Hawaii Bible School
My name is Derek Fletcher, and I currently live with my family in Honolulu, Hawaii. I’ve been married to my wife for nine years, and together we have three children. I first came to the Lord when I was in college. I was living in a life of sin that revolved around alcohol and self-motives. People that knew me back then would say that they are surprised I didn’t end up dead or in jail. One morning my senior year of college after waking up from a particularly bad night the Lord said that this is not what he has planned for me; I am meant for more. That morning I asked for forgiveness of my sins and gave my life to Jesus. That is when my life started to change.
It has now been twelve years since I first came to Jesus Christ. While driving into work, I listen to the Daily Audio Bible Podcast and one morning as the podcast finished the Holy Spirit laid on my heart that I should become a pastor.
Hawaii Bible School
To pursue the calling to ministry, I chose to attend classes through CLI because it affords me the opportunity to take classes on my time, which is usually early in the morning before I head into work or later at night once the kids are all in bed. I do not know where the Lord will guide me to use the knowledge I gain from CLI, but I will pray and follow his direction.
My local church is supporting my pursuit by the pastors and elders mentoring and assisting me Additionally I have been in contact with my previous pastor since my family, and I recently moved to Honolulu, and he is also mentoring me. My former pastor’s family and my family are close, so his wife is also mentoring my wife.
Africa ministry training including ordination is something ministry leaders need. In places like Zambia, pastors must have credentials to be considered credible. There are many reasons that Africa Ministry Training and Ordination is very important! The Christian culture in Africa rightly sees that untrained pastors and leaders can create cults or can damage people. A credible ministry training is crucial.
Christian Leaders Institute offers free ministry training which provides over 120 credits of high-quality education. Christian Leaders Institute is accredited by IABCS. Christian Leaders Institute also offers ordination programs that bring together a student’s study credentials with local confirmations. Christian Leaders Institute is under the banner of Christian Leaders, NFP. which is a religious non-profit recognized by the United States government to grant ordinations. Christian Leaders, NFP has started the Christian Leaders Churches who guide these local ordinations. Students go through a rigorous process of establishing credibility where local church leaders confirm an ordination candidate has the calling and ministry readiness to minister as a church leader. CLI has developed this program for a worldwide benefit.
Africa Ministry Training including Ordination Graduate
Apostle Douglas Mazimba is from Zambia. He needs an Africa Ministry Training including Ordination option which is not easy to do in Zambia.
Listen to his story (this story is from Zambia but will be similar to other nations in Africa):
My name is Douglas Mazimba. I am 39 years old, a father of three wonderful children; Grace, Benjamin, and Gauis. I am married to Sera. My wife and I are Zambians; we live in a rural part of Zambia in the Copperbelt. Zambia is a landlocked country in Central Africa with a population of 14 million.
I gave my life to the Lord in 1993 after a lengthy battle with sin during the time when I thought within myself I had the power to stop sin and that I was still young with enough time to change.
It was one Sunday morning; my friend invited me to their church in an urban area, a church with a small number of members meeting in a classroom at a primary school. The Pastor was an old evangelist with an interpreter. When he stood to preach, it was like he was reading from what was written about my behaviour. At the moment I thought maybe the ushers or some ladies have communicated to the Pastor concerning my life. He ended the message with the urgency to turn to the Lord and ask for forgiveness. Without hesitation I ran to the front and asked Jesus to forgive me my sins, wash me in his blood, to be my Lord and Savior, and to come into my heart.
What made me join the church was “the welcome.” The Pastor came and hugged me and whispered to me, “Jesus loves you, so do I.” I was wearing a shirt written “real savage”, and had spent the previous night selling drugs (cigarettes and alcohol). I was producing a bad odor but the pastor hugged me regardless, and his nice perfume remained on my clothes. Wherever I went, I felt loved and belonging.
Bible studies made me grow and fellowship in worship and evangelism drew me closer to God. I became a house church leader, worship leader and interpreter to the pastor.
