Leticia G. Dominguez, USA
My journey began several decades ago in a small Kentucky town in the United States. With a stormy start, I, Leticia, was born to a young mother, soon to be widowed due to cancer. At the time of my birth father’s death my mother was pregnant with my little sister. With two young toddlers and another on the way, adoption was her only choice during the early 60s.
I was adopted at the age of three along with my sister and brother to Dr. Calvin and Stella Jones. God blessed us with loving, well-educated individuals who choose to give their hearts and lives to their three children.
Pregnant out of wedlock at the age of 17 I was asked to leave the church that our family attended because they did not believe I was a positive example for the church youth. That was a pivotal point in life for me. At that time, I decided that if God didn’t want me (church) then I didn’t need him either. Then I became even more bitter and angry at God when at 23 I lost my mother and best friend. Life seemed to be one struggle after another.
Many years later I stepped into a church service. This time, I realized that it wasn’t God’s choice to excommunicate me from His presence. For the first time I heard a sermon on what grace was and that Jesus Christ died for ALL sin and that I was loved. That was when I rededicated my life to Christ.
I have had many other detours on this journey. My past is filled with both good and bad choices. However, each experience has helped me learn, grow and develop into the person I am today. Here is a writing after attending a Women’s Banquet Weekend:
As I took my daily stroll
Down the path of life,
I didn’t care to think about
What was wrong or right.
But on my way I saw a face
That glowed with beauty, kindness and grace.
He looked as though He could see right through
The pain and trouble my life knew.
I kept on waiting for Him to say
You’re not worth the time of day.
Ye,t He reached down and took my hand
He said, “Follow me to the promise land.”
I accepted His offer and begin to learn
Eternal life is “freely given”, not “earned”.
My path still has traps and snares to dodge
But, He is there when my feet get lodged.
I’ve learned through Him that life won’t end.
My LORD, my Jesus died for ALL sin.
Then through His grace I finally knew
I was forgiven and my life made new…
Currently, I still reside in Kentucky and regularly attend a local church. Sometimes I fill in for Sunday school, help with projects and events. Mostly, however, I fill my days as a rhyme writing, retired, homeschooling, babysitting Grandma who loves God and desires to lead by the example.
My ministry goal is to be the best Ambassador for Christ Jesus, as I can be, in this human body, and getting to God is only one step that I can choose towards that goal. I have desired to increase my education for several years, yet there have been road blocks each time. Roadblocks were things such as, times, classes, transportation, money, always something to prevent moving forward. Until now. I am not so much wanting a degree as I am desiring to learn. I don’t have a need to say, “hey see what I did”, but an education based on biblical truths and Christian doctrines that can be shared on a daily basis.
The more I learn and apply Cristian concepts into my life, the more I can share by example. I believe our brains are like computers, “garbage in/garbage out”, therefore I enjoy submerging myself in God’s Word. Knowledge and history are one of the aspects I can work on in developing and strengthening my relationship with God and those God places on my path.
I don’t know what God has planned for my future but I want to be usable vessel. If it is missions, let me be ready to go. If God wants me to teach, then I want to teach truth. God answers prayers and I pray for time to devote to the LORD and for education which has brought me here, right here, one more step towards my ultimate goal.
Christian Leaders Institute
Ministry Ordination Profile: Marthinus Pretorius
OBEDIENT TO HIS CALL IN MY LIFE, NOT MY CALL IN HIS LIFE!
I am Marthinus Pretorius, born 57 years ago and staying in Pretoria, South Africa. I am married to Martha Pretorius, and we have a son, Friedrich.
In 1974, at the age of 16, I gave my heart to Christ, was called by God to full-time ministry, but due to various factors, I never went to Seminary.
I was a regular “churchgoer”, and I worked myself up in the church, holding various “positions.”
I met my wife, and we were involved in youth ministry, doing what we thought was important to the church!
As a result of my religious background and the way in which I was raised, I had some relationship with the Father and Jesus, and I believed that I knew the Bible, but I did not realize that there was something profoundly important which to add and which would change my life. I had no idea of the working of the Holy Spirit – to the extent that I warned people to avoid churches where the Holy Spirit was allowed to flow and where people were welcomed to spontaneously worship.
Then, in 2000, at the age of 42, and 26 years after I was called into full-time ministry, I had a personal encounter with the Holy Spirit. I was baptized in the Holy Spirit, spoke in a strange language which I did not understand and was totally confused at what happened to me. Only later did I realize that I had been touched by the Holy Spirit and what it meant.
