Never Too Late to Become a Pastor
The fact is at CLI it is never too late to become a pastor with this training. Some people are called to ministry early in life with years ahead of them. They can go to a college focused on getting their degree in theology. They can get student loans for a seminary that can be paid back throughout the remaining years of their lives. But what if God calls people who are already well past the prime college years of their lives? It’s often very difficult for people who are called late in life to find training. They have careers. They have families. They often can’t obtain student loans for a seminary degree, especially since a full-time ministry position would often be a large salary cut for them.
Chong Cha Lo is one person that is called late in life. He initially felt the call of God on his heart when he was still young, but he chose to pursue a different career instead. Now, many years later, he’s been called to ministry. He experienced that it is never too late to become a pastor when God is leading. But like so many who are more advanced in life, Chong can’t attend a seminary. He works a lot of hours in pursuit of his calling already. He’s been thrust into a position that he wasn’t prepared for due to some unforeseen events. He needed training that would fit his schedule, not training he would have to fit his schedule to.
Chong found that when he discovered Christian Leaders Institute. All the classes were online, which meant he could study when he had time. They are funded entirely by donations, so he didn’t have to spend money he didn’t have. And he didn’t have to relocate or drive hours to attend a classroom location.
You can read Chong Cha Lo’s story in his own words below, but if you’re called to ministry training we encourage you to create an account and take the first class. Just click here to get started immediately.
My name is Chong Cha Lo and I live in California, USA. Although I have been a Christian since the young age of 13, I never took God’s call to serve him as a pastor seriously until recently. When I graduated from high school, I felt then a call to His service, but instead opted to attend college to pursue a different profession.
I spent nearly twenty-two years in the profession I chose, and although it was rewarding financially, I always felt that there was still something missing. I did not feel that I was doing what God put on this earth to do. Well, several years ago, my local church went through a difficult time and the pastor left with more than half of the membership. I volunteered to help give sermons to the remaining membership on Sundays. After two years, the membership asked me to get ordained and become pastor of the church. After much praying, my wife and I agreed. I feel now that I know what my life purpose is, which is to be an ambassador for HIm.
I feel that I still have a lot to learn as a new pastor and having not attended seminary, I needed an online program that will accommodate my work schedule. I found CLI through Web-search, as though God was leading me to you. Thank you. I hope to take more classes and gain valuable insight and skill to help me in this new role, of course, with the Lord’s guidance and provision. God Bless CLI.
Marisa D. Slusarcyk
Age 30
Canada
My name is Marisa, and I am a country girl born and raised in rural Canada. I am surrounded by a large group of people from different churches and have been blessed by all of them in many different ways.
You may be wondering why I chose the title of this essay to be “Raped for the ‘Glory of God’”, so I am going to tell you.
I was a teen mom before it was “cool”, the father of my children was raised in a strict Baptist church and his father was a pastor. I had been raised Catholic but considered myself a plain old Christian, someone who loved the Lord, nothing more, nothing less.
The title comes from the years I was held by this young man. The years I spent being raped, sold, beaten, and tortured in ways that I still haven’t managed to share with anyone but God, and the kicker was that his father, the church Pastor, was reciting scripture telling me that I wouldn’t need to be punished, raped, hurt, abused, etc., if I would only obey because “woman obeys man and man obey God.”
I was only 15 years old, and everything I knew about God was being twisted up in my head by this “leader” who was supposed to be guiding me right. I found out after I escaped with my children, at the age of 19, that this was what he was preaching to all the women who came to him with allegations of domestic violence.
I didn’t know what to do with my life. I sometimes still don’t. But one thing that I did the night I left and continued to do to this day is pray. I prayed that God would expose the truth, which He would protect the church and us. That he would keep my children and myself safe.
It took me YEARS to get myself to open up my Bible. I was terrified that what I would see would be the words that had been planted into my subconscious and fragile mind. Instead, I found that God is a loving God, not a God, who hurts or wishes anger or hurt. Not a God, who would allow his men to abuse the women, He created.
I found myself needing to read more and more to find the truth and the more I looked, the more I found and in a very cathartic way, I was well on the road to healing those old wounds, and more importantly, my fear of God was gone.
A priest I had talked to while on my journey told me, “even Satan can read and quote the Bible.” That was a moment I will never forget as we bowed our heads and prayed and not for what God could do for me, but for the protective shield He had placed around me and my children that allowed us to be free. I was praying my thanks.
So, in summary, I was raised knowing the Lord, my views were very much distorted through brainwashing as a young teen and my need to find the truth is how I came to the Lord the way I have.
I never expected myself to pursue ministry, after all, my church life was obviously not a good one, but I realized that through sharing of my stories, through my praying for others, my sharing of the Word, that I was in fact ministering. It hit me hard when a well known online ministry for women sent me a card in the mail thanking me for my ministry. I wept as I read those words because I had no clue that I was having an impact, never mind an impact in the fight for Christ.
I don’t attend church; I do attend youth group through the Mennonite church as my son attends each week and I enjoy the fellowship with the youth pastor and his family. It has been such an encouragement for me to be able to talk about the things the Lord has placed on my heart, get feedback and have people to pray with.
Most of my ministry is online. To groups of women who wear battle scars that are often worse than my own. I love being able to have a conversation with these people, pray for them, and let them know that they are not only loved and cared for by me, but by Christ.
I had rejoiced when a friend decided to be baptized, I have sent hundreds of letters to people in prison and have been so blessed by their stories and their words and of course their love for the Lord. It amazes me that in such a dark place these wonderful men and women focus solely on His Light!
