Women Ministry Call
My name is Michelle Yvonne Wren-Thoreson, and I have a women ministry call on my life. I live in the United States. My nickname is Shelly, and my husband gave me the road name of Sassy. I am 51 years old and just got married to the man that God brought into my life. We married on the eighth of September 2018 at Highway 2 Heaven Bible Church. We have three German Shepherd dogs that are our “kids.”
I grew up going to a Christian grade school in northern Illinois with a difficult transition to public school for Jr High and High School. That was a major cultural shock. I went to a Christian school but grew up without any of the Christian values. I experienced physical, psychological, and sexual abuse as a child. My parents were divorced when I was three years old. Then, my father remarried later that same year, and my mother remarried four years later. My mother walked out on us. So it was hard on us, but I became my daddy’s tomboy.
Personal Struggles and My Women Ministry Call
I grew up not liking myself and continually doubting myself as I was often criticized and put down. I could never do anything right, and my mother still thinks that and treats me that way even today.
Growing up as a Baptist, I had some church knowledge. But, once I was on my own, I turned away from the church. I never had a good role model in religion. Since then, I have found my way back to God! I rededicated my life and received baptism again on Easter Sunday in 2018.
I have the calling to minister to and help women grow in Christ. With the guidance of the teaching and leadership of Christian Leaders Institute, I will be able to guide women in the way of a better life through God.
Learn about ordained minister study programs at Christian Leaders Alliance.
Free Online Biblical Education
My name is David MacNeill. Receiving this free online biblical education at CLI is a blessing. I am 34 years old. I was born in Scotland where I spent most of my childhood until moving to England in 2003. My home was not a Christian home, and my parents divorced when I was a baby. However, I did go to a state school where we celebrated Christian holidays and sang hymns at the school assembly. In one class, thanks to Mrs. Simpson, we said the Lord’s Prayer every day before lunch. I fondly remember singing hymns on dreary days. We sang loud, and the sun broke through the clouds and shone in the hall. It sounds cheesy, but it’s true! It’s one of my favorite memories of primary school!
I lacked any proper Christian guidance or education. On Sundays, before my grandparents picked me up for the day, I snuck to the local Presbyterian Church to listen to the hymns and sermon. I never told anyone at the time because it almost felt shameful. You see, my birth mother’s side were church-going Christians, and me saying or associating anything positive with them seemed to anger my stepmother.
Anyway, I didn’t have a Bible and going to the church became more difficult since I was supposed to be getting ready to go out with my grandparents. I grew bored and spiritually starved. With the problems at home, I felt weak and powerless. I prayed for things privately such as being allowed permission to play a game or go out, and it seemed to work. But my limited theological understanding ended up with me joining the occult: Spiritualism and Wicca. This, in turn, led me to abuse alcohol and drugs by the time I was eleven.
Restored Faith
Between the ages of eleven and 28, life was hell – total separation from God. In 2012, at the age of 28, I was in Amsterdam. We had missed the last ferry to the other side of the city after a day of drinking, taking drugs, and visiting sex clubs. I didn’t take much notice but vaguely remember in the distance someone walking up the port heading toward us. He came straight up to me, ignored everyone else, and he said, “Never forget about Jesus because He hasn’t forgotten about you!” From that time, my life changed for the better. There was a spark inside me.
I wanted to catch up on the lifetime of spiritual knowledge I had missed. I studied Judaism intensively and immersively for a year. Islam for six months. I did a diploma in Christian theology and started a charity helping homeless people in the city. Just as I thought I was ready to begin my ministry, I came in contact with an Orthodox priest.
One thing led to another, and before I knew it, I was in the Orthodox Church. I was a server and had a tutelage under the guidance of a monk. So much happened in such a short time! Things grew a little stale. I was part of the monastery in a satellite cell for two or three years and felt like a rat in a cage. The rigid rules and hierarchy made things difficult for me to go out and spread the word of God – well, that and social anxiety. But God has a plan for me.
Ministry Calling and Free Training at CLI
The beginning of 2019 brought a new passion for my faith and new friends. Thanks to a friend, I discovered the Independent Fundamentalist and Conservative Baptists. The Holy Spirit brings everything together and renews my faith in God. I’m back on track again. I’ve learned so much here with the free online biblical education at Christian Leaders Institute. I want to share the teachings of Christ with the world. I am fulfilling my calling to minister the Word to the people thanks to the Christian Leaders Institute and their free online biblical education.
Learn about ordained minister study programs at Christian Leaders Alliance.
Free Online Ministry Education
My name is VonTashia Butler, and I am receiving free online ministry education at CLI. I am a resident of Garland, Texas, USA. I am a servant of God, a wife, and mother. My husband and I have been married for four years and have a blended family. We are parents to two sons and five daughters. Our children consist of a 17-year-old, 16-year-old, 15-year-old, 12-year-old, and 9-year-old from our previous marriages. Together we have a set of 1-year-old old twins. Though we have only been married for a short time, we met when we were teens. But, we both went our different way, and then married each other some 20 years later.
Saved by Grace and the Struggles of Life
I came to the knowledge of Jesus Christ as a teenager. He became my Lord and Savior during Vacation Bible School at a local church that a friend invited me too. I previously some times attended church with my grandmothers. However, I didn’t know much about having a relationship with God.
My mother, my sister, and I ended up joining a church in the community shortly after that. I became heavily involved in working in the church as an usher, choir member, praise dancer, announcement clerk, and adjutant. I even made the weekly church bulletins and did many other things. Any place I could find a void to fill in the ministry, I would avail myself. Even with all of my dedication to ministry service as a youth, I began to experience many different troubles. I drifted into different struggles that carried over into my early adulthood.
I married for the first time at the age of 20 and divorced seven years later. I am grateful to God that WE survived a toxic relationship riddled with domestic violence. Divorce can be a very traumatic thing, but I count mine as a blessing because it could have gone another way. The children survived, their father survived, as did I, because God’s hand of mercy and protection was upon us all.
Free Online Ministry Education Dream
Today, my husband and I are servant leaders in our local church. We have a passion for people. In December of 2018, I answered the call of God to leave the corporate world and dive deeper into ministry. I want to gain greater ministry training that is diverse and not just tailored explicitly to my denomination. I desired to further my education. During my prayer time about those things, I was lead to the Christian Leaders Institute. I am excited about embarking on this free online ministry education journey. Being equipped to be a more effective example of servant leadership in the Kingdom of God excites me.
The vision of CLI has an exceptional place in my heart. It provides an opportunity for people like me that could not occur due to an inability to pay for this quality education. I looked into several other options for education and ministry training but felt that I couldn’t advance in these because of the cost. This free online ministry education opportunity and the various study options are a Godsend to people like me. These courses are valuable resources that impact student’s lives and produce world changers.
Learn about minister ordinations with Christian Leaders Alliance.