Ordination Pastorship Path
Ordination Pastorship Path
Hi, my name’s Bryan, and this is my ordination pastorship path. I’m 52 years old and live in Virginia with my wife and three children. For some time, I have been interested in getting ordained and running my own church once I retire. I felt the urge to complete some kind of study program, and it became real in the Spring of 2019. So, I began to search and I discovered Christian Leaders Institute (CLI) — which seemed to meet my needs exactly. Since I still am a full-time government employee, I wanted a program with online studies. I also didn’t want a program where you just pay for some credentials.
The Lord has been working with me a lot for the last several years and has revealed more to me in my own Bible studies in the last five years than I had learned or understood in the last 45 years. I wanted to find a program that aligned with my Christian beliefs and doctrine. Christian Leaders Institute fit that bill perfectly. I have been taking their online courses ever since.
My First Calling to Christ
My calling to Christ came early in my life. Both of my parents were churchgoers so my brother and I went to Sunday school since we were young — at least three or four years old. Since my birth, my mom read me Bible stories every night before bed and continued passing me Biblical notes until she died in 2002. So, I had a good understanding of who Jesus is and how the Trinity works. One Sunday morning when I was eight or nine, I watched a Christian children’s show. The host described Jesus as knocking at the door to our heart, and he will only come in if you ask him. So, I said a prayer, turned over my life to God, and have been inhabited by the Holy Spirit ever since.
Growing up in Florida, I wanted to spend my life fishing, going to the beach, and working on my Camaro. But, God had other plans. I went off to college and got a degree in Political Science. Then, I joined the Navy. After that, I moved to Washington, D.C. and worked for Congress and a think tank. Then, I went on to a Federal career working in the Intelligence Community for a three letter agency. Now, I am an Executive with the Department of Homeland Security.
Sharing the Gospel
All through my career, I have let God lead me from one assignment to the next. Each time, I found opportunities to spread the Gospel as best I could. I traveled extensively in the Middle East and Europe and never missed a time to talk about Jesus or leave a Bible behind in my hotel room.
Now, I am close to retirement. At one point, I looked forward to the retirement life I thought I wanted — playing golf, fishing, and working on cars. However again, God has told me that now is not the time for rest. I am to spend my retirement serving him. Therefore, after much prayer and several years of contemplation, I began working on a Comic Book series based on the Book of Revelation called Genesis Lost (www.araratcomics.wixsite.com/genlost). This has been my hobby and past time for the last several years. But now, I believe it was a bridge to keep me growing until the next step was revealed.
My Calling to Ministry
After further prayer and contemplation, God has called me to this ordination pastorship path. I am called to be a teacher, to open my own church and my own Biblical studies. Through my ministry, I hope to reach the unreached, like the younger generation that reads my comics. Therefore, I make them available for free so they can be widely distributed. In addition, my wife and I plan to have an RV in which we will take our ministry on the road for several months a year. Perhaps, we will reach some of the Native American cultures that have yet to hear about and receive Christ.
As I get closer to my retirement, I see God working through me making my next steps as obvious as can be. These steps on my ordination pastorship path started with getting ordained through the Christian Leaders Institute and the Deacon Ministry program. I am very pleased with CLI, and I look forward to every time I sit down to learn more about our Creator through their many classes and programs.
Learn more about ordination opportunities at the Christian Leaders Alliance.
Author: Henry Reyenga
Henry Reyenga is president of Christian Leaders Institute and Christian Leaders Alliance.
