Continued Ministry Training at CLI
My name is John Thomas, and I receive continued ministry training at Christian Leaders Institute. I am currently living in the USA right outside of Chattanooga, Tennessee, in a little town called Chickamauga in the state of Georgia. I grew up in the center of apple country in Edneyville, NC. Our family consisted of my father Richard (Rio) Thomas, my mother Joyce, and my sister Julie, and me. My father and mother had a modest farm in comparison to most but provided for all of us, and we were a small happy family. My father worked multiple jobs regularly. Besides operating the home farm, the most consistent position he held was as a police officer.
Untimely Death and Great Change
Early on the morning of February 8, 1974, my father woke up to make coffee before he headed off to work just as he always did. However, that morning, I awoke to a commotion in the house. When I walked into the kitchen, I saw my father lying on the floor from his third heart attack. He was pronounced dead that morning at the age of 45.
All of our lives changed suddenly that morning. My mom was only 43 years old and found herself a widow raising two young teenagers alone. The pressure from that loss began to be too much for her to bear. So, she admitted herself into a retreat center in Wildwood, Georgia. She sent my sister and me to stay with various family and friends over the next year.
Through this experience and working through my hurts and wounds, I looked for replacement mentors in those families. I processed the pain through my mindsets that eventually grew into spiritual strongholds. Those spiritual strongholds led me into a life of rebellion. I set myself up against any authority while finding multiple ways of meeting the desires of my flesh. I wanted to hide the hurt and insecurities with my calloused reasoning and decisions.
Reached Bottom and Remembered Jesus
After living a life of rebellion, drugs, alcohol, and immorality for the next 14 years, I found myself at the bottom of the grave I dug for my illusionary shell of a man. I was living in a share cropper’s house out in the middle of nowhere. It was freezing because the floorboards of the shack were a half inch apart in places and the carpet rolled across the floor when the wind blew. I broke furniture and burned it in the fireplace to stay warm as I contemplated this life I had built crumbling before my eyes.
I betrayed everyone that had ever cared about me and turned my back on everything that resembled hope. Then all of a sudden, when I was at the depths of despair, I remembered Jesus. I had heard others speak of Jesus like my mom, grandmother, and preachers that visited them. This Jesus that brought hope to the hopeless, life to the dead, and light to those trapped in the dark prison cell of self.
In March of 1988, I cried out to Jesus. He reached down into the depths of hopelessness and rescued me. I committed to Him that if He saved me from myself, I would live for Him from that day forward with everything that was within me. Since that time, God has done a miraculous thing in me. He has allowed me to fulfill that commitment I made to Him in so many different ways.
New Life in Christ
On April 22, 1989, I married the love of my life, Sheila Thomas. I have been serving the Lord alongside her for the past 30 years.
Since that glorious day in March of 1988, I have had the privilege of serving as a Recreation Director/Youth Pastor at the Brevard Church of God. Having been previously married, I was never eligible to be ordained under the denomination of the Church of God. I also served as the manager /bass singer for the Gospel Quartet (Pure Heart) from 1991 to the present.
I came on staff at Teen Challenge of the Mid South in July of 2002 in Chattanooga as a counselor /teacher. In 2014, I was asked to serve as the Director of the Men’s Program and am still serving there. I am the Lead Pastor of The Portal Church Fellowship (a Non-Denominational Pentecostal Church) since 2008.
Ordination and Further Ministry Training at CLI
I was also recommended and accepted for ordination by some minister friends (Pastors/leaders) that recognized my life and ministries as fruitful kingdom work in November of 2011. This ordination was under the covering and banner of my non-denominational church – again because of my previous marriage.
The ministry life goal for me is still incomplete, so I felt I needed continued ministry training. I already have over 20 years of Christian study while on staff at Teen Challenge. My ministry goal in continued ministry training with Christian Leaders Institute is to have a student/servant heart. Then, I will be able to serve those that God places in my life to the best of my ability.
Learn more about ordination at Christian Leaders Alliance.
Ordained Women’s Minister Call
1 Corinthians 1:27 “But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise.”
Hello! My name is Tammy McDowell, and I have an ordained women’s minister call. The above verse couldn’t be more accurate for me. I am from Decatur, IL, in the United States. I am 58 years old and the mother of five precious blessings, four of which are surviving. God has truly blessed me. I have a heart for hurting women, for youth and am looking forward to learning at Christian Leaders Institute. I drive a school bus and have a great bunch of young folks on my bus. My prayer is that what I learn through CLI enables me to handle the challenges I run into on the bus. I am also passionate about music, and I love to sing.
