Formal Free Ministry Training

Formal Free Ministry Training

My name is Jeffrey Braden. I have been married to my wife, Marilyn, for 25 years. We have 4 children: Anthony, aged 24, Caitlin, aged 22, Chelsea, aged 21, and Emily, aged 15.

I live in the United States. The church in my country is seemingly ingrained into the very fabric of our national identity. One of the main reasons for my country’s founding was to insure freedom of religion. Churches seem to reside on every street corner. There is a large assortment of denominations available for individuals to choose from. Sometimes this is a blessing, other times its not. It can result in faulty doctrine being preached to unwitting believers.

I became a Christian in 1990. After accepting Jesus as my savior, I visited my brother’s church a few times but seemed to fall between the cracks. No one noticed I was there most Sundays. So, I stopped going. I read my Bible occasionally but didn’t go any further than that. After our eldest daughter was born, I felt led to get myself, and my family into a church. We found a small local church and began attending regularly. In 1994, I made an altar call to rededicate my life to Christ. A month later I was baptized.

Shortly after being baptized, we attended a summer camp with our church association. As I watched the ministers stand before us preaching the gospel, I felt the Spirit telling me that I should be up there, preaching with them. I knew that I was being called to minister the gospel. Ever since, I’ve been battling back and forth as to whether or not I should answer that call. Like Moses, I didn’t feel qualified to handle that kind of responsibility. But now I know that I can no longer shirk my call.

Throughout the last 20 years I’ve been a Sunday School teacher, a church deacon, and have been called upon several times to preach to our former church. Now, however, I want to develop a better understanding of how to develop a ministry. Therefore, initially, I will use my training to assist my church with developing our discipleship program. From that point, I plan to work under the minister of our church for a few years to ensure that I am prepared to lead a church that will be capable of growth and development.

Attaining a scholarship at Christian Leaders Institute will assist me in acquiring a lot of the training necessary to begin my ministry, which I can then develop in my home church with the assistance of my pastor.

I ask that you pray for my family and me, that we will be provided the opportunities to grow in our walk and our faith and that God will be exalted in all that we do and say. Thank you.

Check out the digital campus