Minister Ordination Goal: The Road to Service
Minister Ordination Goal
My name is John Bailey, and I have a minister ordination goal for service. I currently live in Luling, which is in South Central Texas in the United States. My wife and I have been married for 39 years and have four children and six grandchildren. Sadly, none of them live very close to us so we do not get to see them that often. I work at a brewery as an automation engineer, and my wife is an RN in an endoscopy center. We live close to our aged parents who need support in the coming years. We both laugh at the irony of living in the same town we started in right out of school. Ironic, as we said we would never live here again (God does have a sense of humor).
While I grew up in the church and I knew there was a God, I never completely understood the need for personal repentance and acceptance of Jesus’ sacrifice. Once I got to college, I decided “religion” was for old people like my parents. I was too smart for that silliness. Then, I met my future wife. There was just something different about her and her friends, and I needed to find out about that. She is the one that led me to Christ. The Spirit used her to help me understand there is far more to being a believer than just following a bunch of rules and regulations.
Walk With God
I wish I could say my walk with God started well, but I am very headstrong and arrogant. My walk was more of a stumble for many years (decades) before the Holy Spirit finally get through my defenses and opened my eyes. It is a daily struggle, but I am closer to the Lord now than ever.
I have been active in church since my conversion. The majority of my activity in the church was, and is, as a Sunday School teacher. But, I always felt the call to a more profound and involved service. In 2007, I received ordination as a Deacon in the church we were attending. God’s timing was instrumental, as always. For the longest time, I desired to be a Deacon for my own selfish need and recognition. It wasn’t until I was willing to surrender and serve God no matter what. It was then that the church voted for my ordination as a deacon. I have served as a deacon in every church which we have been members of ever since.
Minister Ordination Goal and Calling
In our current church, I am a Sunday School teacher, Deacon, and Youth Leader. I now sense God calling me to vocational service as an ordained minister. We do not have the financial resources for me to attend a traditional, university-style seminary, so I am thankful that the Christian Leaders Institute can provide that type of education for free. I look forward to being able to support CLI and its ministry financially as I am able. The fact that CLI offers the ordination track for free is a blessing to me. I look at being awarded the Deacon Ordination Certificate with Christian Leaders Alliance as a confirmation of God’s work in my life.
Author: Henry Reyenga
Henry Reyenga is president of Christian Leaders Institute and Christian Leaders Alliance.