I had been in a comfort zone all my life, but from that day on I had hunger to know the truth about who God is, and I started to ask questions like:” What is God’s will in my life? Why am I here? Why must I struggle? What does God want from me?” One day I went to the Lord, saying: “Lord, here I am. Do what you want to get me in the place you planned for me”.
I repeatedly asked the question: “What now Lord?”. Then the working of the Holy Spirit started manifesting in my life. The Holy Spirit guided me towards the ministry, and I started preaching and teaching on the greatness of God, healing and the truth regarding the working of the Holy Spirit. By allowing the Holy Spirit to work in my life, I became part of God’s plan for the salvation of the lost. HE gave me the passion to minister HIS Word and to be part of healing so many people who seek their salvation in ways other than through the Lord.
Today I am in full-time ministry with my wife and son in an interdenominational ministry. Our vision is to equip individuals for works of service, encouraging spiritual growth and helping them to recognize and develop their God-given gifts through the teaching of the Bible, the ministry of the Holy Spirit and worship. We aim to function interdependently with churches within the body of Christ. I am grateful to the Lord for allowing me to walk with my spouse and son on this special road, as part of God;s work in His Kingdom.
In our walk with God, we experienced the supernatural presence of the Holy Spirit, the supernatural provision of God and the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Although I ministered for years with some informal training, my formal training through CLI is a Gift from God, allowing me to minister from a place of authority.
A great deal of my “getting to know God” came by way of my studies through CLI. It was a revelation from the start to where I am today. I have a totally new understanding of my relationship with God, and what my walk with Jesus should be.
I share the Christian Leaders Institute dream of free ministry training. We minister amongst some of the poorest communities in South Africa, and most of these communities and churches cannot afford formal ministry training
I believe that spiritual leaders should be equipped based on the truth of God’s Word, not on church doctrine or guidelines, or prescription by governments. Christian Leaders Institute provides high-quality tuition with very accurate and faithful representation of Biblical principles. All classes are geared to enable any person in ministry to walk in authority.
I see ministry ordination as the recognition of God’s calling on a person. This ordination at Christian Leaders Institute is a secondary ordination, as I am ordained to a local ministry (Breaking Fallow Ground Ministries INT), who acts as an umbrella organization for some ministry leaders with ministries affiliated to BFGM. I am responsible for the spiritual well-being of these leaders. As an ordained ministry member with CLI, I will be in a better position to promote the free ministry training that CLI provides. This ordination with CLI is also very special to me, as my wife completed the women’s ministry training and she is also now ordained through CLI. As a couple serving God, this is one of the highlights of our ministry career.
I see myself in the role of Pastor and Evangelist. I have a passion for people and in my ministry, I have the opportunity to pastor and evangelize.
I have been in a privileged position to informally and formally ministered for some years, bringing the Gospel wherever the Holy Spirit send us. I have been part of congregations during this time, but my wife and I have now been led to be involved in Church planting. The prophetic word over our lives and ministry is being fulfilled through our involvement with Christian Leaders Institute.
South Africa is a secular democracy with freedom of religion. Many religions are represented in the ethnic and regional diversity of the population, with Christianity overall being dominant.
Although a new political dispensation started in our country in 1994, we can still be regarded as in a transitional phase, as large parts of society are still in a state of neglect.
Specific problems relate to unemployment, substance abuse by youth and a growing extent among unemployed adults.
Membership of the number of Churches in the area is declining due to changes in denominational policies (i.e., same-sex marriages, allowing persons in same-sex relationship to be ordained in ministry, etc. )
Based on the South African statistical survey of 2013, 56,4% of all Christians (79.8 of the population claims Christian affiliation) attend a church service once a week.
A few years ago I was ordained in a church I attended and where I ministered. I am in a privileged situation that while I still attend services at that congregation, I now minister at various other churches, and I have been supported by family friends and church members.
When I made the decision to go into full-time ministry, a good friend of mine asked me whether I was willing to “pay the price.” I did not understand what he meant, as in my mind I always thought that when you work for God, everything would automatically be well.
I had to learn the hard way, which by accepting your calling and walking with Jesus, it is almost guaranteed that you will experience some form of rejection, false accusations, jealousy, hate and things not always associated with a “godly” person.
We have to hold on to God’s promises over our lives and live according to His will for us.
During my studies with CLI, I have spent a lot of time in the presence of God getting to know Him better. I realized that all it takes to get into our calling is to be in a special relationship with the Lord, focusing on doing His will. The Lord wants us to experience His love; He wants us to be changed by it so that we can be the light to the world. We can only achieve this with the help of the Holy Spirit and in total surrender to Him.
