Full-time Ministry Dream
Hi, my name is LaToya Cole, and I live in the USA. I am excited to be on this journey to follow my full-time ministry dream with Christian Leaders Institute. I am 42 years old and a single mother of five, and I also have one grandson.
My mom introduced me to Christ at a young age in an Apostolic Church on the south side of Chicago. She took my sister and me to church every Sunday. At the age of six, my Dad took my Mom’s life after years of an abusive marriage. My sister and I were sent to live with my maternal grandmother. There, I was mistreated and rejected because of the love I expressed for my Dad, despite his horrific actions. I wouldn’t return to church until I was over 32 years old.
Looking for Love
I spent most of my life looking for love in all the wrong places, attracting men similar to Dad. To make sure I didn’t end up like Mom, I became verbally and physically abusive toward men. I entered into a six-year relationship at the age of 17 to escape my grandmother’s house. That marriage, of course, ended as we had no spiritual foundation or guidance.
I moved to Indianapolis when my second husband deployed there. After being a stay at home Mom for about a year, I decided to pursue a lifelong dream and enrolled in cosmetology school. I excelled and completed the program in less than a year. Immediately, I began working full-time. It was perfect for me because I love connecting with people.
Soon, I was invited to church almost every day by a different person. At that time, I no longer believed Christ died for my sins since I couldn’t make sense of that “concept.” However, the invitations to go to the church continued. One guy told me that I knew of God but really didn’t know Him. His statement bothered me and stuck with me.
Coming Back to God
As I devoted all my energy to work and the children, my clientele rapidly grew, but my marriage failed. Then one day, a client by the name of Cyndi invited me to her church via Facebook. Cyndi had sarcoidosis and experienced several physical setbacks but always had the most pleasant and loving attitude. It was her witness that finally made me accept an invitation.
I committed to fellowship ever since. Even though I was building a relationship with God, I was still living an ungodly lifestyle. I drank, fornicated, smoked, and grieved the Holy Spirit out of ignorance. I saw many other people in church doing the same thing. Therefore, I thought it was okay. I was ministering to my clients, yet I was not living a life pleasing to God.
My Journey Continues
I met my third husband and thought he was the answer to my prayers. He knew the Bible like no one I had ever met. He impressed me. I was baptized in the name of Jesus. I was still a babe in the faith, and ultimately, I married someone like my former self.
Since my third husband had one foot in the Kingdom of God and the other in the world, the marriage became unhealthy. It brought destruction to my business and became abusive and toxic for me and the children. It left me traumatized. Then miraculously, God took him out of my life. He went to jail for domestic violence.
Just as my husband left, I took my Dad in due to his failing health. He did 30 years in prison for murdering my mom, and I had no idea what this effort would take. I always believed I forgave him. Quickly, I realized I was still a hurt little girl inside. My dad passed away after just five months of being with me.
Making a Move for Growth
About a year after my ex was in jail, the Lord prompted me to move across the country. A wise move as I realized he would be getting out soon. I moved to Texas and found a beautiful church home. The pastor is used by God to ground me in God’s Word. I’m learning about true forgiveness, how to truly walk with Christ, studying for myself, and prayer.
God has shown me that when I am in disobedience, I make a mess of things, making decisions that He is not involved in. God has shown me that I no longer need to search for security and love in people and things. He has been the best Mother and Father I could ever have. He covered me and protected my children and me from the destruction I invited into my life. Through obedience and grace, I have gained a more intimate relationship with God and a sensitivity to His voice.
Studying at CLI for My Full-time Ministry Dream
So here I am. He sent me here to CLI to study for my full-time ministry dream. I’m ready for Him to use me in ministry as He sees fit. He has given me the desire and passion for working for Him full-time. Thus the journey begins. I genuinely want to help others to grab hold of the precious gift we have in Jesus and experience real joy. My desire is to see others delivered from addictions, including substances to toxic relationships.
I believe that people need more guidance in developing a personal relationship with GOD after they are saved. Believers need to be empowered by the fundamentals of the gifts of the Spirit. Then they can embrace the power that lives in them through the Holy Spirit. I so appreciate CLI and the opportunity to learn and gain the tools I need to fulfill the call on my life!
Learn about ordination at Christian Leaders Alliance.
Life Coach Ministry
My name is Thomas Moore, and I am called to Life Coach Ministry. Let me tell you why. I live in Rochester, New Hampshire (USA), a city of approximately 31,000 people in 46 square miles. There are about 26 churches. Rochester has a history of factories to employ the local and surrounding areas. Like many small-town American cities, the factories have closed throughout the years.