In 1999, I married and moved to a rural area where I was offered a job as a secondary school teacher. I moved away from this Pastor who was full of humor, love, and kindness. Going to church became a forcing matter in this rural area. Though in the local church, I rose to the rank of elder, deep inside I started going back slowly to my old ways of life. I could still hear within, a wonderful voice, “repent and come back”. So I resigned from my position as Elder and set on the journey to return to the Lord. I thought positions and titles were doing more harm to me. This was because every member of the church knew me as an elder and that I am holy without knowing of my backsliding in prayers and fellowship with God. I had lost my joy of testifying to others about Jesus.
My resignation from being an elder did not please the local Pastor, but I was set to seek the Lord, return to him and experience the peace that I once had. It is during this period that the Lord revealed his calling on my life. He said to me, “Go and preach my unconditional love, call everyone, preach the gospel.” I said not me; there are Pastors in this church who are better than me, speak better and are ordained. As for me, I had even resigned as Elder, how can I preach? The church had four ordained Pastors.
Every time I would ignore the voice of God, I would lose peace, joy and just myself. Until when I heard a voice, “One day soon, you will stand before my throne and I will ask you what you did with the calling to go and preach.” I yielded to the voice of God and started to reach out to areas that are far and near preaching about the love of God and turning to him in repentance. I am now leading a rural church, even though I am not officially ordained.
Overcoming the Africa Ministry Training including Ordination Problem
In Africa, there seems to be a barrier that stops called local Chrisitan leaders from receiving the needed training and ordination to do ministry in Zambia. Pastors who are ordained and have been to Bible Schools are the ones who are respected to do ministry. This made me learn that in most parts of Africa, this is a challenge. More credible leaders are available, but accessible training is expensive or rare.
I pastor a local rural church. I had several challenges, though the church was growing in membership, I could not officiate at funerals, weddings and had no idea on how to conduct these ceremonies and my Bible knowledge was too shallow. I really needed an Africa ministry training including ordination option! When I met other pastors the only question that was difficult for me to answer was, “What are your credentials as a Pastor? Which College did you attend?” So I set out to find an online option that offered high-quality education and ordination options.
Most of the Bible schools that offered acceptance in Zambia were very expensive and couldn’t allow me to study at my pace. With a family of five, I failed to go to any of them. I was offered acceptance by an online college, but the content had nothing to do with the word of God. I searched for more online Bible colleges when I failed to find any with emphasis on God’s word; I prayed to God that If I did not hear you clearly or you just want this work to fail or be suffocated by the will of man, it’s your call.
Africa Ministry Training including Ordination is Now Possible!
After two years of giving up on Bible school and hearing Pastors announcing that all the churches with Pastors who do not have credentials must stop operating, I tried to search for an online Bible college again. One click, Christian Leaders Institute appeared.
My first response was, “Where have you been, you good thing?” and then I exclaimed, “Praise the Lord!” Christian Leaders Institute, to me, was God’s timely answer to the challenge. Our 200 member church that was about to be closed!
When I opened to check the organization, I had so many questions, but the main one was, can something like this nice, well-organized Institute be free? After I was enrolled in 2016, right then, I committed myself. Night and day, I studied the materials provided and finished the quizzes.
The organization of the Institute makes me feel that I am no longer in my room but in a classroom at a college learning. The contact with highly qualified lecturers through videos and the hands-on activities in sermon preparation and preaching has really helped me. Materials are adequate and readily available. Studying with CLI is like you have your own more than enough personal library with all the materials needed for the courses. There are no other expenses in looking for the materials, it is really free training. The other part is the friendliness and helpfulness of the help desk team. They have been quick in responding to my challenges. God bless this team.
This ordination will be very helpful to me as a Pastor because it brings with it the confidence to conduct church activities and make me stand on a better platform within the stipulated laws of Zambia. Furthermore, for the church to reach out to areas where the preaching of the love of Christ is hindered by the demand for such credentials.
The church I am Pastoring is in the rural area. Most of the challenges we are faced with are to do with illiteracy levels that are high; very few adult members are able to read and understand. Even those who are able to, do not have Bibles. Lack of Bibles is a major challenge.