The calling which God has on my life can only be released through His grace. My ministry training and ordination will help me to live from God’s grace; live in all its fullness, and to bear fruit out of His Grace.
I have started a new journey, and I am starting to see God’s plan in my life – I will be obedient to His call in my life, not my call in His life!
CLI has made a deep and lasting effect on my life, and the outstanding, high-quality free training equipped me to make a difference in the world around me.
We are in the process of registering a NonProfit Church (Christian Leaders Community Church) and need prayers for favor and acceptance to minister interdenominational. Please pray for the favor to minister to all people groups in South Africa.
Marthinus Pretorius
Pretoria, South Africa
I have known the Lord since I was about 14 years old. Getting to know him, with a small home group of believers, was such a huge blessing. I started this course because I truly want to know Him better and also so I will be fully qualified to lead others to the Lord at His bidding. There was nothing particularly spectacular about my life.
I was born in Okemah, OK in November 1971 and by the time I was about 6 months old my family was living in Alaska. I spent about 37 years there and just a few years ago moved back to Oklahoma; following my parents as they have both moved back. They are no longer together. My mother has remarried, but my father has not.
My father drank a little more than he should have. My mother nagged and ate herself to 300 lbs. They fought at times, but they never let my younger brother and I see or hear it. Other than this there was really nothing good or bad to tell. We were an upper middle-class family and I have had a job since I was 13 years old. I went to college, getting a Bachelor’s of Arts with a major in Criminal Justice and a minor in Psychology. I paid for it with student loans I am still paying for.
I have been married twice and ultimately I will have been divorced twice before I finish this course. I have one biological son and two step-daughters from my second marriage – whom I love with all my heart and consider them my own. Through it all the Lord has never left me or forsaken me. He is a kind and loving God who is not willing to lose a single one of His beloved if He can help it and for whatever reason He has seen fit to continue to peruse me, diligently when I have gone astray. As a young girl my mother gave me a Christian reader and in this book was the scripture Isaiah 41:10. It has been my favorite all my life. I want nothing more than to share this God with the world. A God, who even when forced to chastise, does it with a loving tenderness, it is the conviction which hurts the most. Being a leader is in my nature, He gave me this characteristic; I must follow it.
I have studied with some amazing people in my life. I have learned more and more as it seems the time grows shorter and shorter. Seems to be speeding up as well; as if I will have barely enough time to finish this and get a degree. It seems as if the “world” is falling apart. Our believer values have gone by the wayside, replaced by bathroom issues and the value of a Gorilla’s life vs. that of a young child – as if there is even a question. But then again maybe there is a question as to the value of a child’s life. I recently seen a Hillary Clinton Campaign commercial and it was children watching and listening to some things Trump had said and the slogan was “Our Children Are Watching.” Then it dawned on me, what does she really care what our children are watching when she is a proponent of late, LATE – term abortions up to 36 weeks. These babies are considered totally viable outside the womb. They would not even attempt to stop or even slow labor at 36 weeks. It is things like this which make me wonder about the world and how can she not see the contradiction in her supposed beliefs? How does everyone else not see it? Is this some more of the “blindness” the scriptures talk about; the blindness we believers have always understood to mean it was only we who were blind, but now we see. Only recently has it occurred to me there will be some, many (as many are called and few are chosen) many who will remain blind.
What have we come to? We are living in a time of easy-button Christians with the unbelievable attitude that anything goes and there is nothing to be done, there are no requirements, or behaviors to change. I have come to a point in my life I have to wonder if I want to be associated with the word “Christian” anymore since there about a billion people following the hype they are being fed by a gleaming-toothed Pharisee and everyone is just eating it up and believing they have no responsibilities to our Lord.
My soul aches at the tragic loss we will see in the near future when He returns and says “I never knew you.” And they all stand around in shock and disbelief. This has been a brief, but real look at me, Monica. The questions, the thoughts, the beliefs, and concerns in my heart and in my mind. This life, no matter how long, is so very fleeting. I want this tiny bit of my time here to matter, to have made a difference, had an impact on someone’s life for Him. I want Him to recognize me and say “well done, good and faithful servant – now do this… (some more important task – as the servant who was faithful over a little therefore will be trusted and given so much, much more).
My earnest prayer is my God would know me and be proud of me. I want only to do whatever is His will. I know this education is a right and blessed choice. I have no idea what happens next, but I can hardly wait to find out! Thank you Christian Leaders Institute for this amazing, FREE, education – without this option I would never have been given such an opportunity.