Spiritual Faith Journey
My name is Allen Humes of the United Kingdom. My life has always centered around serving people. Helping to run a local youth club while in my teens was something I enjoyed. I qualified as a youth leader later in life and ran a youth center for over 20 years. I participated in local politics for many years, before becoming a practicing Christian. Today, I am committed to the Lord and serve Him faithfully as a local Methodist lay-preacher. My life has always been guided by God toward helping others on my spiritual faith journey.
After major heart surgery at 42 years of age, I decided to take on something a little less strenuous. So, I went into local politics as an activist in the Labour Party and served a Parish Councillor for a number of years. I ended my political career as the Chairman of Chester- le-street – District Town Council.
Spiritual things were attracting my attention. So I became a member of a local spiritual church where I became a “spiritual healer”. At this time, I delved deeper into a religious study. My life changed shortly after this. I felt God making a call on my life. When I think back, I am sure He had called on me several times before, but I had never really listened. I never felt ready or able to take on the responsibility of being one of God’s disciples.
Deeper Spiritual Faith Journey
It was during what was one of the darkest times of my life that my real spiritual faith journey began. My wife and I were on holiday. We visited Buckfast Abbey, which is a working Monastery in England UK. It was quite by chance that we visited the Monastery (or so I thought). I prayed at the front of the Church, and I looked at a stained-glass window. While I knelt in prayer, a shaft of sunlight fell on me. It felt as though God had his hand on my shoulder, and I immediately felt my depression and worries begin to lift. A strange feeling came over me. I left the Church feeling spiritually uplifted. My wife was with me and actually noticed a change in me as we left the Monastery. From that day I took up the call that God was making on my life.
When I returned home from my holiday, I began to look for a church where I could begin my Christian discipleship. I became a member of the Methodist Church in my local village. There was a notice in the church asking for people who were interested in training to become worship leaders (I must add that I never read anything on the notice board before that day). I went on the training course and qualified as a worship leader.
Shortly after that, I felt called towards becoming a local preacher. But I put it off because I felt I was too old. However, God persisted in his call, and it wasn’t long before I began my training. I was 66 years old. Qualifying as a local preacher occurred when I was 70 years old. I began preaching in my local “District Circuits” where I still preach on a regular basis.
Next Steps
Even though I was heavily involved in the life of the Church, I still felt as though God was calling on me to do more. So I began to look outside of the ‘Church for another opportunity to do His work. I stumbled upon a website dedicated to the “Missionary Aviation Fellowship” and this suited my needs perfectly (and God’s no doubt). I became a volunteer and did my training and I have been a regional speaker for “The Missionary Aviation Fellowship” for about two years.
My spiritual dream is to see the revival of my local church and others in our district and to know that I have played a major part in the revival. I am a committed life-long learner who loves to use my knowledge to further the Kingdom of God. I count it a blessing when I came upon the Christian Leaders Institute website. God has me under “His wing” and guiding me towards Church revival in these latter stages of my life.
The opportunity to study at such a high level would not be possible were it not for the free tuition of Christian Leaders Institute. As a retired person, I do not have the financial means that could support the quality of training I am receiving from CLI. I am aiming to attain the Ordination Level in my training with CLI. Maybe then, I will have reached the level that God wants me to be. Only God and time will tell if that is the case on this my spiritual faith journey!
Learn about ordination at Christian Leaders Alliance.
Healing Women Ministry
My name is Julie Grossman, and I am called to healing women ministry. I’m from Saint Paul, Minnesota, where I was born and raised, and currently live. We have a thriving Christian Church in my area, and I love being a Christian leader. Many women are suffering from assault, abuse, harassment, sickness, loss, and other trauma. For many women, this leads them away from Christ.
My story is similar. I had a wonderful childhood, raised Baptist, attended church every Sunday with my family of four. God gifted me with singing abilities. I participated in the music ministry, often singing with my father. It was at Church summer camp that I formally turned my life over to Jesus, and I was baptized at age 9. I attended the DTI (Discipleship Training Institute) summer program as a teenager.
