My name is Sunday Oluwtimileyin Taiwo, and I am receiving free ministerial training at CLI – the Christian Leaders Institute. I am a native of Nigeria by birth. In 1996, I was born in Ibadan, where both my parents are also from initially. Currently, I am holding a secondary school certificate in hand. I obtained my results at Pragmatic College Odode Idanre, in Ondo state.
It takes so many things to become a Christian leader in Nigeria. You must attain some levels of degree before leaders of many denominations allow as a minister of God. This education level is necessary for their local churches, most especially in the ministerial service.
I grew up in Ibadan, and I attended the Baptist church with my parents. There, I was able to engage in some church activities in the children’s department, such as memorizing God’s Word.
Encountering God
In 2016, I moved to Ondo state. There, I had an encounter with God through Pastor Tosin Olajide, an able minister of God. He shared a vision with me, which went like this: He saw me before two aged men. One represented God and the other Satan. He further let me know that both men want to use me extensively. However, it depended on whom I followed. Then, he quoted John 10:10 for me, which talked about the purpose of Jesus Christ and Satan.
Ever since then, I’ve chosen to serve God from then and forever in my life. I have faced death challenges in so many ways, but all glory to God Almighty for giving me the victory.
I hope to use my Christian Leaders Institute training for God’s purpose in my life. Then, I can enrich others with the full knowledge of the Word of God. The free ministerial training at CLI has helped me to grow. It also helped me discover that “inasmuch there is life, there is hope.” Thank you, CLI!
Learn more about ordination at the Christian Leaders Alliance. Interested in a low-cost degree? Check out the CLI’s Leadership Excellence School.
My Beginnings
My name is Yolymar Diaz, and I am training for ministry at CLI. Born on the Caribbean Island of Puerto Rico, my family and I currently live in Florida in the USA. By the Grace of God, I grew up in a Christian family who loved to serve and worship God, including my grandparents. My parents instilled the love of God in my sibling and me. At the age of eight, God opened a door for my parents to move to the United States to find more opportunities for our family. We continued serving the Lord. At the age of 12, I accepted Jesus as my Savior since I was able to understand His sacrifice in a different way than when I was a younger child.
Opportunities for Growth
Throughout my adolescence, the church leaders recognized leadership qualities in me. They gave me opportunities to serve in the youth group as a leader. I took classes in the church’s Bible school and even taught Sunday school classes. When I married my husband, we were also given the opportunity to serve as children’s directors. In that position, we oversaw 13 churches’ children’s ministries. I also took undergraduate studies and graduated from a university as an educator after my Bible college studies.
God at Work
Throughout my life and even my marriage, God made a way for me when I thought there was no way out. My parents went through a divorce after being pastors of a church for several years. Throughout the years, we have seen God’s forgiveness and love prevail despite the hardships. We experienced God’s healing for our children when doctors said healing was impossible. When there was a financial drought, we saw God provide. Time and time again, God works through His goodness.
Ministry Calling
After almost 21 years of marriage and four children, we relocated to sunny Florida. There we found a great congregation. This congregation has really blessed us in our walk with God. My family had the opportunity to serve in missions in different countries.
Recently, my husband and I felt the calling to do more in the mission field. An amazing opportunity arose abroad to attend a church in the countryside. The church’s pastor has cancer, and they need new pastors. Our pastor assigned my family to take care of this church. We are thrilled since we have seen God confirming this calling. He has been guiding our steps, providing, and working in our lives to fulfill this mission.
The Christian Leaders Institute
I stumbled upon the Christian Leaders Institute a few weeks ago. I couldn’t believe it. We were searching for a way to get prepared for the mission in Costa Rica. However, we did not have the financial means to pay a seminary. Then, we found CLI.
I have learned so much with the training for ministry at CLI. I am so grateful for ministries like CLI that want to spread the gospel with people who are trained and prepared in the Word. Through the training for ministry at CLI, I will be well prepared for the calling ahead of us.
Our purpose is to spread the gospel, live for Christ, and see that we love others as we love Christ.
Learn more about ordination at the Christian Leaders Alliance. Interested in a low-cost degree? Check out the CLI’s Leadership Excellence School.