Poverty levels are also high. Most girls and boys are made to stop schooling or fail to continue their education due to financial constraints of their guardians. The church is managing to support only three school going children in paying fees.
My passion is to see people from the rural areas receive the message of Jesus Christ, be transformed into better Christians, and serve God by bringing others to the Lord. This ordination is very important to me and the church I am serving.
Thank you, Christian Leaders Institute, for giving me a chance and opportunity to learn valuable content and transforming my life to become a better and wiser counselor, preacher, husband, father, and pastor. You are truly sent by God. God bless you.
Keep on praying for us that the work of God in the rural parts of Zambia succeeds.
Sign up for your free ministry training, click here
Je suis née en France, 35 ans, mariée depuis 2012 à un homme chrétien Sud-Africain. Nous vivons dans le Sud-Est de la France mais bientôt nous serons au Portugal, à Trancoso.
Ma rencontre avec Dieu:
J’ai grandi dans une famille et un milieu social totalement athé. Ma mère, orpheline a cependant grandi au milieu des soeurs catholiques et même si elle n’en a gardé qu’un très mauvais souvenir, je fus baptisée bébé et trônait au-dessus de mon lit d’enfance une belle croix en émail verte portant l’inscription de mon prénom.
Enfant cette croix m’a souvent fascinée et interrogée plus d’une fois, tout comme le petit Jésus lové dans sa crèche à chaque Noël en famille et les films télévisés sur la vie de Moïse.
Jusqu’à l’âge de 30 ans j’ai couru sans le savoir à la rencontre de Dieu, désespérée par ce monde sans profondeur ni véritable valeur dans lequel je me suis perdue très tôt et plus d’une fois… De l’extérieur ma vie semblait normale, “j’avais tout pour être heureuse”. Mais de l’intérieur, je vivais dans un véritable chaos que je cherchais à étouffer ou contrôler …
A 29 ans, j’ai vraiment eu à choisir entre la vie et la mort. Tombée dans une très grave dépression, j’ai supplié Dieu de m’en délivrer plus d’une fois par la mort. Ce n’était pas la première fois que je m’adressais à Lui en ces termes puisque enfant il m’arrivait ainsi de le prier du fond de mon lit, consciente de ce monde mauvais dans lequel je n’avais pas demandé à naître. Alors souvent en pleur et/ou en colère, je le suppliais s’Il existait, de bien vouloir me ramener au Ciel, prête à lui donner ma vie de souffrances … Bien sûr, Il n’en fit rien, et je finis par éteindre du bout de mes p’tits doigts cette faible espérance.
A l’aube de mes 30 ans, cette période de mon enfance oubliée, la grande dépression avait produit une quête spirituelle vers le bouddhisme puis un événement familial inattendu et miraculeux vint m’interroger à nouveau sur la possible existence de Dieu…
Ce fût sous ce même toit familial où je priais étant enfant que je vis un jour pourtant semblables aux autres, défiler ma vie en flashback avec tous ces moments où petite je parlais à Dieu. Ces moments où “Mon Dieu” avait frappé à ma porte plus d’une fois, attendant si patiemment que je lui ouvre…. Mon coeur se brisa.
Pour la première fois, je vis la réalité de mes faiblesses et du plus gros mensonge contrôlant ma vie, avec cette injustice pour laquelle je tenais Dieu comme responsable. Aucune thérapie n’avait eu cet effet!!! J’ai demandé pardon. J’ai enfin lâcher prise, abandonnant ce que j’avais toujours fait jusque là pour choisir de consacrer tous mes efforts à sa recherche. Je suis partie du principe que peu importe ce que je trouverais au bout, au moins une fois dans ma vie, j’aurais sérieusement pris le temps de Le chercher!
A partir de cet instant, ma vie fit un tour entier sur elle-même, virant à 360°.
Dieu fût fidèle à sa promesse qu’à l’époque sans la Bible, je décrivais ainsi:
“ Avec Dieu l’impossible devient possible et l’impensable pensable”.
