Journey to be Ordained and for Chaplaincy

My name is Randall Johnson. I live in the United States of America. I am currently studying at the Christian Leaders Institute to be ordained and to study for Chaplaincy. CLI will equip me for my calling to serve God. At this point, my study at CLI has already helped me immensely in my walk with God.

My Story

When I was 22 years old, I had a born-again experience, as the Bible talks about in John 3:3. I grew up in southern California in a middle-class family. We went to church on special occasions like Christmas and Easter. As a young child, the church was like a big family. However, as my two siblings and I grew older, we went less.

As a teenager, I used drugs and alcohol and had corrupt morals. My school friends were the same as me, and we lived carelessly. I loved waterskiing to the point of training and doing a tournament. In school, I loved the sports program. However, I didn’t work hard as a student in class. The parties, the girls, and sports were my high school life.

After high school, I had difficulty holding a job or continuing in college because of my bad habits. I got in trouble with the police over drugs and went to a mental hospital for a couple of weeks. All this caused me to wonder if there was a better way. Then, I was on a fire crew in northern California. I pondered about life and death after the tragedy of some firefighters dying in one of our big fires. I remembered the Sunday school stories about Jesus and His death and resurrection.

Surrender and Change

Later, at a low point, I went to a rescue mission in Grants Pass, Oregon, to escape the cold and rain. There, I prayed to Jesus one night with the elders of the mission. I felt the burden of my sin and its weight disappear! Jesus forgave me on the cross! I had a new life as I was “born again” in Him! That is when I started a new life and had a reason to leave the old ways behind. After that, I wanted to be part of the church and tell everyone about my Saviour.

Since then, I’ve worked in ministry and missionary work for over 40 years. However, I want to learn more and do more for Jesus. Christian Leaders Institute has inspired me to grow in my walk with Jesus. CLI is teaching me new things as I work toward getting ordained for Chaplaincy. It is tuition-free and allows me to proceed even with my busy work schedule at the boatyard. I am very grateful for that and plan also to be a supporter. Thank you, CLI!

Register a Study Account

Register for a free study account, automatically enrolling you in the Getting Started Class at the Christian Leaders Learning Platform. The Getting Started class will take you less than an hour to complete.

When you log in to the Learning Platform, you will notice that the Getting Started Class automatically appears on your dashboard.    

The Getting Started Class will orientate you to the Christian Leaders Learning Platform and the Programs offered, including:

1. Ministry Awards, Certificates, Diplomas, and Degrees with the Christian Leaders Institute.
2. Minister Credentialling (Ordination) with the Christian Leaders Alliance, including local Soul Center registration possibilities. 

Note: You can enroll in tuition-free courses or mini-courses immediately without finishing the getting started class.  

Find out more about women in ministry here.