My Ministry Training Story
My name is Samuel Dundun, Junior from Nigeria, and the following is my journey to ministry training story. I am a Chartered Accountant and a Financial Modelling and Valuation Analyst. Furthermore, I hold a Master’s Degree in International Accounting with a specialization in Strategic Finance Practice. I am married to a godly woman, and we have three beautiful children: a girl and two boys.
My Youth
Nigeria is a country with a large community of Christians of different denominations, especially in the southwest, where I grew up. Various church activities characterized my youth. I attended a school curriculum based on strong Christian tenets. Religious camps for youth to mold morals and values in line with Christ-like virtues were also what I attended.
All these made little or no impact as I didn’t have a personal encounter with Christ while growing up. Although, I was not the extrovert that partied and lived a worldly life, neither was I fully into the Christian faith as my upbringing environment will suggest. I focused on my education and career development up to a point where Jesus intervened shortly after my marriage. Before then, I thought I was who I was because I worked for it. However, I was wrong and was shortchanging myself.
Transformed by Jesus
My encounter with Jesus transformed my life. With the help of the Holy Spirit, I received grace per day and strength to achieve a lot more even in my career. Things fell into place, and lines fell for me in pleasant places. I knew this blessing could only be God!
From my personal experience in ministry, I learned that to serve God is better than merely believing in God and doing nothing. When you serve and minister, His presence is with you and gives you success in what you do. What an experience!
CLI Free Ministry Training Story
I work as a finance professional and excel in leading a team to accomplish more than we think we can. Many have seen my willingness to consider all options, strike appropriate solutions, and use practical experience and knowledge for optimum performance.
My job will not permit a four-wall ministry training. Therefore, when I came across the Christian Leaders Institute on the internet, it was an answer to my prayer. CLI will allow me to get the required ministry training for the task ahead and make the man of God perfect and thoroughly furnished (2 Timothy 3:17).
Learn about online ordination at the Christian Leaders Alliance.
Called to Ministry Service in God’s Kingdom
Hi, my name is Delta Kitch, and I am called to ministry service and training at CLI. Currently, I live in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, in Canada. I work in the public school system as an Educational Assistant, which is a paraprofessional educator. My job involves working with special needs children helping them achieve academic success. It can be in the form of helping them with literacy and numeracy or behavioral and social or medical issues. For this job, I took two years of training and achieved my teacher’s assistant certificate. I also have a vet assistant degree as well as a certificate in continuing education, administrative development, and administration. Furthermore, I have a certificate in an introduction to braille and contracted braille.
My Early Years
I grew up in a small town. On Sundays, I went to church with my Mom and got to attend Bible camp in the summer. The pastor of the sponsoring church gifted my sister and me with that opportunity. We were a lower-middle-class family. My dad was a mechanic, and my mom sewed clothes for other people. We didn’t have much money, but we had food. My childhood was carefree and full of love.
In late summer, I would stay with my grandparents on their farm and pick blueberries with Grandma to sell to the local store. That earned me money to buy new shoes and books for school in the fall. I also saved some of the money to buy my mom and dad Christmas presents.
I am the middle child of five, with two older sisters and a younger brother and sister. Somehow, I never really felt important in the family, sort of like the invisible child. However, I did have one secret friend. That was Jesus! When I was about ten, I asked Jesus into my heart at summer Bible camp. I should have shouted it from the rooftops, but I felt this was something just for me. It was something I didn’t HAVE to share with my brother and sisters, and it was not a hand me down. Jesus was MY friend! It was childish, but after all, I was a child.
My Marriage and My Struggles
As I grew up, Jesus was always there with me. When I got married and had children, He was still there, waiting patiently for me. I felt it was important that my children knew Jesus as I did, so I started taking them to church with me. We went to the small church in the community where the kids attended school. However, I didn’t feel Jesus there. So, I took them to the church I grew up in, but I didn’t sense him there either. Then we went to an aunt’s funeral. As soon as I walked into that church, I knew Jesus was there, and I knew I was home. My children and I became members and attended there.
A few years later, my dad got sick and died of cancer. That devastated me. I thought I handled it all very well. Around that time, my husband also started having Angina attacks. I ran away in fear. Literally! I got a divorce and moved to the U.S.A. Then I married a man who became abusive in every way imaginable. Through this all, I kept my faith in God the Father, Jesus His Son, and the Holy Spirit.
God Never Gives Up
My second husband was jealous of my faith. One night, he held a gun to my head, and something in me snapped! I threw up my arms and knocked the gun out of his hand. The strength came from Jesus, who was beside me. My husband left the house that night, and I packed up my van. The next morning, I got a phone call from a friend. She and her husband were coming through town and wanted to stop in and visit. When I told her what was going on, she decided to drive back to Canada with me. Once again, Jesus protected me. He knew I couldn’t make the trip alone in my emotional state.
I got my life back together and divorced that man. Jesus was with me all the way. Eventually, I met and married my current husband. I thought this was a loving relationship. A few years later, that dream turned sour, and I sank into a horrible place. Being the worst person I could become, I hated myself and turned from God. I contemplated killing myself. I thought that if my children found out about the person I was, they would hate and despise me. So, one day, I turned to God and asked him to end it for me. I prayed and begged God to take me. Graciously, He ended my life of sexual degradation and sin. From there, at the lowest point in my life, Jesus spoke to me, and I began to listen. I read my Bible and prayed. My faith grew once again.
Called to Ministry Service and Discovering CLI
Not long ago, on Social media, my niece posted a video of a very young girl dropping the “f” bomb over a hurt finger. I commented that I didn’t think it was funny to accept this kind of language from a child. It shows how the moral fabric of society has become frayed and tattered. Wow! So many people blasted me for my comment. I was hurt and decided to leave that social media, after all, who needs that kind of verbal abuse for stating their opinion? However, God had different plans for me. That same night in a dream, I heard God say, “No, you will not leave that social media platform. You will use it to spread My word.”
The next day after being called to ministry service, I was on my laptop searching for a recipe, and the Christian Leaders Institute site came up in the search options. So, I decided to check it out. Once more, God brought me to where I need to be. I thank God for not giving up on me even when I gave up on myself.
Each day, I start with: “This is the day the Lord has made! I will rejoice and be glad in it.” Called to ministry service, I am ready for God to use me as He sees fit! Thank You, Jesus!
Learn about ordination at Christian Leaders Alliance.