Called Ministry Training Journey

“I have been called to ministry several times over the years but I was always reluctant and very intimidated so I ignored the calling.” Learn how and why Jacque is finally answering God’s calling on her life as you read her called ministry training journey. 

Called Ministry Training Journey

My name is Jacqueline Miller and I have been on a called ministry training journey. I live in the United States. I prefer to go by Jacqui or Jacs. I was born and raised in London, England, and came to the States when I was 18 to study Fashion design at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. In 1987, God blessed me with a wonderfully kind and loving husband, and we have 2 amazing sons, Adam and Aaron, who have grown to be well-regarded men of integrity and are born-again Christians.

Early Life and Conversion
I was born in North London in 1963 to Jamaican parents. My parents got married as teenagers and left their families in Jamaica to work in London’s industrial factories. They had 3 children, and I am the middle child with 2 brothers. Unfortunately, my parents were divorced when I was 6. My mother was an extremely hard working single mother of 3 children. She worked full-time and on the weekends, so her twin brother and his wife took care of us kids on the weekends. My aunt and uncle were Pentecostal and those services are my first real memories of church, although my brothers and I were christened as babies in a Methodist Church. We also had a nice neighbor who would sometimes care for us on Saturdays, and since she was an Adventist, we also went to church with her on Saturdays.

My first memory of being touched by the Holy Spirit was at the Pentecostal Church with my aunt and uncle. I was about 9 years old and as I watched a baptism I could barely contain myself from jumping into the pool and declaring my love for Jesus. I begged my aunt to let me go up front at the altar call but she said I was too young to fully understand. When I was 12, my mum sent my younger brother and me to a Catholic summer program. On the first day, we were told we had to go outside and pray to the statue of Mary before lunch. I had been taught that we only pray to God, and absolutely never to statues. I refused to do as they asked, so my brother and I never went back there again. When I was 13, I chose to attend the local Baptist Church, which is where I got baptized when I was fifteen.

Calling to Ministry
I have been called to ministry several times over the years, but I was always reluctant and very intimidated so I ignored the calling. The past several years have been filled with serious health challenges, including a kidney transplant in 2012 (which was donated by my youngest son), ovarian cancer in 2015, and a month-long battle with E-coli in 2016. In March 2018, I lost my job of 7 years because they said they could no longer afford to pay me. I was devastated and deeply hurt and set about applying for another job. My husband, Keith, transformed a bedroom into an art studio for me and encouraged me to stay home and focus on my art instead of going back to work. I’ve been enjoying painting and relaxing, but the call to ministry surfaced again. This time it came with a real sense of urgency. I didn’t want to turn my back on God again because I really and truly believe I would not get called again. It’s now or never, so here I am by God’s Mercy on my called ministry training journey.

Ministry Training
The one area that I believe I could serve the Lord is through a wedding ministry. I’ve now been married almost 31 years and we’ve been through just about every trial and temptation you can think of as a married couple. We agreed divorce would never be an option. When we ran into difficulties, we sought marriage counseling at our church, and by the Lord’s loving Grace we are still very happily married today. I’m still in prayer as to what the Lord has called me to do, but I’m fairly certain that it’s pre-marital counseling, wedding officiating, and marriage counseling.

So here I am at the start of my called ministry training journey. I chose Christian Leaders Institute because I appreciate the hybrid education concept of having a local mentor(s) while I study online along with needing personal recommendations to vouch for my character, and even more important, to be blessed and ordained by a Laying on of the Hands Ceremony. I’m really very grateful for the freemium education concept because I’m still paying off college loans for our sons and I never dreamed I’d be able to afford to go back to school again. I know there will be trials, but I truly am an overcomer in Christ. Please pray for me on my journey as I also pray for God’s blessings on this school, Rev. Reyenga, administrators, professors, mentors, and fellow students. To God be the Glory. Amen!

Learn here how you can become ordained through Christian Leaders Alliance.