My church family was immensely supportive when I became ill. I found out I had Crohn’s Disease at age 14, and they surrounded me with healing and loving support. Still, I struggled much with anxiety and depression.
God Brought Healing and Opportunity for Ministry
In my twenties, I didn’t live a very Godly life. I completed my Bachelors and Masters degrees. But I also drank, went out a lot, and made terrible decisions in my relationships. A turning point for me was my assault. Someone gave me a drink of orange punch while at a friend’s apartment one night to watch a movie. I blacked out and woke up later with him on top of me. Terrified, confused and unable to move, I blacked out again.
The experience didn’t destroy me. It brought me closer to God and my mission. I met a man who attended the Catholic church, and I asked him to take me to a mass. I ended up going to RCIA and joining the Catholic church. We married in the fall of 2015, and our son was born the next summer.
I did a lot of work to heal the depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress after my assault. Yoga and exercise, along with meditation and contemplation (and of course, therapy) helped heal my symptoms. The Lord also helped heal my spirituality. I started working with women who have experienced trauma — assault, abuse or loss — teaching yoga and running healing circles with inspirational readings and music.
That’s when a lightbulb went on — this could become a healing women ministry. Women could be guided to the Lord with movement, Scripture, meditation, contemplation, and prayer. I created womenshealingcircle.org and found Christian Leaders Institute as a way to learn skills in Women’s Ministry. With my young, struggling family, CLI’s free education is a Godsend.
Advice for Healing Women
It is my dream to bring healing to women suffering from trauma through my healing women ministry. I want to bring them closer to the Lord. I continue to read and study every day and feel my ministry is vital to me and my relationship with God.
Many women who have experienced the trauma of assault and abuse contact me. I offer the following advice in my healing women ministry:
YOU ARE NOT ALONE
When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. For I am the Lord, your God. Isaiah 43:2-3
He has said, I will never leave you, nor forsake you. Hebrews 13:5
YOU ARE NOT DAMAGED
This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 2 Corinthians 5:17
You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. John 15:3
THE LORD BRINGS HEALING
He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. Psalms 147:3
‘But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds,’ declares the Lord. Jeremiah 30:17
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10)
Learn about ordination at Christian Leaders Alliance.
Changed Life
My name is Christopher, and I have a changed life in Christ Jesus. I was born in Singapore, into a Buddhist family. However, I attended a Christian school (elementary to senior high) as my dad was previously in that school. My dad was a believer in Christ, but my mom and my siblings were not. They were staunch Buddhist believers.
Despite knowing many stories and verses from the Bible, I never had an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. As a matter of fact, I tended to avoid Christians after my graduation from the Christian school.
I worked for some years, and I started my own business when I turned 30. Through a dare and challenge by an army mate, which I met while I was back in military camp for my (reservist) training, I went back to church. Somehow, throughout all the Sundays sitting in the congregation of thousands of worshippers, I felt that God directed the sermons at me. It was as if God was talking to me personally every Sunday. Subsequently, nine months later, I gave up my pride and sin. I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Saviour.
My mom saw my changed life immediately after I became a Christian. This changed life made her curious as to what changed me. Four years later, she was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer and given less than nine months to live. I spent time taking care of her and sharing Christ with her. She accepted Christ as her Lord and Saviour too just ten days prior to her passing on. This conversion was an incredible event as she was a firm Buddhist believer before that. To this day, I praise and thank God for all that He has done for me. With faith, trust, and hope in Him, I know that I will see my mom again someday.
And now I have this opportunity to receive free ministry training at Christian Leaders Institute. May the Lord guide me to the ministry work He has for me to do. I thank you, CLI, and may the Lord bless all of you here.
Learn about ordination at Christian Leaders Alliance.