Unique challenges I face in my geographic area aren’t exactly challenges at all; we have a population of about 15,000 people, half of the students in town go to the Christian schools, and there is an active church on nearly every street. I suppose the challenge is finding the right church home where I feel safe, accepted and free to share my testimony, though like I said previously, I have had the opportunity to do that with pastors and friends.
These are the people who have been my support, encouraging me to dive into the Bible, to look up the Hebrew and Greek, learn, ask questions, work hard, study harder and to keep my faith when I feel like burrowing my head in the sand.
Interestingly enough, my one child doesn’t believe in God, while my other child goes to youth group and participates very much in Christian activities, he has even won recognition badges for his eagerness to share and be a good Christian role model. The lack of faith my other child has doesn’t sway me; it makes me want to share more, pray more and show how much God works in everything, all the time. While there are struggles, I know that the seeds I am planting in her will eventually grow as she decides to start reading about God herself.
I would appreciate prayer for me because I don’t know what exactly I feel the most lead to do. I know I am lead to share the Word, but I do not know in what capacity. I would love to have the Lord hang a big neon sign telling me what I am going to be when I grow up, but I guess that is unlikely, though not impossible. I need prayers for strength, courage and direction. I also need prayers to continue to have positive role models in my life who I can go to when I am at a loss.
Thank you for this opportunity. It has been a wonderful journey so far. Please know that the staff, volunteers, and other students, are in my prayers. I may not know what you all need, but God knows exactly what is needed, and I trust that He not only hears my plea but will respond to His will!
Javelin Tuivaiave is proof that you don’t have to be a successful careerist in order to serve God as a ministry leader. Her current career as a stay-at-home mom is a great example of how you can be a ministry leader in your own home.
Javelin is currently looking to take on a larger ministry role in her church. Though she doesn’t know yet what exactly her vision is, she would like to be a ministry leader for either the youth or the music ministry. She finds that her God-given gifts fit those roles better than any other.
Loving God and loving people is Christianity broken down into its simplest form, well at least to me it is. My name is Javelin Tuivaiave and I am a stay at home wife and mother to three beautiful children who actively walks in the grace and love of our Father God. I currently reside in the U.S. and having the freedom to minister to all is its biggest upside. If you are strong in your walk with God, planted in a church home, and have the faith and confidence to minister to anyone in the general population you may do so. I am so grateful to have that opportunity in the United States to freely share the love of Jesus to any who are willing to receive.
I am a Pacific Islander, specifically Samoan and in our culture we are taught to love God, pray, and worship from the time we are born, but it was not by choice to plug into Gods word for me during that young age. It was more so an act that was required of me. It was not until I found a church home at Christian Faith Center at the age of 11, where I had confessed and believed in my heart that Jesus died and rose again for me. This was the beginning of my born again Christian walk.
The youth, especially younger children inspire me! They have a consistent passion for life and being able to tap into their passion and give them a glimpse of who God is and can be in their lives at a young age brings me great joy. It is never too early or too late to come to know God, but being able to grasp onto God in our lives from the beginning we have the ability to choose to be used by God from childhood. That is one of my ministry dreams to be able to prepare young children and the youth to love God and share who he is with those who are in the world. I do also believe that praise and worship is one way to open up the hearts of those who are broken or know no other way to communicate with God. Being an individual who loves to sing and worship God I would like to use the talents he has given me to bless His name and those who hear His praises through my voice. Through song I am able to connect to God on a different level and I have a vision that God can use me to lead in my church’s music ministry to reach lost souls.
Small group leader identifies with me most only because when I think of God I think relationship. It is much more attainable for me to build God-centered relationships first within small groups and ultimately those within the small group begin to grow in God and reach out to others. Therefore one small group becomes many small groups, who together can affect change upon multitudes. When I see small group leader it leads me to the scripture, Luke 16:10 “He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much.” So in turn small group leader reads more like faithfulness towards a smaller population will ultimately lead to God’s glory over an enormous one.
From the time I was saved I always knew God had more for me and my life, but refused to take a step out of my comfort zone to realize the vision God had for me. Stepping out of my comfortable place and beginning to serve in the church as a greeter was the moment I knew I was called to be in the ministry. I was the first face many saw when entering the church and the first experience many first timers would have when coming to the service. Seeing the joy and smiles it brought upon those who came through my door gave me a sense of purpose. It showed me what a simple act of kindness can do, now with the full force of the love of God within me I wanted to do more.
Unfortunately in the region of the United States I reside in it is considered one of the most unchurched parts of the U.S. My state has legalized gay-marriage and the use of medical marijuana. The things of the world are becoming more and more accessible and in the eyes of many acceptable. I want to minister to those, the God way and how He brings out the best versions in all of us.
My church home has given me the opportunity to serve in different places and they are constantly praying over the church population and the ministries within the church. They support those who are called and push those who do not yet see their potential to become a part of ministry. My family keeps me grounded in the ways of God and support the good habits and lifestyle choices I make when glorifying Jesus. My husband is an encourager and pushes me to do my best in all realms and my children hold me accountable for all my actions. All support systems uplift me to be better.
The CLI scholarship means much to me and the ministry dream because it is a resource to sharpen my skills as a leader and gives me the knowledge needed to confidently lead the unsaved to Christ. Whether it be a youth leader or music ministry leader or both the scholarship into CLI will be a constant renewal of God’s word and guide through the teachings offered that will only enhance and enlarge the love I have for God and others.
Please pray that as a potential ministry leader I will be given strength, vision, love, diligence, and the heart to always put God first and that I will lead people to Christ.
If you’re called to be a ministry leader, or if you would like to learn more about the free training that CLI offers to leaders like Javelin, click here to see our courses of study available.