Christian Leaders Institute is always looking for ways to add to the resources we already offer our students. In keeping with our high standards of quality, we were recently blessed with two new professors who agreed to do classes for us here. Christian Leaders Institute would like to welcome these new professors and thank them for coming alongside us in our commitment to excellence in ministry training.
Dr. Wayne Brouwer
Wayne Brouwer is the husband of Brenda (nee: Karsten), and they are parents of three daughters: Kristyn, Kimberly, and Kaitlyn.
Wayne has pastored congregations in Alberta and Ontario, Canada, and Michigan, United States. He has served as a missionary teacher in Nigeria, and has taught at several colleges and seminaries in North America. Wayne has written more than seven hundred articles that have appeared in journals such as Leadership, Christianity Today, Preaching, Interpretation, Calvin Theological Journal, and Vital Ministry, and has authored over a dozen books including the second revised edition of his best-selling Covenant Documents: Reading the Bible Again for the First Time (Cognella), They All Were Looking for a King… (CSS), Being a Believer in a Non-Believing World (Hendrickson), Humming Till the Music Returns (CSS) andThe Literary Development of John 13-17: A Chiastic Reading (SBL). He has a weekly radio program on WHTC, and serves as Vice-President for Curriculum Development at the Church Leadership Center. In 2005 Wayne transitioned from a role as Senior Pastor of Harderwyk Ministries in Holland, Michigan, to position as Associate Professor of Religion at Hope College, and Adjunct Professor of Theology and Ministry at Western Theological Seminary, both also in Holland. He holds degrees from Dordt College (B.A.), Calvin Theological Seminary (M.Div., Th.M.), and McMaster University (M.A., Ph.D.).
Wayne Brouwer’s class, “Biblical Wisdom: Understanding Life Through Old Testament Prophets and Sages,” is in the final stages of taping. It will be made available for students to enroll in sometime in 2015.
Ray Vander Laan
Ray received his Master’s of Divinity from Westminster Theological Seminary in 1976, Ray Vander Laan has been actively involved in studying and teaching Jewish culture using the methods of Jewish education. He has continued graduate studies in Jewish Studies in the United States, Israel, Turkey and Egypt. Ray has been teaching high school for 35 years. He is an ordained minister with the Christian Reformed Church. “Echoes of His Presence” is a book Ray wrote, which was published by Focus on the Family. In 1998, Vander Laan founded That the World May Know Ministries. Over 10,000 people have joined him in study tours of Israel, Turkey and Egypt. Ray presents on field presentations that are used by CLI. Listen to Ray Vander Laan being interviewed by Jim Daily on the Focus on the Family Radio program. Click here.
Ray Vander Laan’s first class, “Biblical Interpretation 1,” is now ready and available for students to enroll in. This course explores Scripture in its original historical, cultural, and geographical context, focusing mainly on Old Testament people, places, and events. Professor Ray VanderLaan takes us to locations where biblical history unfolded and shows the relevance for contemporary cultures and people. Students who want to take this course must have completed Old Testament Survey before they are eligible to enroll in this course.
Christian Leaders Institute is honored by the willingness of these men of God to lend time and materials to help make Christian Leaders Institute an even better educational institution. We are also very grateful to the students and generous men and women whose gifts make it possible for us to have such high quality professors teaching our classes.
Become a Minister to Lead Today’s Broken World
From men to women and unfortunately down to the smallest pair of feet belonging to children, we live in a world where brokenness could describe many. We cry out to God to take our pain, take our fears, and wipe every tear from our eyes. We put a smile on our face to hide from others the ache inside our hearts. It may fool the truth to others, but our God sees and knows of everything hidden. We can not hide a thing from God, even the truth of our pain. We are in need of a Savior, in need of Jesus Christ. He heals more than just illnesses. He can even heal a broken heart. When brokenness is healed, we in turn can bring healing with Christ to a broken world. One of the many ways to accomplish this task is to become a minister.
Though there are many schools that provide ministry training, with CLI we provide all the training needed to become a minister online and 100% free to all of our students. Christian Leaders Institute believes in equipping those called and those with a desire with free training through the inspiration of the gospel. The apostles did not pay with money for Jesus’ teachings to advance God’s Kingdom. CLI corresponds to do the same.