Today, Rochester is a melting pot of denominations. In the past few years, there has been an explosive use of illegal drugs running rampant throughout the city. Many Christian leaders are working to find these small groups that live in the shadows. They need our help.
Foundational Early Years
I was raised mostly in Virginia. My parents are USAF veterans. My father transferred to the Pentagon, where he worked until he retired. We were a Catholic family who went to church every Sunday. After church, we would tour the Museums in Washington, D.C., or picnic at the battlefields of Manassas or Fredericksburg, VA. My parents wanted us exposed to as much culture, literature, and history as possible. I attended a Montessori school at a young age, then, St. Francis of Assisi up to the 2nd grade. From there, I attended public schools and had to participate in CCD.
It was at St. Francis, where I felt a strong attraction to the church. Rain or shine, the stained glass windows always radiated sunlight. The nuns were teachers. When it was time for mass, I remember how exciting it was to be able to sit in the pew, listen to the priest, and sing hymns. I felt that Jesus opened his arms to welcome me to his church. Oddly, I felt as though I wanted to be the man behind the pulpit talking about my love of Christ and our way of life.
I was fascinated with the Bible and watched whatever religious show would be playing. I never stayed up long enough to see all of the Ten Commandments. When I switched to the public school system was when I became busy with sports, friends, and anything else I could do. My flame for the church seemed to fade throughout the years. However, my love for Jesus was never-ending, and the Bible was always near. So, I would seek out my questions of the day.
Life Journey to Life Coach Ministry
Time moved forward, and I took on roles much too mature for my age, causing me to make quick decisions. I entered the USAF looking for education and experience, hoping also to find a career. It turned out that I had a different calling and left. Endlessly, I searched for who I was and what I wanted to do. I married at 24 and raised a family. My two daughters are my world, and I thank God every day for them.
I entered the business world of consumer and commercial finance and lending. We attended church every Sunday, and my girls were in a great Catholic school. Sadly, my job took over my life. The money was great. We were able to do things, vacation at Disney, and buy our first house. I remember pulling in the driveway and staring at the shutters on the house wondering how they got painted blue. Since I spent so much time at the office, my home became a mystery.
My marriage ended in divorce after 15 years. I moved out while my daughters stayed with their mom, and I was the one who they would come and visit every other week. I became very stressed out. Alcohol became my self-help counselor. I entered a relationship with Pamela, who I am still with today. We both worked. She was divorced as well, had no children, and enjoyed my daughters. It seemed that life was unraveling itself.
Some Struggles
I had an accident on December 8th, 2008 that damaged my lower spine enough to take me out of work permanently. I went on Social Security and Disability in 2011. During those three years, I was not allowed to work nor earn an income. I lost my medical insurance, which, of course, caused substantial financial hardship. The pain pills increased, “try this one, try that one,” the doctors meant well, but it came in the form of prescriptions. All the while, I still drank, which increased. My life turned upside down. It was a very confusing time for us.
In 2012, cancer took my oldest brother, and in 2015, it took my mother as well. Drinking became an everyday thing as life threw more and more problems my way. I think it was the fourth visit to the ER, after consuming too much alcohol, that I cried out for God’s help. It came in an instant. That day in the hospital, I remember being unconscious in a place of comfort, warmth, and safety.
When I left that hospital, many changes occurred. I published my first children’s book and am working on many other stories. My relationship with Pamela repaired. Her belief in me helped me focus on change. My counselor recommended that I “reinvent myself.” It was a confusing statement to me. How could I do that? It took a while for me to figure it out.
My “Aha” Moment
I was downstairs at my desk when I happened to glance at the small, flat ceramic piece on my desk. It was an imprint of my hand at the age of six. It had scribed on it, “Tommy Moore, 1968.” I had done that at the Montessori school. I remembered how happy my mother was to get it. She put it on the bookshelf in the living room. She gave it back to me a few years before she died. Sitting at my desk staring at it, I felt a spark in my brain. I remembered how much I loved the church and all the things about God at that age. It reignited that flame.
My love for Jesus Christ grew twofold, and I searched for ways to keep Him close to me every day. I found Christian Leaders Institute and dove right in. The classes and awards made me want more, and I got a deeper understanding of my faith. The video lectures were stimulating; I took notes and succeeded on each quiz.
Called to Life Coach Ministry
Then, I was ordained with Christian Leaders Alliance! What in the world am I going to do with all this newfound success? That’s when Life Coach ministry surfaced. Boom! That’s it! I want to help people. People need to know it is okay to be confused about life and the fog or obstacles it can place in front of you. I want them to understand how important it is to have a saving connection to Jesus Christ! To reinvent myself as a Life Coach would be a perfect compliment of my experience while helping people find the answers for their life and goals.
