Getting Ministry Trained

Getting Ministry Trained to Change the World

My name is Evangeline Kendrixs, and I am getting ministry trained at Christian Leaders Institute. I live in England, United Kingdom. On March 15, 1957, I was born in Ghana, West Africa, nine days after Ghana’s independence from colonial rule. I am the oldest among three daughters born to Ghanaian parents. We lived in the capital city of Accra. In 1960, my dad migrated to Germany and left us with our mum. So, I grew up in a single-parent home. At a very young age, I started attending an Anglican church near our house with my sisters. We also went to a mission school attached to the church.

I enjoyed going to church because my mum often made new clothes for us to attend the church. The friends I met at church were those from the church school. I was not a born again Christian at that time. However, I attended church services until I completed my primary and middle school education. Then, I left for secondary school.

Jesus my Lord and Saviour

The secondary school I attended was a boarding school. Every term, I left my mum and sisters to attend school in a town far from where we lived. In that school, there was a Scripture Union group, which I joined. We were known as SU members. The leaders were mainly students who were studying Bible knowledge for “Advance” level examinations. I admired them and was inspired by how much they knew the word of God. That knowledge made their scripture teachings exciting. I came to know the Lord when I was with the SU. I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour and became a born again Christian.

When I completed my secondary school education, I came back home. I worked at Ghana Commercial Bank in Accra. At the bank, there were born again Christians who fellowshipped once or twice a week during the lunch breaks. I joined the fellowship at the bank and stopped attending the Anglican Church. Then, I attended a charismatic church and got baptized in the nearby sea. I talked about Jesus to my sisters, cousins, and other members of my extended family. A few of them joined me and became born again Christians too.

Later, I moved from the city of Accra to the small town of Tema. While I was trying to settle in that new town, I noticed there was a charismatic church there. So, I started fellowshipping with them. I lived alone in rented accommodations, so I had enough time to read and study my Bible after work. I attended all-night church services on Fridays, outreach meetings, and other church programs. The Holy Ghost filled me, and I started praying in tongues. Shortly after, I met my husband, and we married.

Making a Move to the UK

During this time, I was having issues with my landlord and neighbors. They complained that I prayed too loud and sang too much, which disturbed them. I did not allow that to dampen my spirit or to make any troubles with them. My husband and I prayed about the complaints, and I went to visit my sisters, who were then living in the UK.

Later, my husband and I migrated to the United Kingdom to work. My spiritual journey continued in the UK. I worked with the church, this time a Pentecostal Church, and I taught Sunday school in the Children’s Service. I attended Christian programs and events. Sometimes, after the church service, I went out with other church members to hand out daily devotional books and gospel tracks.

Testing Time – God is Real

Over time, God blessed us with four daughters. The last child was born with Down’s syndrome. It was a testing time. I could not understand why such an issue came my way after praying day and night and trusting God for everything. However, after all that, I did not give up. I still believed God for a turnaround in my daughter’s health.

I saw the power of God, and He became real to me when my daughter’s health deteriorated, and they admitted her to the ICU. Most of the doctors and nurses who attended her thought she might not make it. But the church members were praying, and our family was fasting and praying too. Then God showed up. My daughter recovered from her illness miraculously, and the hospital staff was all amazed.

God Was Calling

My daughter got well and went back to school. I was unemployed, so I enrolled in the university near my home to study Special Educational Needs (SEN). I wanted to know more about my daughter’s condition. So, I studied up to the postgraduate level. After graduating, I planned to go back to Ghana to work there as a Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO). But my plans did not happen. God called me to serve Him instead.

Unexpectedly, my pastor’s wife wanted to plant a church and came to discuss it with me. She asked me if I could help to find a venue to start a new church. I found a suitable location where we could meet for church services. However, what she was expecting me to do with the new members of the church was something I was not capable of doing because I was not trained. The other leaders working with me were also not doing things right.

Therefore, we were losing members all the time. The church was a small one with about 25 people. Sometimes the membership increased and then decreased after a few weeks. People came, and then they left. The work was difficult and frustrating. We put in so much effort for the church to grow, but there were limited results. All of us in the leadership team were untrained. Then, I decided to get trained. However, I didn’t know how because I couldn’t afford the fees Bible colleges charged.

The Importance of Getting Ministry Trained as a Christian Leader

I didn’t give up and kept searching. I started looking for an online Bible college, and I came across the Christian Leaders Institute (CLI). After reading more about the institution, I knew CLI is where I am getting ministry trained. It will enable me to serve Jesus Christ better and to change the world for Christ. The training helps me to grow, and I also get the opportunity to learn more about the gospel. With the ministry training at CLI, I will be able to serve effectively in the church like any other trained Christian leader. Thank you, CLI!

Learn about ordination at Christian Leaders Alliance.