Marvin Walton –
“My name is Marvin Walton. Currently, I live in Holly Springs, North Carolina in the United States. I serve at Faith Community Church in Durham, North Carolina, where my Pastor is Ronnie T. Northam, Jr. I serve in a number of roles, including Courtkeeper/Usher, Audio/Video Coordinator and Choir Tenor. I came to know the Lord early, at the age of 10 at the former Mount Olive Baptist Church in Arlington, Virginia, close to where I grew up. As time went on, I drifted from God, but eventually repented and returned to the Lord. In recent years, I even had a prophecy spoken over my life that I would be a “preacher or teacher” at some point. Years later, my younger brother asked if I had considered going back to college to pursue ministry. That led to my enrollment in Christian Leaders Institute.
“My ministry dream is to teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ, especially to young believers who are in need of a road map of how to live the life that Jesus commanded us to live. More often than not, I see people saying, “I’m saved … now what?” I have a desire to disciple and help guide people through the process of transformation – so they may live a life that pleases God and reach their destiny in God. If I had to identify myself, based on what I described, I could be a small group leader. I have a heart for speaking to people about the things of God, praying them through difficulties, and seeing God’s abundant harvest come forth in their lives. The key experience that triggers my belief goes back to my childhood. While I got saved as a preteen, I felt like I didn’t have a real road map of how to navigate being a Godly child, especially while going through adolescence. This is especially key for me, with knowing I didn’t (at times) have good, consistent Christian male role models at times. I didn’t have that “go-to” to ask when I had questions about how to live a life as a born-again child – so I drifted from God. Thank God He preserved me long enough to return back to a relationship with Him.
“My local church, especially my Pastor and leaders, have been instrumental in encouraging me to keep walking with God. Being that my family has teachers in it, the natural progression was to keep learning about the things of God and show others (as well as be encouraging to them) about living a life that pleases God. A lot of younger Christians (between ages 25-44) don’t think that living a Godly life is “fun”. While it has its challenges, it’s nice to have a relationship with God, and all of the benefits that come with having the Holy Spirit residing on the inside of us.
“My family has been nothing short of wonderful when it comes to this path. My entire immediate family, in some shape or form, has influenced my current path with God, and with Christian Leaders Institute. From my father’s encouragement to heed the Word of God preached and my brothers giving me encouragement to pursue a higher calling in God, to my mother’s fervent prayers for all of her children … I have no doubt that all of those had key factors in my current walk with God and the calling on my life to teach and minister to others.”
Marvin Walton Receives a Scholarship
“A scholarship at Christian Leaders Institute would mean a great deal to me as I pursue my calling in Christ. I plan to be a beacon for Christ on so many levels. Being in my upper 30’s in age, I want to let people know that whether you are age 10, 30 or 60 … it is never too late to pursue your calling and to (as Paul said) finish your course in God. I want to show people of all ages what it is to walk with God. I want to show them how a man of God looks, and that being a born-again Christian is not a destination alone … it’s a journey.
“In reference to solicitation of prayer, these are the areas I would request prayer for …
- Please pray for the salvation of my extended family,
- Please pray that the Lord will show me His more excellent way day by day in all things, that I might live a life that causes Our Lord to be proud of me,
- Among many gifts, I’m also an author. Please pray for me that I may be expansive with my gift to write and teach.
- Please pray for my church, that we may continue to effectively grow and spread the Gospel, and take the East Coast for Jesus Christ!
- Please pray for my finances to multiply so that I may not only bless Christian Leaders Institute in the coming months and years for others to be blessed in learning more about the things of God!
“I thank you for considering this letter and the prayer requests. By faith in line with Romans 4:17, I’m thanking God right now for my scholarship with Christian Leaders Institute. God bless you!”
When Marvin Walton came to God, he quickly realized that there weren’t many strong male figures in his life to instruct him in the way of the Lord. Without the godly guidance that comes from such figures, Marvin Walton drifted away for a season, but God, ever faithful, called him back. Now, Marvin Walton wants to serve the Lord by providing that mentor figure that he never had to others who are young in the faith. In an age where the Christian life is often seen as mundane duty, Marvin Walton seeks to teach young Christians that following God can be a wonderful experience. To achieve his ministry calling, Marvin Walton has been led by the Lord to Christian Leaders Institute.
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