Accessible online, study-based, and publicly recognized wedding officiant ordination
My Name is Stephanie Thweatt I was born and raised in Virginia, United States. After high school, I spent six years in upstate New York before returning home in 2009. While I didn’t pursue traditional academic studies, I did dedicate three years to opera singing. Today, I live in Texas with my husband and children. My story is one of heartbreak and tragedy redeemed by saving grace, and it has inspired me to minister to others with similar experiences.
My siblings and I were raised by our grandparents after our parents abandoned us at the ages of 5, 4, and 3. Unfortunately, our lives did not improve. My grandmother was a strong and loving woman, but my grandfather was harsh and abusive. Much of the pain I endured as a child and young adult can be traced back to his treatment of us. I suffered abuse of every kind—emotional, physical, verbal, mental, and even sexual. Ironically, we were made to attend church every Sunday.
However, this only deepened my confusion and anger. I couldn’t understand how a “loving” and “caring” God could allow innocent children to suffer as I had. This led me to rebel and turn away from the church, plunging headfirst into the occult. Witchcraft, sorcery, psychics, crystals, tarot cards—you name it, I most likely tried it. I believed I could do for myself what only God could truly do.
Christ Found Me By 2009, I had hit rock bottom—hopeless, helpless, homeless, and a single mother to a 3-year-old son. Over six months, I lived with friends, moved to a homeless shelter in search of work, and eventually ended up living in a tent in my sister’s yard. During that time, I met my now-husband. His mother graciously invited my son and me to live with her, which gave me some stability. The summer of 2010 was life-changing. In a whirlwind of events, my grandmother suffered a stroke on June 3rd, my sister and her family were nearly killed in a car accident on June 13th, and my grandfather passed away on July 26th. Amid all this pain, a miracle happened. While waiting for my sister to go into surgery, God reached into my darkness. A minister came to pray with us, and that night, I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior. My sister’s minister became my mentor, and we stayed up talking about God’s love until the sun came up. That moment marked the beginning of my journey with Christ.
My walk with God hasn’t been simple. I held onto pieces of my past, unwilling to surrender everything at once. Like an onion, God has peeled back the layers of my heart one by one, healing me in His time. In 2020, I finally let go of the occult for good. I burned every item tied to that life and was baptized in the river in my backyard. Since then, I have felt a clear calling to ministry. God has shown me that my story—though filled with pain—is a testimony of His love and grace. My experiences equip me to help others who are struggling. Now, I see that my life unfolded as it did so that I could share the Good News. My testimony shows others that there is a Father in Heaven who loves them and offers freedom from pain and shame.
Finding CLI I am deeply grateful for Christian Leaders Institute (CLI). After searching for months, I realized I couldn’t afford most ministry training programs, especially as a mother of five preparing for a move across the country. I prayed for God’s guidance, and He led me to CLI. Through CLI, I earned my Christian Life Coach Certificate and began coaching my friends. Since then, three people have asked me to baptize them, and a couple has asked me to officiate their wedding. I am now studying to become an Ordained Minister through CLI. This training has made ministry accessible to people like me, and I thank God for this opportunity.
Jeremiah 29:11 (KJV) “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”
Looking Ahead I am currently discipling and teaching several people and plan to lead small groups at my church. I am overjoyed to take the Gospel of Jesus and His love to as many people as the Lord allows! Thank you, CLI, for making ministry training a reality for so many. Stephanie Thweatt Texas
This Texas page focuses on state-specific guidance.
To understand the full meaning of study-based Christian wedding officiant ordination, including formation, accountability, and long-term ministry vision, continue here:
If you are ready to become ordained in Texas and serve a bride and groom with clarity, dignity, and pastoral care, begin with the free training and follow the study-based pathway.
“The harvest is indeed plentiful, but the laborers are few.”
Matthew 9:37 (WEB)
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