Christian Training Journey
My name is Jamey King and I am on a Christian training journey with my Lord which has led me to CLI. I was born and raised primarily in the small town of Athens, Alabama, USA. My parents were divorced when I was very young. I have only a few memories of them together. My biological mother gained custody of us. She struggled to support us sometimes working three jobs at once. She remarried a very abusive man. They both used drugs, so it was an unstable life. My sisters and I learned first hand what severe abuse does to a child and the path his or her life takes. This abuse started a pattern for me of thinking that I was very bad.
My father fought to gain custody of us. My older sister moved in with him first. My mother did not want the trouble that came with a very hyper nine-year-old son. So she just packed my stuff and took me to him. She ran to Mississippi with my younger sister but was finally tracked down. My sister went to foster care for a while but was eventually placed with my dad too. Our life there was unstable at first, but I remember feeling safe. I loved hunting with my dad and the attention he gave me.
Then my dad remarried, and we had two younger sisters added to our family. There were five of us kids in all, four girls and one boy. Life became stable then, but my dad grew very stern and often violent. I believe he set out on the path of raising normal, capable adults. Unfortunately, we were not normal since we had suffered severe abuse earlier in our lives. Because of this, the home became very unhealthy for all of us.
My father did not hold to the teachings of the Bible. He grew up with an abusive father. He was in the Vietnam war, and he believed in a military type discipline. He destroyed all of our confidence and self-image to make us driven. All of us were driven, right out of his house. No matter what we had to do, all of us worked to become independent. We all went in different directions and began our own families.
I moved out with a friend. We rented a house, and the party life started. This part of my story is hard to tell, so in short, I slept with a woman for all the wrong reasons. But out of that, the Lord created a beautiful daughter’s life. I was young and immature and could not get along with the woman. We went back and forth in a very toxic relationship until she found someone else. I have been in and out of my daughter’s life over the years. We kept it from her mother because she has a severe hatred of me.
Soon after that relationship, I met my wife of twenty-three years now. I needed someone who was gentle, loyal, and safe. I found that in my wife. We soon had a son. I was a proud father, but life changed, and I didn’t. I still wanted to hunt, fish, and run the roads. But that didn’t work. My wife went back to work on second shift. I worked days. Her parents helped watch the kids in the evenings so I could hunt and fish some. I never was much of a drinker or had anything to do with drugs before this time but sitting at home all the time was not good for me. I started drinking every evening.
I found a job in maintenance on the 3rd shift and started going to school full time during the day. Four years later, my daughter was born. I was in construction as an electrician by this time. Drugs were available everywhere. I found pain pills/opiates, and it was all downhill after that. The next chapter of my life dealt with jails, rehabs, and hospitals.
I was not raised in the church and did not have a personal relationship with the Lord. After many years of failing to get sober, I began to study the Bible. I wanted the Lord to come in my life, but addiction had a solid hold on me. I wanted a better life for me and my family, but I did not see how giving up the desires of this world could make me happy. I was selfish.
On February 18, 2016, I gave up and surrendered. I decided I would do my very best to follow God’s words, commandments, and convictions. So I gave my life to my Lord and Savior. I got a new boss. My life began to change on my Christian training journey. I put filthy language off my lips. I became honest. I started a routine of getting up, praying, taking my shower, then going downstairs and reading my Bible while having my coffee. I would usually watch a Dr. Charles Stanley video or something spiritual before work.
The Lord has blessed me immensely. My wife and I now have a very stable and Christian life. My routine has been to read the Bible every day. I now want to learn more on my Christian training journey. I want to serve the Lord better when I witness and be more involved in my church. I don’t feel I have been called to preach, but I do feel the Lord has a plan for me and this program at Christian Leaders Institute is a part of that plan for my Christian training journey.
Learn about ordination at Christian Leaders Alliance.
Bible Education Opportunity
My name is Malik Wiley, and I am thankful for the free Bible education opportunity at CLI. I was born in Dover, Delaware, February 16, 1972. I am the middle child of four. I was born out of wedlock. My parents met at Delaware state college, and my mother raised me in north Philadelphia. My early childhood years were good. There was no abuse or neglect. It was average to say the least.
I’ve always been an adventurous spirit, but that same spirit led me down the wrong path. My mother worked for the school board of Philadelphia. My father is a bishop in the church, so knowing God was there. I rebelled against everything dealing with God. For a time, I chose Islam to rebel against everything taught to me. At around 15, I took my first drink, and it was off to the races. Soon drug use followed and then jail time when I was no longer able to support my habit. And then, by God’s grace and mercy, I got shot. I prayed to God to change me to the man I am supposed to be.
Everything did not change overnight. I began to meditate on God’s Word and He started to speak to me. I’ve always been a leader since I was a child with the ability to influence others. Now I found out that the real purpose of this gift is to serve Him and bring people to Christ. Another gift is working with my hands to pray over people and to reach out to others to show them there is hope in Christ Jesus.
Christian Leaders Institute is indeed a Godsend for me to work on my relationship with God and to minister to others. This free Bible education opportunity is a blessing, and I know it. I just recently spoke at my father’s church, and I told everyone about CLI and my studies here at the school. The doctrine is sound and straight from the word of God. Amen for that! I will continue to work hard and to be more Christ-like every day of my life with God’s help.
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Godly Woman Minister
My name is Diamond Scott, and I desire to be a godly woman minister. I am from Taylors, South Carolina, which is in the United States of America. I am the youngest of two older sisters. I have served in the same church for four years, in which I am currently over the Prayer Box where I collect and maintain personal prayer cards from our congregation and visitors and intercede on their behalf.
While growing up, I always attended church with my grandparents who were of the Southern Baptist denomination. At the age of nineteen, I stepped out in search of my own church home. I fully believe that by the Holy Spirit I was led to the church where I attend now called “New Start Ministry” which is a non-denominational church where I worship and serve the Lord.
Over the past few years, I have grown a close and personal relationship with Christ. I not only see Him as my God, I see Him as a close friend. I know my heavenly Father loves me inside and out, and at the beginning of my journey, I didn’t understand that I could be loved the way He loves me.
My dream is to become a Women’s Minister and write faith-based books. Many young women have fallen into traps of the enemy that feel they can’t be loved. Many want to know this awesome Savior named Jesus; they don’t know how to jumpstart that relationship or how to maintain it. My ultimate dream is to win souls for the Kingdom of God.
My Pastor and his wife have played a considerable part in my growth in Ministry. They always encourage me to step out in faith and believe that God has an ultimate plan for my life.
I came across Christian Leaders Institute because I wanted to widen my horizons and explore deeper into the word of God. I am grateful that CLI offers free tuition because this education is going to help me grow into the godly woman minister I am to be. I will be a taught, trained, and credible Christian Leader. Thank you, CLI!
Learn about Ordination at Christian Leaders Alliance.