Journey and Calling Experience
I am Ivelisse McBride from the United States of America. I am a student at the Christian Leaders Institute for deeper Bible knowledge and to discern my true calling.
My Early Years
From the age of 9, my upbringing centered around the church. My father, a respected pastor in our community, guided my spiritual path. Further. as the pastor’s daughter, I loved our family’s commitment to embodying the ideals of a Christian household. Fond memories of my youth include our church community, youthful adventures, summer camp experiences, and active involvement in various services.
A Period of Struggle
As I transitioned into my teenage years, I grappled with rebellion. Eventually, I became pregnant at 18. Recognizing the wrongdoing, I sought forgiveness and attempted to return to the church. However, I felt a lack of acceptance and experienced shame despite seeking divine forgiveness. Despite my efforts, I distanced myself from the church again. The subsequent five years were marked by actions that separated me from God. I indulged in nightlife, alcohol, promiscuity, and the company of individuals who didn’t prioritize my well-being.
Discovering the Path Back
In 2010, I met my husband—a remarkable man who embraced my daughter as his own. Together, we built a loving family and welcomed a son. Slowly but surely, I embarked on a journey back to God. Gradually, I set aside the pain of the past and focused on integrating God into my life. My father remains deeply engaged in his ministry. Further, I often assist in translating his messages from Spanish to English.
My Vision: Deeper Bible Knowledge at CLI
Through the guidance of the Christian Leaders Institute, I want deeper Bible knowledge and to uncover my true ministry. Presently, a calling to write stirs within me. I started a blog where I share my odyssey and aspire to publish books. Whether this is my ultimate calling remains uncertain. However, what’s undeniable is my innate drive to write—an inclination I daily gound in God’s purpose. Eagerly, I anticipate the course this journey will chart. I hope it might inspire others to take strides toward their callings.
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:
- Ministry Awards, Certificates, Diplomas, and Degrees with the Christian Leaders Institute.
- 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.
God Is My Rock
I am Samantha Janes, from the United States. I am studying at the Christian Leaders Institute to become a First Responder Chaplain.
My Journey
God has been my rock since I accepted him as my Lord and Savior at the age of seven. I experienced a multitude of physical and sexual trauma in my childhood. The lack of a solid foundation at home polluted much of my adult life. I was ill-equipped to make many of the decisions that life requires. I learned from a young age to accept the physical and mental pain I experienced and leaned on the Lord to bring me comfort.
All my life, I have always enjoyed helping others. Further, I was never shy when it came to asking someone if I could lend a hand or if they would like me to pray with them. Despite feeling crummy for a large portion of my years, I have always known God had a plan for me. The suffering I experienced was part of His divine plan. Of course, I didn’t like the suffering, but the idea that it was for a greater purpose gave me hope.
Time for Healing
Over a decade ago, I had the opportunity to be mentored by a woman who was a third-generation family farmer. I did not know at the time that the Lord would use this education as a vehicle for the healing that my heart and soul were so desperately seeking.
Since that time, I have spent countless hours in the garden. A safe space to explore the pains of my past was long overdue. As I cultivated the land to sow seeds and reap the rewards of harvest, God tended to the garden in my heart. He tended to my broken heart as he opened my heart to forgive those who broke it. He sowed the seeds of love every time I donated vegetables and flowers to those who needed food or a smile. His grace, like a ripple in a pond, had a long-reaching effect. Having been shown grace, I was able to give grace to people who crossed my path.
Further Healing and Peace
One of my deepest pains in life came from when my father left my mother when I was a very young child. For years, I asked the Lord to give me forgiveness for my dad. I didn’t want to keep carrying the burden that had cut so deep into my heart. In the spring of 2022, my dad invited me to come to live closer to him. He was aging and needed support to navigate his aging body within the healthcare system. I joyfully made the 500-mile move, saying goodbye to longtime friends and the farmland that God used in my healing.
My dad and I went to church together. We held hands and prayed. We laughed and cried and talked about the past. God ushered in a new phase of our relationship. The Lord healed both of our hearts from the past. My dad passed away four months after my move. I gave him his last hug on earth and watched as he took his last breath on his way to our Heavenly Father. I am so grateful God gave us that time to reunite and to heal.
CLI: First Responder Chaplain Training
The Lord led me to the Christian Leaders Institute training. Now, I can continue to grow and share the love of the Lord with my local community and begin my journey to become a First Responder Chaplain. My heart longs to share the love and grace of the Lord with those who are experiencing moments that feel unbearable. Phillippians 4:13 – I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
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:
- Ministry Awards, Certificates, Diplomas, and Degrees with the Christian Leaders Institute.
- 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.
Stay with God
I’m Nathaniel Buah from Ghana. A young man of 26 years with five siblings (three sisters and two brothers). I have been married for two years to my wife, Vida Buah, and we have no children yet. The ministry classes and leadership courses at the Christian Leaders Institute are equipping me to be a minister in good standing.
My Story
I attended Gwiraman Senior High School at Bamiankor in the Western region of Ghana. I was the first student as the school chaplain from 2015 to 2017. The school church service held every Friday for worship was founded by me. Further, I trained five students to become chaplains and prayer tower leaders as well. Now, two of the students I trained are associate pastors in their local church. Pastors Francis Morkeh from Ghana Baptist convention church at Nzema in the Western region of Ghana was one of the students. Nathaniel Buah is a young man also in the ministry of the Gospel in Ghana. He attends the Assemblies of God but is not a minister in the Assemblies of God, Ghana.
I’m very interested and delighted to serve the Lord Jesus Christ. I handle two local churches of Assemblies of God in the Western region of Ghana. Through my late father, Isaac Adarkwa Buah, I have been in ministry for eight years as a leader and pastor. I have come this far by God’s grace. Further, I was ordained on September 21, 2021, by Apostle Dr. Annane at Levites Theological Seminary and College.
Challenges and God’s Grace
One time, I was in the church holding a service when my senior pastor came and told the members that I was not a pastor in that church. Therefore, the members should not come to me but they should go to him as the senior pastor. This conflict made ministry a challenge when I went to the church for service. Sadly, it nearly destroyed the church. However, through prayer, the Lord asked me to humbly rely on Him.
Now, by the grace of God, everything is going well and the Lord is building His church up again. Through this experience, I gained knowledge and understanding while serving under someone in ministry. The church is on the journey of sixty days of fasting and prayer led by me. Further, my senior pastor is now happy about the growth of the church and my service.
Therefore, in the Lord, I faced that challenge with God through prayer and now things are moving again to the glory of God.
Ministry Classes and Leadership Courses at CLI
I found the Christian Leaders Institute when my heart longed to study ministry classes and leadership courses to have a good standing in ministry. I’m so happy to learn at the Christian Leaders Institute for the betterment of the call as a minister of the Gospel. I bless the name of the Lord for the Christian Leaders Institute, equipping me to have good standing in the ministry of the Gospel.
God bless!
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:
- Ministry Awards, Certificates, Diplomas, and Degrees with the Christian Leaders Institute.
- 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.