THE EARLY YEARS
I grew up in church and gave my life to Jesus when I was 12. We had a somewhat rocky home life and I, being rebellious by nature, took my life back. That was the biggest mistake I could have ever made. Sadly, I spent my teen years, “looking for love in all the wrong places.” This search led me to a local frat house party that ended, for me, with rape and a baby. I kept my baby, and that wonderful man is my oldest son. He is proof that God can take something meant for evil and turn it to good.
While I was expecting Jeremy, some Godly friends of my parents said they had a young man they wanted me to meet. I agreed with trepidation. I went to their home for dinner, and there was this sweet young man named Danny Smith. It wasn’t long before we were inseparable, and in June of 1980, we wed. We used to laugh at the fact that the three-week-old son we had given birth to got more attention than we did. Dan made it clear to me before Jeremy was ever born that the baby I carried was just as much his as mine.
Life was good, and before long, we were expecting our angel baby. Jillian Marie Smith was born on a snowy winter day in December of 81. She was such a delight and joy, and there was a radiance about her. The Bible says, “the enemy comes to kill, steal, and destroy,” and on April 2, 1982, he stole our precious Jilly. Dan performed mouth to mouth to the hospital, but she didn’t make it. I didn’t realize how that impacted him as a man, spiritual leader, husband, and father. Dan was angry with God, himself, and everyone. He felt worthless because he could not save our daughter. I didn’t know this until years later, but as time progressed, Dan became abusive to me and our children. We divorced.
Downhill Spiral and Renewal with God
I know this seems like so much information, but it is what started my downhill spiral. I went back to looking for “love in all the wrong places.” Now, this journey made for an unstable life for the three children I was raising, and I will forever regret that. In that time, however, I did get pregnant with my youngest son. I would never trade Brandon for anything. Because of my desperate search for love, which I now know to be a tremendous lack of self-esteem, I married three more times. I would come back to God and wander away again, all the while negatively impacting my kids. It was during these years that I was treated for bipolar, but I want to say our God is a healing God, and I am healed!
In 2010, I finally made a hard-core commitment to God. Oddly enough, I still managed to justify my choices, but it was getting harder and harder. When I married my fourth husband, I truly believed, and still do, that God brought us together. But, after a year and a half, he decided to leave. Now I know this sounds like history repeating itself, but there is a purpose for saying this. Jerry left and months later wanted to start up again. It became a pattern, and each time he left, I drew closer to God. Through this roller coaster ride, I have become active and bold in the Lord. It is time to step out and seriously do something! There are a couple of songs by Matthew West that I wholly recommend: “The Motions” and “Do Something.”
ORDAINED WOMEN’S MINISTER CALL TO MINISTRY
From my early 20s, I had a desire to start a home for unwed mothers where they could learn child care, job training, and most importantly, that God loved them right where they are. When I met my first husband, he shared with me that he had a dream much like mine, and I knew it had to be God. With one thing and another, we never got to realize it. The dream never left me. I still have a heart for women who have been physically, sexually, and emotionally abused. Also, I have a heart women who have lost children and need to be loved.
However, I believe my calling has grown. I have an ordained women’s minister call and much more. I want to be able to minister to and draw people to the Kingdom. Currently, I minister with my parents in a little mission here in town, and the desire to do more has been like a fire in my chest. Right now, Mom and I sing, and Dad preaches. Recently, I have also been delivering messages. That has significantly stoked the fire. I want to see people saved! I want them to know the peace that I have found in Jesus Christ. In spite of what people’s pasts are, there is a God that loves them right where they stand, just as way they are. God has an excellent plan for their lives!
MINISTRY JOURNEY
When I drove the city bus, I had the chance to minister, and I took advantage of it. Someone hurt me. So, I bought myself a created ruby ring to remind me of who I am in God’s eyes. One day, a young pregnant woman was on the bus as I was training. It was easy to see that she was depressed. I gave her my ruby ring and told her about Proverbs 31. Her face lit up, and she had a spring in her step when she got off the bus. I continued to do that. I replaced the ring and wore the new one. When God led me to give it to someone, I did just like I did with the first one. I think it blessed me as much as it did the ladies that received the rings.
