My full name is Christopher William Fitzhugh, and I am receiving formal quality training for free at the Christian Leaders Institute. I was born in 1978 in northern California. Currently, I am residing and hosting a local house church and evangelical outreach with my wife and son in Jacksonville, Florida.
I came to believe in Christ at the young age of five through my faithful mother, Beverly. Growing up under her godly influence and spiritual care and also in a healthy local church engraved in me in-depth knowledge and understanding of the Bible. Even in my teen years, as I would often leave this path for lesser pleasures, like partying, sports addictions, and drugs, I never renounced this faith. However, my life testimony at this point was not a good one.
Renewed In Christ
At the age of 22, while living and traveling around California in a motorhome, with no direction, I heard the Lord speak to me for the first time. While cleaning a pool in an RV park for extra money, I asked the Lord if I was saved. He said, “Hebrews 11:1.” It was then that I felt the call to a real and deeper relationship with our Lord. Within the next three years, addictions and strongholds that remained from my past began to melt away through the counsel of our Holy Spirit.
A miracle happened in 2003 that I can’t explain, which delivered me from substance abuse. I went through a relationship loss. To drown out the pain, I began to drink as much alcohol as I could. However, no matter how much I drank, I remained sober. The words of Solomon in Ecclesiastes 2:3 burned into my mind; “I tried cheering myself with wine and embracing folly-my mind still guiding with wisdom.”
Formal Quality Training for Free at CLI
Soon after this, I met my God-fearing wife, Yana Fitzhugh, and together we began a new journey. It has been our ultimate desire to expand God’s kingdom and lead others into a deeper relationship with Christ. For this reason, the Christian Leaders Institute is essential for our local outreach project. Getting formal quality training for free through CLI will only increase the quality of God’s plan in us and His kingdom. Thank you!
Learn more about ordination at the Christian Leaders Alliance. Interested in a low-cost degree? Check out the CLI’s Leadership Excellence School.
My name is Eirin Cox, and I am continuing my education free at CLI. I am from San Antonio, Texas, USA, but currently live in Austin. Recently, I returned from Norway, where I took classes and staffed a Discipleship Training School with Youth With a Mission. Before that, I graduated from Texas A&M University with a B.S. in Recreation, Park and Tourism Sciences, and an emphasis on Youth Development. I have a heart for the youth/young adults and helping them see, plan for, and reach their potential.
My Start
I grew up in a Christian home but started making my faith my own in high school. My assurance took on a more profound role when I studied at the university and started doubting not only God’s character and my identity but also His existence at all. During that season, an unshakable foundation for my faith was built. God taught me more about how I hear His voice, vulnerability, the value of community, and the importance of choosing truth regardless of current circumstances. Here I fell in love with the Bible.
Continuing Education Free at CLI
In recent years, I’ve realized how much I love to learn and to study. God gifted me academically and placed this desire within me. I look forward to seeing more ways God will use it in the future. Last year, I was considering going back to school, but I didn’t have a specific direction I wanted to go with more studies. I knew I didn’t want to accumulate more and more student debt, but that didn’t quench my desire to learn.
Then a friend introduced me to the Christian Leaders Institute, and I thought this institute must be the solution I’ve been seeking. I can continue to learn with the accountability of structured classes. Furthermore, I can apply these things to the ministries I will be involved in and the people with whom I find myself in a relationship. Also, it will not break the bank to do it.
Learn more about ordination at the Christian Leaders Alliance. Interested in a low-cost degree? Check out the CLI’s Leadership Excellence School.
Mr. Bean’s Thorn
I am John Bean, from Kingman, Arizona, USA, and free education at CLI is a Godsend for me. Just like the Apostle Paul had a thorn in the flesh, so I have had this thorn. Some say this thorn was epilepsy, and this is what I had for 20 years. I have not had a seizure in over five years. However, I live with the stigma that people hold when they hear of my struggles and victories with the Lord.
I have a Bachelor of Arts in Biblical Studies degree, along with two other college degrees. Sadly, they practically became framed toilet paper when I lost much of my memory after a temporal lobectomy (brain surgery) in 2011.
Grampa’s Witness
One thing I remember from my youth is Grampa John Bean persistently taking my brothers and me to church for the AWANAS children’s program every week for a few years. I never wanted to go back after I turned 12, though. But then I felt that “thorn” protrude when I was 14 in high school, and I had a seizure about once a week (Complex Partial – mostly just a blank stare).
In Grampa John Bean’s gracious spirit, he sold both of my brothers a vehicle just before they were legally able to drive. I wouldn’t be able to drive until I was seizure-free for a time, which came at age 18. But Gramps had something else for me, and the Kingdom of God too.
New Life Community Church was a church plant started by my Grandpa for the Filipino community of Paradise Hills in San Diego, CA. The church needed a worship team, and he offered me a nice Sonor drumset if I played with them every Sunday. At age 14, I felt far away from God. However, an opportunity to play in front of a perpetual crowd enticed my brother (bass guitar) and me.
God’s Grace
The Lord did not let me be on that stage as an instrument for my pride, but as an instrument for the people of God to come closer in praise to Him. Saved by God’s grace, I wanted to teach the youth around me about the change that occurred in me through the Word. So I also became the youth minister.
I got involved in Campus Crusade for Christ at my community college, where I met my wife, Lori. I traveled the USA as a “musicianary” drummer in a swing band. It was with Bill Bright sharing the four spiritual laws. I felt called into ministry and soon enrolled at Southern California Seminary, graduating with a BABS in 2008.
The seizures worsened, and I needed more medication. It got to the point it was toxic, so brain surgery was necessary. I was able to continue in ministry as a drummer. However, I was in and out of work although able to get a driver’s license. Through all this time, Lori and I had four beautiful children.
Ministry Dream
My dream has always been in ministry in some capacity. My constant prayer to God is to do so in a teaching compacity, but right now I hear Him say “wait” to me. I know I can teach the Word because my family can see the fruit. But my health delayed progress in the church.
Therefore, I became proactive in educating myself on my health since my doctors couldn’t show any progress for 20 years. I learned about other treatments besides the prescribed medications I was on that could help me. I learned restorative therapy through my mind (Christian meditation), body (Daniel Fast losing 90 lbs.), and spirit (prayer, praise, study). It has been what I needed these last few years.
I went from 25 pills/day to 6 pills/day and have a part-time job. I wrote a book about the relationship of the human body (the temple of God) and the Worship of God through the upkeep of His temple (mind, body, spirit). It is called “One Body in Christ, Many Souls in Praise” (on Amazon).
Free Education at CLI
As Paul was given his thorn, Barnabas helped him by taking him to the apostles in Jerusalem. Barnabas explained how Paul had evangelized courageously in the name of Jesus. This once stigmatized opponent of the church was able to associate freely with Jesus’ disciples and proclaim salvation to the unsaved. My hope is that the Christian Leaders Institute can be that Barnabas figure that will show that I can be like Paul and not stigmatized for the thorn.
I have formal education to show that I can produce fruit, but much of the in-depth training has eluded me. I find that free education at CLI is crucial in relearning much of what was lost. My hope is to use this training for ministry in a chaplaincy position at the state prison or in my church. Praise God!
Learn more about ordination at the Christian Leaders Alliance. Interested in a low-cost degree? Check out the CLI’s Leadership Excellence School.