CLI student Ogness Lambert enrolled at CLI to further his studies to teach better and pastor his community. He does not have the financial ability to enroll in a traditional seminary and feels blessed to have found Christian Leaders Institute’s Third World Country Ministry Training. Here is his story…

Third World Country Ministry Training – Ogness’ Story

My name is Ogness Lambert.I was born in 1964.My home country is Tanzania which is found in East Africa.In the North western part of my country there is a region which is known as Kagera.My late parents-a roman ctholic father and a muslim mother lived in this region in Karagwe district,where they brought me up together with my other two elder brothers and two elder sisters,since Iam the last born.
I am mrried to Reveliana Thadeo and God has blrssed us with three children up to now and both of us are secondary school teachers wth diploma an in education.
When I was in primary school, I came across with the correspondence course of Bible study that were offered by one of the Pentecostal churches in my region.I managed to study a part of New Testament(from Matthew to 2corinthians) before I dropped it when I reached in secondary school.These lessons revealed many things to my spiritual life,they brought to me a lot of challenges in my Roman Catholic faith,because up to that time I had known nothing about the word of God although I claimed to be a Christian.
When I joined the teachers, college (1985-1987) the students christian group used to evangelize to men.Because I had attained some knowledge of the word from the dropped correspondence course,I agreed with them in everything, but I did not know exactly what it meant by receiving Jesus.I came to receive Jesus in 1988 after my uncle( who is now a pastor) to introduce Jesus to me,whereby he used to preach to me, before he invited me to his church(Tanzania aAssembliesof God by then).On the first day I entered in that church, I saw the miracles of Jesus Christ. An old man was healed of esophagus cancer instantly in the service.I heard people speaking in tongues, worshipping, praising and doing many spiritual things that I had not experienced before in my church.I considered all those things as the manifestation of Holly spirit that I studied in the dropped correspondence Bible study. From that day, I agreed to receive Jesus as my Lord and my personal Savior.
Afte r receiving Jesus, I came to realize that Jesus Christ was the only way y to eternal life, the healer, the provider and that he was everything.For that matter, I became so sorry to many people who were being tortured by Satan and end up by dying in their sins.My ministry dream started at that time by seeking the ways of rescuing such people. In the course of time,I began evangelizing to people, preaching and teaching them the word of God, praying for them and helping them to know the true God.Sometimes I did these personally and sometimes in groups with other church members.When I was thinking of starting a ministry, my guardians used to encourage me that I should wait for God’s time.
When I started a job as a school teacher, I started to fulfill my desires of working forGod in various ways in the church testifying people outside the church.I asked God to show me my responsibility in the house of the Lord.,He answered me that I should teach the word.From that time on I teach the word in the service and the adult Sunday school classes. The specification in teaching could not stop me from doing other tings in my church.I preach, I sing and I lead as a church elder and once I led the church when our pastor was away for studies.Up to that time people inside and outside our church were feeling my calling.The calling of being a pastor grew up in my heart and I considered that the God’s time to serve him as a pastor was at hand.One of the bishops in my region decided to ordain me with the church of Pentecost International in 2014. Currently am in the preparation of starting a church.
In my area there is no unique challenges.My country offers the freedom of worship.There is a lot of Christian churches and ministries and other religious groups.
My local church and many of my friends who are pastors from different evangelical churches have been supporting me for instructions, guidance, cooperation, prayers and other supports.My lovely wife also supports me greately in my calling.She is a good singer, she organizes women and children groups in the church.Sometimes she preaches and her prayers are important to me and to the work of God.
The scholarship at CLI is of vital importance to my studies.In my family we have no other means of income more than the meagre salaries we earn.It is well known that in the third world countries expenditure is higher than the earnings.If I were to pay for fees I, would not be able.
Another importance with CLI is that, since I am a civil servant I have no time to attend the full time course in a college as a campus student,but now it is easy for me to study at my own time and space while working for governiment,for God and for my family.GOD BLESS CHRISTIAN LEADERS INSTITUTE.