Free Ministry Training College
My name is Charles D. Butler and I am attending Christian Leaders Institute a free ministry training college online. I was born in Dallas, Texas, and then we moved to Pontiac, Michigan when I was the age of 7. I was brought up in a Christian home. I was introduced to God at a very early age. Having to become a man at an early age due to having a child at the age of 17, I drifted from the church into the street life. I was in and out of different churches for a long period of time. I was just going but not really worshiping God.
In 1994, God put this man in my life, Dr. Todd Evan a Former NFL Player, who was a Superintendent of a Charter School in Pontiac. He hired me as a Security Guard for the school and later I became the Office Manager there. I retired twenty-four years later.
Then, God also put Pastor Ezra Tillman in my life in 2008. My partner and I were not married yet during that time, and we had a bad break up. Pastor Tillman talked to her separately first. Then during a marriage retreat that she asked me to attend in February of 2010 and through counseling from Pastor Tillman, we were married on May 29, 2010. I did my trial sermon on October of 2010. So, through all of these experiences in my life, I know God will never turn his back on me or any of His children. He will let us make our choices, but He will never leave us or forsake us.
Now God has led me to the free ministry training college, Christian Leaders Institute. What a blessing! I am eager to see what God has in store for me in the future as I follow His leading in my life.
Learn about ordained minister study programs at Christian Leaders Alliance.
Ministry Spiritual Journey
My name is Deanna Sellars, and I am on a ministry spiritual journey. My nickname is ‘Fancy’ and I am happily married to Jared Sellars. We live in a small retirement community called Leader in Saskatchewan, Canada. In our town, most everyone was born and raised here. The children attend school to twelfth grade and leave for University. Some return to raise their children in the same small town. The cycle then begins again.
Easter Sunday 1971, two schoolmates invited me to church. I received Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior and spontaneously spoke in tongues. All of this was new to me. My ministry spiritual journey has had its difficulties, through foster homes, schools, and churches. The fact that I am here says it all. Forty-seven years of serving Christ, I am hoping that I will get a degree and continue to bigger and greater things for the Lord.
There are five churches here: United, Victory, Alliance, Catholic, and Lutheran. It is difficult to keep leadership within these churches because attendance and giving are low. Some leaders cover more than one church at a time itinerantly throughout the Province. The infrastructures within the churches here are wanting. Usher’s and Deacon’s training is lacking; it seems it is the blind leading the blind. Christ commands that we equip the saints to do the work of the ministry. It is affirming to find others who believe the same. A small group of Spirit-filled saints gathers here weekly to intercede for the Body of Christ and for revival. This is where I found out about this free ministry training program at Christian Leaders Institute through my local Pastor. He is working on his degree in this program. In this small town, a degree is everything, especially if you want to introduce something new into the community.
Friday, January 22, 1988, I had a near-death experience. I died for 35 minutes. For the first year after my experience, I combed through my Interlinear Bible, Greek and Hebrew lexicons, expository dictionaries and many Bibles to confirm all that I had experienced. My local Pastor became my mentor. He helped me set up the church bank accounts. We rented his church for a while but my congregation grew faster than his did. I completed all the required studies and received my Pastoral License to Minister.
As instructed, I began a custody battle for my three siblings. While visiting my siblings I was invited to host a radio program, which I called “Golden Nuggets” on WXKL, in Sanford, North Carolina. The owner Betty Ciliberto and I became good friends and we traveled in ministry together. Then I made several appearances on local cable TV. My siblings were able to listen to and watch me preach and teach. The Holy Spirit brought the increase. In addition, I taught three Bible Studies in three different cities each week.
Once my three siblings arrived, we consolidated these three Bibles Studies into our first home church. We had 26 new converts. From small beginnings, the establishment of churches and schools required the writing of by-laws and the acquiring of a 501c3. It was a massive undertaking with a dramatic domino effect. The church outgrew the house. We began to fast and pray for an existing church building. On the last day of the fast, a pastoral friend presented me with the keys to an existing church building. A few weeks later, we opened the church, with those 26 new believers, their family, and friends, plus more. Next, we opened our first Christian Academy. We planted five churches in all, which went independent. We planted two Academies grades K-12. We oversaw the ministries, churches, and schools for 25 years.
The reason I am here today is I have learned that we need one another especially when bad things happen to us. Because we will receive a repetition of blows one right after the other and we do have to learn to recover from each experience as fast as we can and move on. But, sometimes we cannot do that by ourselves.
I have had the privilege of ministering in Canada, Mexico, Germany, Russia, Israel, Lebanon, Damascus, England, Iceland, and many states in the USA including the Apache Nation. My spiritual dream is to be prepared for a large church with home churches. I want to be fully prepared with the pieces to fill in the blanks on my ministry spiritual journey. I am seeking lifelong Christian friends. I know I am called to be a Christian leader in Saskatchewan for the Last Days Revival. The time is almost upon us and the Body of Christ needs faithful and prepared leaders. I want to be ready. I am not financially able to afford Bible College Tuition here, it costs $50,000.00. I believe your program at CLI is for such a time as this! In my prayers, I have expressed to the Lord that if He provided the education I would do it! So here I am!
Learn about minister ordination at Christian Leaders Alliance.