Depuis ce jour, il y a un avant et un après… Ce jour là, le voile s’est levé! J’ai eu l’impression d’hériter du plus grand secret du monde! La Vérité. Quelle joie! Quelle grâce! Quel miracle! “Dieu existe!!!” Et Il n’a eu de cesse de me le montrer, que de transformer et de restaurer ma vie, avec des victoires incroyables dans chaque changement et chaque épreuve.
Je peux dire que j’ai d’abord rencontré Dieu, puis Jésus-Christ et dernièrement la personne du Saint-Esprit. Dans cet ordre. Chacune de ces rencontres a bouleversé mon existence, ma construction, ma vision des choses pour en arriver finalement au point de choisir la vie telle que Dieu l’a voulu pour moi au commencement, avant que le monde s’en mêle; D’être restaurée dans sa vérité et son Amour, d’être guérie et d’aspirer à servir le Seigneur à temps plein, si possible comme les disciples de la première heure!
Mon appel:
Je crois que seul Dieu à travers son église peut m’appeler à un mandat spécial dans le corps du Christ. Ce qu’il m’a montré à travers ma marche avec Lui sont les désirs de mon coeur pour apporter la vérité, la parole et la guérison aux malades ainsi que servir la communauté avec le don de prophétie.
Peut-être mon mari et moi-même serons-nous appeler à des fonctions pastorales plus tard? Car aujourd’hui, Le Seigneur nous conduit à le servir à temps plein dans un autre pays, au Portugal. Il a déposé dans nos deux coeurs un même projet spécial pour lequel chacun a reçu la même vision à deux moments différents. C’est une aventure incroyable que nous vivons par la foi depuis fin 2015 et qui aujourd’hui aboutit miraculeusement.
Pour plus d’information à ce sujet, voici le lien vers notre blog tout juste créé, en anglais et français:
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“ Il nous conduit au Portugal pour soutenir l’Eglise/communauté locale par le mentorat et la création d’un lieu de paix et de repos pour ceux qui en ont besoin.”
Nous avons le soutien de notre église actuelle qui a participé pleinement à notre croissance spirituelle et pour laquelle nous nous sommes aussi investis. Des frères et des soeurs de différents pays nous accompagnent et partagent avec la même joie la vision que nous avons reçu.
Nous avons également le soutien de l’Eglise Assemblée de Dieu au Portugal et nous serons mentorés sur place par un de leur couple de pasteurs missionnaires.
Le CLI:
Dernièrement, on a ressenti l’importance d’être davantage équipés dans notre culture théologique et de mentoring avec le souhait d’être diplômé C’est ainsi que nous avons trouvé The Christian Leaders Institute. On n’aurait pas pu rêver meilleure école de formation puisque que notre appel ne nous permet pas de rester dans notre église actuelle ni d’investir dans une structure d’enseignement pastoral traditionnelle.
Le fait qu’elle soit reconnue, gratuite, à distance en anglais et français est une telle bénédiction!
On espère pouvoir un jour être aussi une bénédiction pour le CLI.
Je souhaite pouvoir poursuivre les cours en m’inscrivant ensuite dans un des diplômes proposés.
Merci à Dieu pour ce merveilleux outil, arrivé dans son bon temps.
Sujets de prière:
Ce projet au Portugal est le projet de Dieu avant toute chose et on veut croire qu’Il continuera de pourvoir comme Il l’a fait jusque là. Toutefois, nous serions reconnaissants que vos prières nous accompagnent à chaque étape de notre appel afin de nous garder unis en tant que couple, famille et serviteurs de Dieu, dans la paix, la joie et l’amour. Afin aussi de toujours entendre sa voie(x), de discerner sa volonté et de l’accomplir selon sa sagesse. Enfin, vos prières peuvent nous encourager à suivre fidèlement les enseignements du CLI, à les mettre en pratique dès aujourd’hui puis pleinement dans nos futures missions au Portugal.
Merci à vous.
Bien fraternellement,
Magalie