I love reading the Bible and studying God’s Word. I felt God was wanting me to learn more but I could not afford the big name Bible colleges. I tried to take a class last fall and it really was too much financial strain on the family. I looked up free Bible college on the internet and Christian Leaders Institute came up. I believe this could help me be a better shepherd, as a bi vocational pastor, to lead the flock that God has trusted me with. I love the Lord and want to see souls saved and changed for the kingdom of God and to give Him all the glory!
My name is Michael Woodrum. I am forty-one years old and I live in Campbellsville, Kentucky. I have a full time job and am a bi vocational pastor. I am married to my wonderful wife, Marsha of 22 years. We are blessed with 2 children. Kelsey who is 16 and Blake who is 13. We also had one child, Brandon who went to be with the Lord at 5 days old. I received Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior when I was 27 years old. I was not raised in a church or in a Christian home. After being married for 5 years, my wife and I were not happy and going through a divorce. I had nowhere else to turn and went to a small country church. The Lord convicted me of my sins. I made my way to the altar, gave my heart to the Lord, and he saved me. He gave me my wife back and gave me life and hope.
About 5 months after receiving Jesus I had a serious accident; a horse threw me off. I had some superficial injuries however he kicked my ear off. I went through several surgeries near home and made several trips to Atlanta (six hours away) to have a new ear constructed. I have an ear it’s not like the original that God gave me though. I look back now and could see that I was not in the center of God’s will. At that time God was merciful to me, I could have been killed very easily.
Sometime later, God called me to preach but I ran from the calling for about 4 years. I was still very active in church. I never missed anything, but I finally surrendered to preach on August 22, 2006. I began to preach filling in at churches, at the nursing homes and jail. I went wherever I was called. Although throughout our journey, my wife and I thought were heading toward the mission field and could never picture ourselves stationary pastoring a church as a bi vocational pastor, but that is exactly where God put us. Having learned this lesson the hard way previously, I try my best to stay in God’s will and go where He leads.
We have been at our first pastorate for almost 2 years now. The church is growing and we have seen good things this year; salvations, re-dedications, people joining the church. We have someone new visiting the church at least a couple times a month. We are a small Southern Baptist Church which usually has around 50 on Sunday mornings. Although, like most we drop near half on Sunday night and even less on Wednesday. We are trying to work with the youth through the week in special mission studies. It has definitely been a change, and an eye opener.
Bi Vocational Training Enrollment
To begin your ministry training with Christian Leaders Institute, click here! We provide our training online so it is available to people all throughout the world without having to relocate. Our classes are given to all students for free with an option to donate. Either way, you are still provided with high quality materials to prepare you in the ministry field as a bi vocational pastor! Even if bi vocational pastor is not the area of ministry you are looking to get into, our classes still properly prepare you for any area in ministry.
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Even though I had a lot of personal issues growing up, I always seemed to be concerned with the welfare of people around me. I was tentative to their emotional, social, and eventually spiritual growth and I would often reach out to people and minister to them. Today I am a Lay Minister, at CRCG ministries in Flatbush Ave. Brooklyn. I work with my senior pastor and staff. Working with the members of the church is tedious work. It takes a lot of time, patience, and the love of Christ to work effectively for the members as well as the visitors in our community. In closing, I realized that God has allowed me and guided me through the phases of my life to strengthen, empower, and to equip me for Pastoral Ministry. God has called me to claim the lost sheep of Israel. Honestly this task is a task not for the faint of heart and I know if God be for me who can be against me! Today I am glad to learn through Christian Leaders Institute in their free tuition program. This is something I’ve been searching for some time now. I plan to support this ministry as I continue my courses.
My name is Donslow Brown. I am a resident of New York City. When I look back at my life (Now being 26 years old) I can honestly say I’ve been through a lot of personal struggles. Some were even emotional and spiritual. To people, I was either a ticking time bomb or damaged goods, not ever looking into the real me (as if I’d even let them). I was an enigma even to myself at times. Friends (and the ones I would acquire along the way) knew I had baggage but just didn’t know how to deal with me.
