Pastoral Ministry Education
My name is Kapesa Liato. I am receiving pastoral ministry education at Christian Leaders Institute. I am originally from Zambia in Southern Africa. But I have been living in South Africa as a missionary since 2011. I am serving as a Spiritual coordinator at a Christian organization called The Leadership Experience (LXP). My roles are to coordinate all the spiritual activities, be a facilitator and mentor, and to conduct community transformation programs.
I gave my life to Jesus in 2006 after suffering from severe depression. In my pursuit to find answers and healing, I found God. God sent men and women that helped me to come to a place of accepting Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. I immediately joined a church in my local community. Since that time, I have been part of the body of Christ.
What inspired me to join Christian Leaders Institute is the way they are devoted to teaching and to training revival leaders for the kingdom of God. Because I am at a place of leadership at church and at work, I would like to acquire more knowledge of the Bible so that I can become a more effective leader.
Since I began the getting started class at Christian Leaders Institute, I have come to learn new things. These things have really helped me in my personal walk with God. The things I have learned have also helped me grow in my relationships with the people that I share life with every day.
Getting this scholarship with Christian Leaders Institute will help me. I am excited to gain more knowledge of God and of the Word of God. It will also prepare me to be more effective in my area of calling as a pastor.
Learn about ordained minister study programs at Christian Leaders Alliance.
Ministry Education
I am Otto Ball and I am receiving ministry education at CLI. I was born November 19, 1957. I am the youngest of 11 children and my father had a drinking problem. He believed that I was not his child for his whole life. The feeling of rejection from that was a part of my life. I did go to Vacation Bible School and take Jesus as my Savior as a young teen. But with no follow-up, I didn’t know all that God had for me.
Not long after, I saw a Billy Graham Crusade on TV and a message about a new life. I watched as many came forward for that new life. Years later now in my twenties, I sought out that new life for mine was a mess. I went to a church and when the altar call was given I went forward. I later was baptized in that church and attended regularly. I found love and acceptance and my life began to change. There I met a guy who got saved reading a tract in his sister’s bathroom. His name was Dave and he discipled me. He took me with him to pass out tracts sharing our new found faith.
I have since shared the good news wherever I could find an open door. I witnessed at nursing homes, the county jail and in a state prison. I was a volunteer there from September 11, 2001, until January 2011 leading a small group Bible study weekly. About twice a year, I was able to preach to the church there on Sunday mornings to a packed house of 200 plus inmates. I have also been writing to inmates since 2000. At the last count, over 2500 have written to us and I answer every letter. I desired to do more and began seeking to further my studies. I found Christian Leaders Institute through a google search. It provides what I am looking for, I can’t afford to go far in debt at this stage of life and it is convenient to take the courses. Thank you, Christian Leaders Institute, for this opportunity.
Learn about ordained minister study programs at Christian Leaders Alliance.
Evangelism Calling
My name is Belinda Adlam and I am following God in my evangelism calling. I’m 27 years of age and I have a 5-year-old daughter, two sisters and a mom. I was originally born and grew up in Zambia. I moved to South Africa in 2007 due to my father’s ill health as he needed proper medical attention. I am Zambian by birth and South African by decent. I went to school in Zambia up until grade 11 and my final year I completed in South Africa which was a challenge for me due to the difference in school syllabus.
From an early age, I attended a Pentecostal church with my mom. I used to watch my mom read her Bible, which caught my interest, and I learned from there. I had a desire to dig deeper into the word and learn. Due to that, I have always had a passion for teaching and felt my evangelism calling. Whenever I would be alone, I would picture myself sharing the word of God with people.
I went to boarding school and during the Easter weekends, we always had a 4-day retreat. Pastors from around the world would attend and preach during that time. I remember the first time I made a real commitment to become a Christ follower. I was 13 years old at that time and in eighth grade. There was an altar call and I stood up. There were a number of people that went to the front. We formed small groups of about 8, and the Pastors came around and started praying for us. They explained the hope we now have in Christ Jesus. From that day, I knew for sure that my decision came from the heart. I had previously prayed the sinner’s prayer, but I never really drew the line up until that day.
Moving to South Africa came as a big challenge for me and my family. We gave up everything in Zambia and only moved here with our suitcases. We stayed with my cousin for 7 years until I got a job in a bank. I finally managed to raise deposit money to get my family our own place as my mom and dad never worked all through those years. My dad suffered a number of strokes and was bedridden for 10 years and my mom had to nurse him until he passed on in 2015.
During those trying times, I lost my way. I met an unbeliever and I knew it was wrong to have a relationship with someone that was not a follower of Jesus. But, I went ahead and even moved in with him. My walk with God went shallow and I could feel it every day of my life. I tried sharing the word of God with him and prayed continually that he would come to the knowledge of Christ and accept Jesus as his Lord and Savior. However, he only criticized my beliefs. I knew I was living in sin and my life was miserable. I wanted us to get married legally so that we where living correctly under the right principles, but my partner never saw the significance of that.
My life finally changed when I almost lost my job. I was supporting my mom and sisters paying their rent as well as my own and the thought of losing my job scared me. During that time, I was praying like I have never prayed before in my life. It became significant to me then as I read the word in 1 Corinthians 7. I have read these scriptures before, but now the word came alive to me and God was directly speaking to me to leave this relationship. I saw that my relationship was hindering me from reaching greater heights in my Christian life. I finally made the decision to end my relationship and moved back in with my mom and sisters.
I have since then renewed my faith. I know that heaven and hell are real places people go to when they die, and I don’t want myself or anyone to end up in hell. Sharing the word to the lost souls has become profound to me in my evangelism calling.
I will be going on my first missionary journey to Swaziland in April 2018 with some members of my church. It is so exciting for me at this stage of my evangelism calling. Gaining a scholarship at Christian Leaders Institute will help me grow spiritually and improve my knowledge of God and the word of God. It will improve my confidence and help me gain boldness as I minister the word of God with authority and conviction.
I am grateful for the work that Christian Leaders Institute is doing and would love to be part of the school as I advance and moved forward along this new and exciting journey.
Learn about minister ordination at Christian Leaders Alliance.