Hello, my name is Ondrea Sanders. I live in the United States, and am an ordained Pastor. It is very difficult pastoring in the United States. I say that because in this country, everything is acceptable, and when you as a man or woman of God attempt to stand against something you are labeled as judgmental or anti-this, and anti-that.
My relationship with the Lord began when I was 7 years old, that is when I gave my life to Christ. Although I was very young, I knew that I needed the Lord in my life. By the age of 7 I had already endured so much abuse that I was contemplating suicide. So when I was presented with the gospel I was hooked. When I learned that there was a man named Jesus who loved me, and would accept me as I was, and take away all of my pain I was sold.
My ministry dream is to minister to broken women all over the world. As a young child I endured a great deal of emotional, sexual, and physical abuse. I was homeless as a child, and went without food on occasion. These are the children, young ladies and women that the Lord has called me to. They need to know that their present situation is not the end of the road for them. God has an excellent plan for their lives. He has plans to prosper them, give them hope and an expected end. They need to know that there is no predicament that they can get it that the love of God can’t find them in.
The foundation of my ministry comes from:
Psalm 139:
Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,”
12 even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.
13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
I used this scripture because I found it very comforting to know that everything I had gone through was a part of God’s ultimate plan. My being abused was not happenstance, my having to sell drugs as a teenager was not a surprise to my heavenly Father.
I have known from a very young age that I was called into the ministry. However, what pushed me to answer this call was a series of prophetic dreams that I began to have. Those dreams caused me to really pursue my calling, and purpose in the Kingdom of God. I have since found that I am called to the forgotten members of society, those most people would not want to minister to. I am called to the drug dealers, the prostitutes, the poor, the abused, and the gang members. I am called to women who like me were broken and battered and as a result had become bitter, angry, and violent.
My Spiritual Parents are very supportive of my ministry. It’s very rare that my Apostle is not in attendance when I am ministering. I serve her in many capacities. I am her Armor Bearer; I serve on her leadership board and am soon to be installed as her Assistant Pastor. My family has supported my ministry endeavors, and is one of the main reasons why I push so hard. The Lord has called me to be a change agent in my family. I am determined to see my parents and sibling saved, and filled with the Holy Spirit.
Receiving the scholarship here at CLI is very important to me. I have enjoyed taking the course so far. I do not want to be one of those preachers who have zeal and no knowledge.. I needed a place to do an in depth study of the Word of God. I feel I have found that here at CLI.
My prayer request would be that God would open doors for me to continue to fund my ministry. I work full time at a secular institution, and also have small children at home. I pray that the Lord will give me witty ideas on how to organize my time so that nothing goes lack. Thank you
My name is Cynthia Jones. I’m married with one daughter, a granddaughter, and a grandson. My husband and I live in a small community in South Carolina. We visit Costa Rica twice each year where my husband receives part of his cardiac care.
My daughter graduates this year with a four year degree in Ministry. She started a ministry two years ago, which I serve as a Chaplin in. I began studying with Christian Leaders Institute in the summer of 2013. I currently have 37 credit hours with plans to continue studying.
Being brought up in the Baptist church I was baptized before I was a teenager. I’ve always believed in the scripture, prayer, Jesus Christ, our Heavenly Father and the Holy Trinity, but I allowed many things to distract and dominate my life. During my chemotherapy for Stage III-C ovarian cancer in 2003, God tried to reach me, but I refused to listen. I would pray before bed or during difficult days and was not afraid of death because my soul was saved. God was trying to tell me the life I was missing without a dedicated walk with Jesus Christ. Even though I survived when I was given two years to live, my world turned into a downhill spiral. My days were unhappy, discontented and I felt like there was nothing special about my life. God was patient with me; allowing my misery until I was willing to surrender to His will.
My daughter tried to reach me, and in July 2010 her love and prayers helped open my heart and allowed God to take His rightful place in my life. The re-dedication of my life was made publicly with baptism, family, and friends. Praying and talking to God, reading and studying the Bible daily, I felt my heart began to change. Outwardly, my anger was removed, the tone in my voice changed, the way I viewed my world softened and I felt peace and happiness like I never knew existed. After my re-dedication I went through conviction guided by the Holy Spirit. It was painful and I was given a “slide-show” of my life. I was a good person, but I was not living the life of a dedicated Christian. He led me through conviction with the unconditional love that only God can give His children. What a gift! Please… Learn the difference between conviction and condemnation… The latter will kill you, spiritually and physically. One is of God and one is of Satan.
In prayer God directed me to pursue education of His word. I heard my calling to become a Chaplin. This isn’t a paid position. I register with local hospitals, nursing homes, hospice, home health care, people who are home bound; anywhere prayer, compassion and listening are needed. I no longer practice nursing, but my skills will allow me to be in uncomfortable and difficult situations when people may be in the last parts of their lives. No human should ever die alone. Being with a person when their time ends is one of the greatest gifts one human can give another. Love, comfort, respect, and compassion are what every person deserves. I know this is where I can be a reflection of the love of Jesus Christ in me.
