My Journey – My Chaplain Calling

“I am fascinated with the curriculum CLI provides. With each class, I find myself more immersed in my Chaplain calling.”

My Journey – My Chaplain Calling

My name is Arlene I. Salcedo, and I have a Chaplain calling on my life. I am married to Asdrúbal Salcedo, and we live in Valrico, Florida.

Early Life and Conversion
I am the eldest of three children, all females. I was born in 1968 in Puerto Rico. From an early age, my parents, who were college professors, stressed to me the importance of living a life of faith and prayer, reading the Bible, and having a personal relationship with Jesus as my personal Savior. At the age of eleven, I gave my heart to Christ and was baptized.

Calling to Ministry
At sixteen I received a calling for ministry, but being immature I postponed it, although I continued to live a life around the three principles my parents instilled in me. I graduated with a B.A. in Business Administration from the Inter American University of Puerto Rico, the Christian institution my parents worked for. Later on, I pursued a Juris Doctor at the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico.

In 2010, I fully surrendered my life and will to our Lord. This same year God told me that I had to move to Florida. After prayer and confirmation from my pastor, I sold what I could, gave away the rest to charity and relocated.

My faith was tested on multiple occasions as I went through divorces, infertility, unemployment, and sickness.

Ministry Training
From 2011 through 2015, I studied Theology online through Seminario Reina Valera (I confess I have yet to request my diploma.) From 2011 on I have dedicated most of my spare time to reading the Bible and enriching my spiritual life.

My renewed calling to ministry and CLI
Throughout my life, I enjoyed taking care of the ill in the family. I also enjoyed assisting friends during their convalescing. In 2018, our mighty God called me to be a Chaplain minister to the sick. After much prayer and confirmation from my pastors, I started to research about online training to fulfill my calling and God blessed me with finding Christian Leaders Institute.

I am fascinated with the curriculum CLI provides. With each class, I find myself more immersed in my calling. The course Ministry 101 is so interesting and comprehensive! The professors are very knowledgeable and the resources presented are vital for any practicing Minister or Minister to be.

My husband and I are members of New Testament Church of Brandon, where my calling has been welcomed and supported. My pastors are two of my mentors and they have given me opportunities to learn and serve.

CLI has been instrumental in my development as a Christian leader. The scholarship CLI granted me is the only way in which I could have pursued my dream of formally educating for a ministry. Being disabled and unemployed, I could not have afforded the education by traditional means. Thank you, CLI!!

Learn about ordination at Christian Leaders Alliance.