CLI student receives free UK Church Planter training online at Christian Leaders Institute: CLI student Steven Whitehurst is fulfilling his dream to become a Church Planter in the UK by earning his Church Planting certificate for free at Christian Leaders Institute! Here is his story…
UK Student Receives Free Church Planter Training Through CLI
Hello, my name is Steven Whitehurst and I live in Manchester in the UK. I have lived here for all my life. I am 27 years old and I am a former carpenter and hotel porter. I am currently unemployed looking for a Job with real purpose, the one that God will find me. When it comes to the UK and ministering in it has become a subject of taboo, because the word religion is very closely linked to racism and racism is trouble. So the opinions of the people have become mixed. We are a heavy catholic country but I am more pentacostal rather than catholic. We are in some serious need of a revival over here.
I have come to find the Lord finally through my to-be wife Marcia. I had some questions before I met her and when I asked her these questions it was clear to me that for the past 10-12 years God had been talking to me and protecting me from myself as I was heading for self destruction. I was abused as a child and when I grew up the dark one made me believe that everyone else should pay for what happened to me, but God was in my life unknowingly to me sending me people to talk me around the self destruction I was heading for. I repent of all I did wrong back then and now I have the Lord to guide me.
My ministry dream is to own my own Messianic Church where we actually do the feasts of the Lord as it was done back in Biblical times. I would serve as a pastor and youth pastor of the church and make a huge difference not just in my own church but also an online church also.
My calling seems to be a Pastor of some sort, When I read scripture aloud to my family I am visited by the Holy Spirit and I believe that my voice is strong enough for the Holy Spirit to use my passion to propel the message of the Holy Spirit to a congregation of followers of Christ.
What brought me to want to be a pastor of some sort is I have a very strong empathetic ear and I have a way of formulating beautiful expressions when all looks dull and buried, I have a way of inspiring of hope from within a person and help them understand that faith and God is all we need. I am very analytical but also tactile with what I say and what I do not say. I am pursuing this because I believe that God needs pastors that not only listen but give his followers inspiration, hope and faith that nothing is impossible with God.
In my geographical area, the unique challenge to overcome that no matter what religion you come from whether Muslim, Christian, Hindu, Sikh etc, the religion is not the problem. Evil is the problem but as it stands right now religion is just that – trouble. I pray that this viewpoint changes. I pray for those being lied to by this lie and those who truly believe this lie.
My church has helped me tie in what I have been taught was wrong, so for me it this was a complete personality re-haul from a position of hating the world and everyone in it to a position of learning that I was sold a lie and now must love the people in this world including those who do some really hideous evil things.
My family have encouraged me to this point of getting myself to be a pastor. I always thought I would never be good enough for even getting this far, I now understand why the Devil has worked so hard to discourage me because of the work I’m doing now. My family mean the world to me as they want me to do this.
The scholarship at CLI is so important in making this dream a reality. I really need this just like I need God everyday. God gave me life, I want to make sure that he invested well in me. The scholarship also falls in line with how anything relating to God should be free to access with the ability to donate what we do have and we shouldn’t have to pay extortionate fees for something God gave us for free.
I wish for CLI to bless me in my venture to help change peoples lives in my area. I wish for CLI to pray for my success in my schooling here.
Thank you for listening to me.
God bless you all and this school.
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