Life is full of what-ifs, why, how, where, and when. There is a never-ending list that people create in their minds every day. If I can make a difference in their lives, that would be a joy for me.
Studying at CLI and Sharing God’s Love
My name is Kendra Franklin, and I have a call to be sharing God’s love. I am originally from Baton Rouge, LA. However, I currently live in the Austin, Texas, area. I love it here because you are free to be who you are. That is the source of why I feel that God needed me to live here. People are very much accepted here, and being “weird” is a part of the culture. I know that I am one of the many Christian leaders here that God has placed here to fight the fight of serving and leading people to GOD.
My Early Life
As a child, I knew that I was different from others. I knew I was different in the way I viewed the world and how others saw me. There was NOTHING wrong I could do and get away with; I remember saying, “how come they did it, but never got caught?” Only now as an adult, I know that God was showing me that I had a calling on my life, that kept me from going out doing things as I got older, because I knew I would get caught.
However, that did not keep things from happening to me as a child; when I was 12, I lost my dad. Only months after that, I was sexually abused by my mom’s married boyfriend that lived across the street from us. I hated it, but I vowed that I would never tell her because it seemed that he made her happy. But, I was found out. My older sister noticed the long showers and baths and pulled it out of me. She told my mom, and that was the end of my childhood and the beginning of seeing my mom’s hateful wrath towards me. With every beating, the words that came out her mouth cut deeper and deeper as if she was trying to beat her hate into my soul (and honestly she did).
Adult Struggles
As the age of 21, I married the first man that said he loved me, clueless to know that words and actions were very much different. Just him saying them was enough for me and again the abuse started. As crazy as it may seem, my mother encouraged me to stay saying, “Well, if he hits you and kills you, that must be what God wanted.” How sad to hear those words from my mother. I stayed until I knew that there was no way that I deserved to be treated that way.
Years after my divorce, I moved to Texas and met the man of my dreams, I thought. By this time, I learned about God, and he talked about God. That satisfied me, he loved me and he loved God. He treated me like a queen, giving me everything I thought I wanted. However, I knew that we were serving two very different Gods. I was carrying my third child, his son. I did not have a job, and he counted on that to keep me from leaving him. But, I did. When I prayed to the Living God, I heard Him say, “Go, you will never need for anything.” So at six months pregnant and with two kids, I left. But, as God promised, I never needed anything.
After a while, I met a guy, a friend who wanted more. He decided that if he could not have me, then no one could, and took my life into his own hands and shot me three times. I died that day 04/12/2012, the best day of my life. I was in the presence of God; there are no words to describe the beauty of what God has in store for his children. That is my road to God, it took some time and many mistakes, but as I live, I realize that as a child I never got away with anything, but God saved me from everything.
My Spiritual Dream
My spiritual dream is “to share with everyone the TRUE LOVE OF THE FATHER.” Now, I know that no one can love me like God. Since the age of 12, I looked for that love in all the wrong places. God redefined my definition of love. “I WAS CREATED FROM LOVE, IN LOVE, FOR LOVE, TO LOVE.” The only way to love is through God, and I am sharing God’s love with others. Amazingly, when I started this journey here at Christian Leaders Institute, I called my mom. I had not spoken to her in years. I told her, “I have finally realized the calling on my life, and I am committed to seeing it through, so I need to forgive you and I have.” I am not ready to see her yet, but I know that in due time, God will also fix that.
Spiritual Warfare
There have been so many obstacles the enemy has tried to place in my way. Satan used my mother, sisters, and other family members, who will not have anything to do with me unless I have something that they need or want. He is currently coming after my children as I lead them down one path; he is trying to pull them down the other. But, as little children, I plead the blood of Jesus Christ over them. I know that God honored my prayer. He has saved my children many times and gives me a sense of peace that passes all understanding when it comes to them.
Sharing God’s Love
There is something about dying and coming back that makes you want to go back to Heaven. I know to do that I have to have God’s help. I have to have God and live His will. Now, I want to share that with all who I come across. Since I am a living witness of the power of God, my purpose is to get that message out.
It is my goal to share what God has done for me, how He loved me when I didn’t even love myself. I want others to know that no matter how bad things look, “Always Choose God.” He cannot and will not lie, He has never let me and my children go without. He blesses us more often than we deserve, and I want to tell everyone my story.
Free ministry training is essential for me because, without it, I would put it off. I have a daughter in college, a son in high school, and a little one in sports. I rarely put myself first, and this would have been one more thing that I pushed aside “until they get older.” This scholarship helps me to get the training and credibility to tell everyone who they are in the Lord Jesus Christ and how much He loves them.
Learn about ordination at Christian Leaders Alliance.