Bible Teacher Dream
I am Mike Whelan and I have a Bible teacher dream. I live in South Africa in the town of Tshwane (Old Pretoria). There are ministry opportunities for those who look to minister. Although people are a bit reserved and private, once the wall is breached, they are open to talk and discuss any subject as long as it is done in a respectful manner with tact.
At the age of 19, I was a lonely conscripted soldier waiting to be drafted for border service for the protection of his country. One day, a man walked into his life by the name of Jesus and said: “Follow Me.” In my loneliness, Jesus found me and assured me that He would walk with me from then onwards and never leave me. My time as a soldier went well, as after that I had a friend who walked with me, and said I was His friend. In my free time, I spent time in His Word, and I learned many things about Him. Fellowship was sweet.
My army time passed and I was out in the big, busy world of millions or so it felt, and loneliness struck again. Then at a youth camp, I met a very pretty girl who sat and spoke to me for many an hour. Little did we know that God had a great plan for the two of us as we prayed together, and shared our hearts, visions, and dreams. Our love grew stronger for each other and our love for God became evident to each other. After being good friends for just over five years, we finally realized that we would be able to serve God together as a couple.
I had qualified in the Electronic Hardware and Software engineering, and the two of us got married. Three years later, God blessed us with a beautiful little girl. Well, a little girl was a shock to me. She played with dolls and stole my heart when she walked out the first time to where I was working with a toolbox full of tools and thought my tools were lovely funny toys to spread all over the place.
Shortly after this, I changed my career to be a quality engineer. I completed my degree and found that I was happy helping people to do their tasks correctly the first time and save costs. At this time, my little budding designer and explorer started college. I found out how to use the money to gain an education for her at a financial cost, with lots of love and great rewards to see my daughter blossom into the person God has called her to be.
A few years back, I got involved in a Bible study group, and I was provided an opportunity to teach. Well, this is where I found my deep, down passion for my Bible teacher dream. I was fulfilled as I would dig into God’s word, seek the gold, diamonds, and gems, and share them with whoever would listen. The realization slowly has come, that this is really what I long to do. But, the fear arose that I might teach something wrong. I needed to get well equipped to find real gold, diamonds, and gems, to share them with others. That is what brought me to study at Christian Leaders Institute.
Through taking classes at CLI, I seek to gain depth of Scripture knowledge, the ability to hear God’s voice, a deeper love and obedience to Jesus His Son, the ability to hear the Spirit and learn how He is guiding me, and the gold, diamonds, and gems in His Word. There are gems in the materials of the classes. These gems I want to pass on to whoever is seeking wealth in the eternal and only God.
I feel called to be a Bible Teacher. This has been a passion that has been birthed in me by God. When I teach, I really sense God’s help and guidance if I have spent time with Him in preparing. When I left the army, I joined a church and they allowed me to be a Sunday School Teacher, and my Bible teacher dream was born there at that time. My Bible teacher dream is to start or be part of a church-based Bible school that provides Biblical understanding at no cost to the poor and all God-seekers. The challenges in my city for ministry are that people don’t believe that there is any life after death, so why do we need a God who will spoil our lifestyle?
I had the realization that without the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the redemptive work in my life in Christ, and the love of God in my life, would result in me feeling useless and hopeless, as being an introvert, I don’t mix easily with strange people. God enables me to reach out and speak to people, and when I have a gold nugget from the Word, I seem to gain more confidence in speaking.
Pastor Thinus Pretorius, also a CLI student, has granted me the opportunity to be a worship leader even before I have completed any formal CLI diploma. He has agreed to be my mentor and is a great encourager for me to stick to the course and see what God has planned for the church and me.
My wife has a great and close walk with the Lord, and my daughter is on fire for the Lord, as she sees God using her and caring for her in her life. Please pray that God will continue to provide and protect us as we as a family move forward. Also, that He will open up an area for us as a church to minister to and bring God’s Love, Acceptance, and Forgiveness.
Learn about minister ordination at Christian Leaders Alliance.
Christian Ministry Walk
I am Jameelah R. Wright and I am on a Christian ministry walk. I am from the United States of America. Although I attended church as a child, and then sporadically throughout my teenage years, I did not begin to attend church regularly until after I graduated from college in 2003. My husband, who was then my boyfriend, grew up in a Christian household, and it was he who encouraged me to go to church. He invited me to attend with him, and so I did, and I have been in church ever since.
The church we regularly went to was Christ Church in Montclair, New Jersey, led by Pastor David Ireland. After one particular service, Pastor Ireland did an altar call, and my fiance and I walked to the altar together to accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. After that service, we began to go to my fiance’s family church in Elizabeth, New Jersey. Mt. Calvary Church of God, a Pentecostal church, was built by my husband’s great-grandfather, James Leak. His great-uncle, Samuel McCrae Leak was the Bishop of Mt. Calvary. I became a member of Mt. Calvary Church of God by attending membership classes taught by Sister Cynthia Whitley. I taught Vacation Bible School. I was baptized at this church. I married my husband at this church. And my son, James, was christened at Mt. Calvary.
In 2012, for my son, I had to make a difficult decision. Although I loved Mt. Calvary very much, they did not have a children’s church program outside of Vacation Bible School, which only ran during the summer. As a mother, I wanted to ensure my son had proper education and training in the church. So, after returning to Christ Church (their Rockaway, New Jersey campus) for a few months, I found a comparable church much closer to home – The Life Christian Church in West Orange, New Jersey. The Life Christian Church had just moved into their new building, which was around the corner from my home. After attending for a while, I became a member of this church and taught in the children’s church for three years. I attended informative classes at this church. I read the books recommended by the pastor, Terry Smith. Inspired, I led a Bible Study group at my job for teachers during our lunch break on Fridays. The Bible Study group at my school ran for three years. I was very happy at The Life Christian Church.
At the same time that I was at The Life Christian Church, my husband and his parents (both ministers) were planting a church in West Orange called Cathedral Kingdom Living Church. One morning in December 2015, I felt God instructing me to leave The Life Christian Church and to join my husband and his parents at their church, so I did. With this church, I was able to participate in activities such as feeding the hungry in a nearby soup kitchen as well as giving Christmas gifts to children with incarcerated parents. At Cathedral Kingdom Living Church, I currently teach Sunday School for adults. When the pastor, Steven Deaver, asks me to deliver homilies, I am obedient.
I am interested in my Christian ministry walk to learn more about the Bible and Christian Ministry from Christian Leaders Institute. I feel it is necessary in order for me to be an asset to our growing church. I want to be more grounded in the Word of God so I can teach and speak about it confidently.
Learn about ordained minister study programs at Christian Leaders Alliance.