Here is the testimony of one students calling from God to become a minister to lead today’s broken world.
Ministry Dreams for Njaka to Become a Minister
My name is Njaka Razafimbelo, I’m 29. I come from Madagascar. I am the last among three brothers. I have left my country for study purpose and I live here in France now. I’ve known God since I was young. I grew up in a reformed church where I have attended many activities and programs. These things were very good and have led me to understand spiritual life and have provided me a solid basis to my christian walk. But at a certain point in my life, I really wanted to go further in order to know God deeper. One day, a friend of mine had recommended me to a christian radio station. Then, I began to listen to different kinds of programs. Once, a specific message had so touched my heart that I decided to give my life to Christ for real. I was 19.
Three years later, I came to France to continue my study in computer science. Things were not that easy. A period of difficult test began. Nothing has gone as I have planned. I have faced failures and disappointments in many areas of my life. As I have been educated to be a very ambitious person, that made me quite frustrated. Life was just so challenging for me. In addition of that, I did not always make the right decision to deal with the difficulties I have faced. For a long time, I was wandering in some kind of spiritual wilderness where there seemed to be no hope. At this time, I have continued to serve in church but I felt like I was out of place. I wondered if I still was on the right way and I really wanted to give up. Then I began to ask why these things had happened. I was desperate to receive an answer from God. Daily, I prayed and pleaded for His help.
Then I gradually began to understand that these events were some kind of preparation for something. In fact, these challenges have taught me to trust more in God’s plan and schedule as I train to become a minister. It has shaped many areas of my character and has made my spiritual maturity grow. I have experienced also the reality of God’s unchanging love and faithfulness. He has never left me through all this. Searching answers during tough times has given me the opportunity to go deeper in my personal devotion and bible study. God has brought me out and I realize that these years were not a loss but has revealed God’s purpose for my life.
Now, I have a different vision about life. I desire to encourage people and share with them about God’s love, faithfulness and wisdom. To tell them not to give up because God has His own way to respond to our prayer. I have particularly a heart for young people who may be facing life’s surprises and challenges. Actually, my project is to share the Gospel of Christ to the young generation. To help them know God and give them hope in their personal struggles so that they may rise up to gain their country for Christ. So many things can be done here in France. Many still do not know Christ while the country has some christian roots. Very few people attend church and the country is experiencing a notable decrease of moral values. In all this, people are seeking for some spiritual answers about life since materialism has not fulfilled the craves for peace. What I have seen here has strongly moved my heart to do something, to become a minister. In my local church, the elders are supportive of this ministry vision and the challenges that await us in this country. I thank God that I have the opportunity to be involved in the youth department of my church while I am trained to become a minister. This year, God has given me more personal time. I know that there can be other opportunities I may embrace in life as ambition to pursue, but I am convinced I have to enter this calling. I am pleased I heard about CLI.
Having an educational opportunity at CLI is so important to me for facing these challenges. The proposed type of training to become a minister is suitable for me as I can’t yet afford full time ministry training. There is also the problem of a limited choice of seminaries and bible schools here in this country. I thank CLI and its partners for giving this training opportunity as I learn to become a minister.
You might pray that God may open new doors for preaching and especially more resources for spreading the gospel here in France.
Become a Minister Through Christian Leaders Institute
Click here to enroll with CLI and begin your free online ministry training to become a minister or to just get further in your ministry dreams! We also have a facebook page where you can see more stories on our students and an overview of CLI!
“Out of my distress I called on the Lord; the Lord answered me and set me free.” -Psalm 118:5
Free Bible School for the Free in Christ
A free bible school seems to be highly needed for a world where roughly 3 billion people live in poverty. We have a burning desire to work in ministry, but we are also faced with many financial challenges that make it difficult for most to attend a seminary college. This is where Christian Leaders Institute steps in and teaches those who can not afford to receive training through a seminary by providing a free bible school for anybody who wishes to become an ordained minister, a commissioned pastor, a church planter, an evangelizer, a missionary, and more. The courses have been put together by those who have already attended a seminary college so you receive top quality ministry training. All class work is done online with reading material and videos for the lessons provided. Every bit of our free bible school is truly free!
Read the testimony of one of our students receiving her free bible school education through CLI.