Hello, I am Andrew Peavey, and I found online ordination at CLI. My beautiful wife, our hilarious 5-year-old son, and I live in Garland, Texas, in the Dallas metroplex. I’ve spent the past twelve years running a family retail furniture store alongside my father. Here I watched my father model the “holy mundane” of work. He was a furniture guy who brought glory to God in how he chose to love our customers and partners. In November of 2019, we decided to initiate a going-out-of-business sale to close the business after 72 years of serving the community. By God’s grace, we liquidated our inventory on March 7th of 2020, just one week before COVID-19 began shutting down our area, our state, and our country.
My Faith Journey
I grew up in a Christian home where my mother stayed home while my father ran the furniture store. When my sisters and I were children, we joined our parents in the church services each Sunday after Sunday school. It exposed us to communion, although my parents did not allow my sisters and me to partake. The tiny cracker and teaspoon of grape juice to a five-year-old boy was a feast fit for a Narnian prince. My parents explained communion to us. It is a celebration and remembrance of Jesus Christ’s work on the cross on behalf of sinners. They said that one day if we placed our faith in Jesus Christ and His work of forgiveness, then we too could enjoy this feast.
Just a few years later, I found myself in misery lying on my bed one Sunday morning with bronchitis. While my mother went to get a wet rag for my forehead, the Holy Spirit opened the eyes of my heart. I placed my faith in the Son of God, Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of my sins. I was thrilled to get my first wafer and a cup of juice and be a part of the family of God!
Struggles and Growth
Since that Sunday, my journey has been much like so many of you. At the age of 11, mental health problems surfaced at school. I convinced myself that everything I turned in at school was a failure even though when I would receive my grade, it would be a 95 or above. I went to counselors, took medication, and struggled with perfectionism in school. My parents offered to pay me money for every B I received to take the pressure off myself from getting A’s. I never made a dime.
Scripture became a source of life for me, modeled by my father. He gave me a small pocket Bible that I would carry everywhere in my back pocket. The Psalms, especially Psalm 13, gave me so much hope to see a psalmist struggle with their mental health problems. To see him cry out “how long, O LORD” and declare “give light to my eyes or I will sleep in death” gave me a model to take my wrestling thoughts to the one who is the Light! The Psalmist taught me how to praise God even in the darkness. “I [too] trust in [His] unfailing love, my heart rejoices in [His] salvation. I will sing to the LORD for he has been good to me” (Psalm 13:5-6).
Scripture Speaks
Even today, the Psalmist and all of God’s Word resonates with me as a look back over the past decade and see the hurts, confusion, failures, and sins. Peter tells his readers in 2 Peter 1:1b that they “received a faith as precious as ours through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ.” Peter declares that Salvation is a gift from God. The word “received” literally means “obtain by lot.” Essentially, we won the lottery!
Then, Peter reminds us that our salvation is equal to or as precious as his own but not because Peter got it right all the time. Jesus rebuked Peter for getting in the way of Jesus’ mission to the cross. Peter was sifted by the devil and failed when he denied Christ three times. Then Peter was rebuked by Paul, even after Peter spoke to thousands and saw the church explode through the work of the Holy Spirit.
Instead, Paul called out Peter for separating himself from the Gentiles out of fear of what the circumcision group would do and say to him. When Peter penned 2 Peter, he was fully aware of his failures and struggles as a follower of Christ. 2 Peter 1:1b proves it because my faith, your faith, his faith is a gift from God. It is precious and equal not because of anything we did, but rather because of the object of my faith, your faith, Peter’s faith is the same. Jesus Christ and his work of righteousness on our behalf is the object of our faith.
Hope and Online Ordination at CLI
This fact gives me great hope despite all my screw-ups! I am thankful God restores us to himself, and through his power and promises, we can grow in Christ-likeness. Then we can be useful in our knowledge of Jesus Christ until the day He restores us completely new in His glory.
So why am I here at the Christian Leaders Institute? My sister met a guy, and they fell in love. They asked me to officiate their wedding. So I went online to get ordained. That is kind of important to making their marriage legit in the eyes of the state. As I researched different online options, I realized so many of these online ordination companies did not support my worldview and values. I did not want my money for the certificate to go towards something I did not believe in or support.
Then I found online ordination at CLI. Their statement of faith and their desire to equip the saints for the work of ministry without having to rack up debt sold me on CLI. My main goal is to provide a Christ-centered wedding ceremony. A ceremony that my sister and future brother-in-law will look back fondly on in their grey-haired days. Online ordination at CLI has given me an opportunity to be equipped to do just that. Thank you, CLI!
Learn more about ordination at the Christian Leaders Alliance. Interested in a low-cost degree? Check out the CLI’s Leadership Excellence School.