptized.
My New Journey
My new journey with the Lord was wonderful. I met many brothers and sisters in Christ. They welcomed me with open arms and hearts. I had joy in my life. The wound from losing my mom was healing. Knowing I was loved by my Creator and other believers healed my heart from my pain.
In 2004, I left for the USA. During my time there, I had lots of experiences. I saw the beauty and ugliness of creation. It made me see my own culture in a new light, from the view of the Bible. Being part of and living in the culture itself, I couldn’t see any goodness in it because of its tight relationship with the Hindu religion. Studying the Bible more in depth helped me to see goodness in my culture.
When I got back to my island, I joined a ministry reaching out to the surfing community. I managed a community center with recreational facilities for kids and young people. We also ran a club for the local kids where we shared Good News and taught English.
Expressing My Faith Through My Culture
After some time, I started to play the gamelan, a Balinese musical instrument. I met some Balinese who are also believers and artists. From them, I learned how to express my faith through my culture.
I worked with this community for 10 years. During this time I learned more about the Bible and church planting. My passion for reaching my people group grew strongly. I undertook training and learned to put everything into practice. God allowed us to see a harvest from the fields. It boosted our faith.
In 2012, I married and continued working with the community, however, not as much as before. When I gave birth to my second child, I retired from full-time ministry and volunteered within the community. During this time, I focused more on my family.
Desire to Study the Bible More In Depth at CLI
When war broke out in Ukraine, it made me think more about the end times. I wanted to study the Bible, know more about God, and understand His future for the world. As time and money didn’t permit me to attend college, I searched for free Bible courses online.
I am very thankful to have found the Christian Leaders Institute online. God led me to walk this journey with CLI. I am grateful for the free courses you offer. Thank you for accepting me as a student. Currently, my passion is to reach my family and community. I also love teaching and would like to teach God’s Word to children in a school setting one day. At CLI, I want to study the Bible more in-depth and get the qualifications to teach formally. I look forward to walking this journey with Christian Leaders! Blessings!
Register for a Study Account
Register for a free study account that automatically enrolls you in the Getting Started Class at the Christian Leaders Learning Platform. The Getting Started class will take you less than an hour to complete.
When you log in to the Learning Platform, you will notice that the Getting Started Class automatically appears on your dashboard.
The Getting Started Class will orientate you to the Christian Leaders Learning Platform, and the Programs offered, including:
- Minister Awards, Certificates, and Diplomas with the Christian Leaders Institute.
- College Degrees with the CLI’s Leadership Excellence School.
- Minister Credentialling (Ordination) with the Christian Leaders Alliance, including local Soul Center registration possibilities.
Note: You can enroll in tuition-free courses or mini-courses immediately without finishing the getting started class.
Learn more about ordination at the Christian Leaders Alliance. Interested in a low-cost college degree? Check out the CLI’s Leadership Excellence School.
Check out the CLI’s Leadership Excellence School.
My name is Aaron, born and raised in Southern California. I am studying at Christian Leaders. The tuition-free Biblical classes at the Christian Leaders Institute are equipping me for my disaster relief ministry calling (Learn more about studying the Bible online, Click Here).
My Journey
I currently live in Canyon Lake in So Cal with my 16-year-old son. God blessed me with a loving Christian family. My parents and my upbringing were very impactful on my Christian walk and perspective in life. My dad is the greatest man I know and an amazing Godly example to follow. So, m goal is to provide the same upbringing and example for my son. Then, we can continue to pass it along to future generations of the family. It will fortify and expand our Christian impact in this world.
After life’s journey took an unexpected turn, I have been a single father for approximately 10 years. Like all challenges in life, I’ve learned and grown so much from these struggles. I fully trust in God’s perfect plan for our lives. My quest as a single father has been centered around providing my son with a stable and Christ-centered upbringing.
Spiritual Growth
Baptized as an infant, in my mid-20s I made a decision to get re-baptized as a personal statement of faith. I attended California Baptist University for my college Business degree. There I had some incredible professors who taught Old and New Testament classes that helped to deepen my biblical knowledge.
Now, I am 17 years into a full-time Fire Service career. I am a Fire Captain Paramedic on a ladder truck in a mid-size city in So. Cal. The career has been rewarding in many ways. This includes meeting other good Christian brothers and sisters in the Fire Service, as well as having opportunities for discussions, witnessing, and shining light on others in the department.
Service and ministry in the disaster relief setting is a big interest and passion of mine for the future. I love the perspective of Ecclesiastes 3 that “there is a time and place for everything,” My time now is raising a Godly son and transitioning into a service ministry in the future for disaster relief and service to those less fortunate around the world. Christian Leaders has been an exciting discovery for me. I look forward to furthering my knowledge and equipping myself with a service-geared ministry in the near future.
Disaster Relief Ministry Calling
God has put a calling on my heart for ministry through disaster relief. My experiences and training in the Fire Service have given me a passion for serving in the emergency setting. I see so many natural and man-made disasters around the globe. So, I would love to minister and show God’s grace and love through disaster relief and rescue ministry.
I also love the experience and training being a paramedic in the fire service has given me, and look forward to using my skills in future ministry. Being on the front lines on the streets in So Cal through the COVID pandemic has given me a taste of the health crisis that so many experiences around the world and in less fortunate places. I’m grateful to say the career that I’ve been blessed with will provide a pension in retirement that will help fund these disaster relief ministries that I feel called and groomed for.
I am enjoying the equipping that CLI is providing in my deeper learning of my faith. Also, I take ministry opportunities in the meantime with short-term local trips as well as everyday contact with friends, coworkers, and those around me. Thank you, CLI, for the great education to further my own understanding to lead an effective ministry in my future opportunities!
Register for a Study Account
Register for a free study account that automatically enrolls you in the Getting Started Class at the Christian Leaders Learning Platform. The Getting Started class will take you less than an hour to complete.
When you log in to the Learning Platform, you will notice that the Getting Started Class automatically appears on your dashboard.
The Getting Started Class will orientate you to the Christian Leaders Learning Platform, and the Programs offered, including:
- Minister Awards, Certificates, and Diplomas with the Christian Leaders Institute.
- College Degrees with the CLI’s Leadership Excellence School.
- Minister Credentialling (Ordination) with the Christian Leaders Alliance, including local Soul Center registration possibilities.
Note: You can enroll in tuition-free courses or mini-courses immediately without finishing the getting started class.
Learn more about ordination at the Christian Leaders Alliance. Interested in a low-cost college degree? Check out the CLI’s Leadership Excellence School.