Often I have no physical strength due to the long-term effects of the chemotherapy, but it doesn’t stop my prayers and studies. I find I’m fueled by the Holy Spirit, especially when I talk or pray with others. If you’ve never felt the presence of the Holy Spirit come over you, it’s like nothing you’ve ever experienced. It cannot be explained; only felt. I was guided in prayer to split my tithe each month between my church ministry and Christian Leaders Institute. I’m well fed by both and I’m very grateful for the new life I’ve been given.
I’ve been very blessed by the power of the Holy Spirit because I have a condition called “chemo-brain”. It makes my short-term memory very difficult and I often stutter. I know in my heart that I have the gift of the Holy Spirit with me every step of the way. When I’m speaking the words of our Savior my voice is strong and clear. That’s the power of the Holy Spirit, not me. Everything I’m doing is of Christ, not of me. Due to my previous occupation of being a nurse, I can be the one in a sick room when there are less than desirable conditions. Not everyone is comfortable in these situations. I pray to be a comfort to those who have so little and those who feel left behind.
With my ordination I’ll make myself available for funerals, assist in the planning of “End of Life Celebrations,” and possibly weddings. I’m prepared to give Communion with those who are home-bound and serve as a link for those who don’t attend church or don’t have a regular minister.
Five years ago this would not have been a second thought. And now I know why God saved me from Stage III-C Ovarian cancer.
I have more work to do in glorifying our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ through the blessing of Christians Leaders Institute. I plan to always be a part of this school. By the almighty power of God, along with the courage and strength of the Holy Spirit to share the love, grace and mercy of Jesus Christ, proclaiming the gospel everywhere… I rejoice! Amen.
My name is Nana Kweku Bennie, born in the year 1981 and I live in Ghana; the country of my birth, and currently residing in a town called Asankrangwa in the Western Region. Fortunately for me, I was born into a Christian home. My parents were very devoted Christians so it was a matter of course that my siblings and I had to attend church every Sunday morning. Thankfully, that upbringing stayed with us and when I graduated from the children’s ministry into my teens, I gave my life to Christ. This took place on 16th November, 1996. On the day, I stood before the entire congregation and prayerfully said the sinners’ prayer. On the 24th of December of the same year, I received the Holy Spirit baptism. Hallelujah!!!
Well it is a well-known fact that Ghanaians are very religious and Christianity is the dominant religion here. Since Christianity is the dominant religion, there is minimal religious or political opposition to church activities. There are lots of cooperation between the various Christian denominations here which actually creates a conducive environment for ministry. We have a very high illiteracy rate and this affects peoples understanding of issues. With low or no education, it becomes difficult to incorporate modern ideas which usually is a break-away from the status quo.
My dream for ministry is to stay on the course that the Holy Spirit has been leading me on ever since I sensed a calling upon my life. I have graciously been gifted with a wonderful teaching ability and understanding that in the coming years, my desire is to write books, journals and write ups explaining key biblical truths to the Christian community both locally and internationally. My prayer also that during my teaching services, the Holy Spirit will manifest His power to deliver, heal and encounter people in exceptional ways.
I tend to identify myself as youth leader because I love to work with the youth. Most of my activities in my ministry has been centred on the development of the youth. I hope to continue in that line even if I progress into other offices in ministry.
The bible makes me understand that out of the mouth of two or three witnesses, a thing is established. There have been more than three prophecies concerning my work as a minister of the gospel during prayer meetings. Before these prophecies, I have had dreams where I see myself ministering to people in diverse ways.
In Africa, one key challenge to effective ministry is witchcraft and black magic. These present strong battle grounds in the spiritual realm. If one is able to engage an effective spiritual warfare to defeat these spiritual hood hogs, you will have a successful ministry. The other challenge is ministry training. If you ever wanted to upgrade your knowledge in ministry, you have to leave your post and enroll in a bible school and stay on campus. This serves as a big barrier for further studies.
I have the backing of my Senior Pastor who has been a constant source of encouragement to me. Also since I will not need to travel before undertaking this course, my team of executive and stud group are excited about the course and after completion, others have expressed interest in enrolling at CLI.
By the grace of God, I have been married to a woman who has been my prayer partner for many years. She is really interested in my ministry and this phase presents a new opportunity for ministry.
Enrolling at CLI has really actualized the adage “killing two birds with one stone.” Once I secured a scholarship at CLI, I have been relieved from the burden of having to make a savings of a specific amount for at least five years in order to enrol in a bible college. In this way, my family’s finances have not been affected much. However, if I need to stay on campus to undertake my course at the bible college, it means I have to stop working altogether. In short, a scholarship from CLI has helped me realize my dream of ministry training and at the same time working along the way to support my family.
I will need prayer support to stay strong and focused in accomplishing whatever the Lord has commissioned me to do.
Thanks