Free Bible School for the Freed Sissy Frost
My name is Sissy Frost and I am FREE in every sense of the word. I live in Indianapolis, Indiana – the absolute heart of America, land of the free. I just recently got out of a relationship of almost 6 years that was abusive mentally as well as spiritually. I am free. I have cut ties with a family that were hurtful and abusive and have told me most of my life how horrible I was and laughed in my face when I said anything of importance from my heart. I am free. In December 2012, I was born again by the Holy Spirit and my eyes were opened. I am saved, I am free!
My childhood was not spectacular. Littered with memories of abuse, the death of my father, being horribly overweight and feeling as if I did not matter. I turned to cutting and became suicidal for much of my teens and twenties. God was never mentioned in my home at all. I felt totally and utterly alone and wished daily to just die. I enjoyed school because it meant being away from the pain of home, and I did well. I graduated with two full-ride scholarships to go to my local university. I attended one year there before realizing I could not take it any longer. I always identified as a lesbian and had had a girlfriend throughout much of high school. While in that first year of college, I met a woman eleven years older than me on the internet. Without ever having met her face to face, I packed my belongings in a garbage bag and ran away to be with her in Pennsylvania, leaving both scholarships and all the hurt behind me. So I thought.
While in Pennsylvania, I attempted suicide many times and spent many weeks in mental institutions. One time that sticks out in my mind now reminds me that even then – even before I accepted God, He saved me. I had gathered up every pill in the house in a bag and ran out the door. I drove to a hotel and decided to rent a room where I would take every pill. I handed the cashier my discover card but it was declined. I then passed over my Visa card, again declined. I got back in my car and drove aimlessly deciding on if I should just take the pills in the car when flashing lights behind me let me know the police had found me and were taking me back to the psychiatric ward for suicidal intentions. I called the next day to see why my cards were declined. The answer was that they should not have been. Thank you Jesus. I did not thank you then, but you knew there were greater plans for me!
After eleven years of the same thing, in and out of psychiatric wards, living the gay lifestyle, I decided I needed out. I packed up and came back to Indiana to start over again. I almost immediately met a guy who promised me the moon and stars and I moved in. The relationship was never perfect, but about 3 years in I decided to change my life. I felt “something” leading me. I had NO idea at the time it was God. I lost 100 lbs and changed my diet totally. I was a diabetic taking 4 shots a day, and through diet and exercise became totally healthy, no medications needed. That put the first big strain on the relationship since he was a big guy with no intentions of losing weight or exercising. What eventually broke everything was when that same feeling that led me to get healthy led me to a church.
I was at the end of my rope and once again suicidal when a friend asked me to go to church. I had nothing to lose, so I accepted her offer. I attended a small church and sat in the very back not speaking to anyone, but the words went straight to my heart. I came back the next Sunday, and the next. I would cry on the way to the church, I would cry during the sermon, I cried all the way home. I listened intently and agreed with everything said, but still did not know how to believe. I was trying! Then it happened.
One night after being at the gym I was driving home and – BOOM – out of nowhere everything changed. It felt as if a scrub brush entered the top of my head and scrubbed every dot of doubt from every inch of my soul. I KNEW I had been saved. I KNEW I was reborn. I KNEW God was real. All within 5 seconds! I wanted to learn everything I could. I read the Bible cover to cover in three months. I read every Christian book I could get my hands on, and watched every Christian movie. I went from not knowing what Easter was, (I just thought it was the Easter Bunny) to understanding what an amazing thing Jesus did for me.
I now want to devote my entire life to sharing this amazing news with everyone who is hurting like I was. I have nothing to hold me down now and stop me from my dreams. I AM FREE. I have distanced myself from family who hurt me, and gained an amazing church family who show me love and support like I have never known. I AM FREE. Even without money, I have found a way to learn through CLI’s free bible school and get the training needed to minister to others. I AM FREE. Thank you JESUS I AM FREE.
Free Bible School For Everybody
Do you have the desire to make changes to our broken world? Then enroll today with Christian Leaders Institute to receive online ministry training at our free bible school. Let CLI train you to be a leader in Christ! Click here to be directed to our application page. Also, check us out on facebook to learn more about our students and free bible school!