I always loved to sing, and I suppose that it was a very informal type of ministry. This phase is just beginning, and I’m excited! When I talked to my pastor, an alumnus from CLI, I told him I felt I had an ordained women’s minister call. He was very enthusiastic and took me to Jeremiah 20:9. As he read it to me, I could see that I am on the right track. I am thirsty to know my Father better, and I’m hungry for the Word! I am excited that I will be learning to present it correctly and in a way that folks can gain understanding! People often came to me for advice, and I wanted to be a psychologist. But now, this ordained women’s minister call is what the Lord has for me. I’m pumped for the chance to grow and share His love.
PERSONAL LIFE
I love the Lord and share with everyone. My children, Jeremy, Amanda, Andrea, and Brandon, are a tremendous source of joy. I think part of my desire to do this is to show them that there are people out there that minister and are sincere. I hope that as they see me live for God without wavering, they will come to desire that kind of peace as well. Please, as you read this, keep my babies in prayer.
My first love is music. I sing all of the time and at one time wanted to be a professional. Now I am, by definition, but I would love to reach more people! A day in my life is, until school starts again, reading the Word, loving on my dogs, singing with the radio, and keeping the house. Of course, now I will be happily adding CLI and my ordained women’s minister call to that list. I tend to talk to the Lord as I do each thing, so praying is a given.
I’m so grateful to the Lord for sending His Son to die for me and the peace knowing Him brings me! I’m thankful for this opportunity, for CLI and this program, and my pastor for recommending it! I have been fighting Fibromyalgia for years and am unable to work full-time or even very much part-time. This program allows me to do what God is calling me to in spite of my lack of finances. I would not be able to do this without CLI. God bless you all, and if you need prayer, don’t hesitate to ask!
Learn about ordination and ordained minister roles at Christian Leaders Alliance.
Richard’s Ministry Calling Story
I am Richard Voegt from Melbourne, Australia, and here is my ministry calling story. I serve in an Info-Tech based business as a mission in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Now is such a great time for Christians to have an impact for the Gospel in Cambodia. Cambodians are coming out of poverty and open to outside ideas. I get to work with inspiring local leaders and cross-cultural workers from all over the world every day.
Growing up, my family wasn’t keen on anything religious. However, I had numerous spiritual experiences when I was a child. Some of those experiences left me with an intense feeling of anxiety. This anxiety plagued me through my adolescence and kept me awake night after night. I made some wrong decisions after high school and got involved in the party scene and didn’t take care of myself. I developed depression from the party lifestyle and was removed from two universities for non-attendance and poor results. Somehow, I kept meeting Christians at my work who shared the Gospel, prayed for me, and encouraged me to pursue peace through Christ.
Hearing the Gospel and Business as Mission
I went to a nightclub while all this was happening. There, I met a friend I hadn’t seen for a while. He used to be in the party scene too. He told me that he was a born-again Christian and that I didn’t have to be polite if I didn’t want to talk to him. However, I did want to talk to him. He invited me to church the next Sunday and asked me not to go out partying until then. Through that church, I was able to get the love and support I needed and make many wonderful friends. I returned to the university and was able to graduate with my BA and later achieve a Masters in Business Administration.
Since God saved me, I desperately wanted to serve God, and much enjoyed my volunteer work in outreach cafes and street ministry. I went to Cambodia twice on short term mission while working as a business professional. I thought I had to be a traditional missionary, which I was happy to be. At that time, I didn’t know that Business as Mission was a thing!
Now, I travel the world, inspiring people to a more profound commitment to the mission, and promoting the software products of our company. My dream is to continue this work, and also do more ministry work with overcoming addictions and creation science teaching.
Spiritual Struggles and Free Ministry Training at CLI
Old habits die hard, and it took a long time for me to submit my whole self to the Lord and move on from the enticing old lifestyle. I’m grateful to God for His never-ending grace and all those friends who saw me through times of backsliding and loved me onto the right track.
The protection and provision of God humbled me. He provided such a loving community and made way for me to return to study. God rescued me from an intense period of rebellious living.
God became real to me when I was young. However, I didn’t understand that He is the Name Above Every Name. I knew I should follow Him as soon as I started to get prayed for by loving friends.
Getting to know Jesus as Saviour was easy, but it’s taken a long time to submit to everything He asks of me as Lord. God led me to Christian Leaders Institute as part of my ministry calling story. I hope the Christian Leaders Institute ministry training can help me more effective in my ministry and inspire others to a deeper relationship with Christ. As a business mission worker, I’m not exactly flush with cash, and so free training are especially important to me.
Learn about ordination opportunities at Christian Leaders Alliance.