During my teenage years, I was known by some of my peers as Mr. Emotional. Everything seemed to either bother me or worried me. I needed help and even though I was attending a Haitian American church on a weekly basis, I knew of the God that was preached in a ritualistic/religious way but never had I realized the opportunity of being in a relationship with Him. I decided to take the Lord more seriously. I began praying more. I threw away CD’s and other worldly music. I attended more youth functions in my church and slowly God began peeling away at the tough shell I put up and He began to show me times in the past where old friends or teachers would tell me powerful things such as: “You’re going to change the world some day” or “You look like you can be a pastor.” He even showed me a time when I was in elementary and I was ministering to a young man about Jesus, and praying every night before bed. I’d realized that God was using me.
But as a teenager I had no intention of being a pastor, let alone in pastoral ministry of any kind. So I continued my walk with God into my 20’s and God started to speak to me about faith and how powerful it is. He spoke to me through preachers, scripture, and real life scenarios. I exercised my faith as the Bible states and I was baptized in the Holy Ghost, speaking in tongues, and realizing a portion of God’s power in my life. Looking back I realize even now that God has always granted me a big imagination as well as big dreams. Dreams that were bigger than the $1.50 in my pocket. I thank God that He was growing my faith because if He hadn’t, I wouldn’t be on the path I’m on now seeking a diploma in pastoral ministry.
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Hello, my name is Cynthia Jacobs. I live in HopeMills, North Carolina, USA. I was blessed to be raised with church, however, please don’t mistake that for automatically having a relationship with Christ. Having knowledge of Christ and having a relationship with Christ is very different. I longed to have the relationship I saw others have at church, but I didn’t know how to get there. I thought the more I learned the closer I would become to being able to feel some sort of actual relationship with Christ. Don’t get me wrong, knowledge is a powerful tool but I was still feeling lonely and lost.
I came to know of the Lord at a very young age, but didn’t fully understand what a relationship with Christ was all about until my late 20’s. I turned down many wrong roads looking for what I thought I needed. After making many less than desirable decisions I began to feel guilty and ran. It’s amazing how you can be completely surrounded by people buy still feel very alone. Long story short, I was in the pit of loneliness and decided to look up to the Lord. When you are at rock bottom you are at the best place to look up and see the light of the Lord. I decided that I needed to take the knowledge I had learned so many years ago and apply it to my life. It was hard but it was the only thing that seemed to work. I had a lot of relationships to fix. One of the most important of which was the relationship with my children. I wanted them to know the Lord and his love and have their personal relationship with Christ.
I have now been back in the arms of Christ for about 7 years now. It is by far the greatest place to be. I love to help others that struggle with things like what I have been through. I want more than anything to help others during their suffering. To help them see feel and understand the meaning of a relationship with Christ and the Joy of the Lord that is my strength.
My Grandpa is who prompted me the most to do ministry. He always taught me the importance of helping others. My Grandfather was a missionary to Haiti. It brought him great joy to serve those people. I loved to see his happiness in doing this. I too want to experience this joy.
I identify most with evangelist. I want to help people see that they don’t have to give up! I believe God has given me the gift of encouraging others and I want to use that gift to the fullest. I want to work with young people. My local church encourages me in many ways. We help in our community as much as we can. My church is actually the one who told me about Christian Leaders Institute.
My ministry dream would be to travel to different places encouraging people not to give up. Telling them that there is nothing that can separate them from the Love of the Lord. I walked into a drug rehabilitation center recently and felt nothing but sorrow and darkness. It was full of people that didn’t know that Jesus would love them just as they were. I believe drug abuse is becoming an epidemic and while I do believe we need to spread the gospel all over the world we also need to spread it to those who may know it but feel like they don’t deserve it. I have seen over the last year a great need for the young people of America.
I have a wonderful family that consists of my husband, my greatest supporter, and my three children. We are all walking this out together and learning new ways to help others in their relationship with Christ. As I grow in the Lord I find that helping people makes me feel good. It makes me excited to lead people to the Lord. I want to continue to grow in that. I believe my family plays an important role in my ministry as they are a part of my testimony. They are a huge part of the encouraging story that God wants me to share.
I will go where God wants me to go. Challenges in my area would probably consist of ways to set the stage for people to hear the Word. A scholarship to CLI would help me because there really isn’t a big Christian school close to my home that is affordable. I want to be home with my 3 teenagers as I feel this is an important time for me to be home helping them become good adults and learning their relationship with Christ.
Please pray for God to soften hearts of people to hear his word. Pray upon hearing his word that they would feel an abundance of Love so they will keep coming back for more. Pray for God to open doors for His Word to be shared to those that need it in my area.
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