Christian Leaders College Introduction I want to give thanks to God for the opportunity and privilege to come in contact with The C...
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| Christian Leaders College |
Introduction
I want to give thanks to God for the
opportunity and privilege to come in contact with The Christian Leaders
Institute (CLI) at a time in my life when I needed theological education and
knowledge the most. Due to so many commitments, challenges and dispositions, it
was quite difficult to afford another degree after I have made so much
investment to study for a first degree in Engineering and a Masters degree in
Computing, but by the divine guidance of God, I came in touch with CLI and that
encounter has turned my life around for good.
The knowledge I have acquired at
Christian Leaders College (CLC) is beyond description, and I’m completely in
awe of the quality of the degree programme that I studied, and its associated
courses.
What I Have Learnt
I have been impacted with a
comprehensive knowledge of the Bible and Christian living. I was born into a
Christian family with missionary parents. Though I was not a novice to the
Bible prior to joining CLC, however, my knowledge was basic and superficial. I
have now acquired a deep knowledge of the bible most especially from these
modules; Old Testament Survey, New Testament Survey, Theology I, Theology II,
Hermeneutics and Exegesis Biblical Interpretation I and Biblical Interpretation
II. They have boosted my inherent knowledge of the Bible and makes
interpretation so natural to me now.
I have also acquired some incredible
level of boldness in the art of preaching and presentation. It is often said
that knowledge is wealth and anyone that is diligent in his work will stand
before kings and not mere men, Proverbs 22:29. Diligence comes from empowerment
most of the times. This is made possible by acquiring the right knowledge
required to succeed. The knowledge I have gained has tremendously empowered me
for ministry, leadership and mentoring.
Coming from a Science and Engineering
background, most of the electives in the degree programme were alien to me, as
they were mostly within the humanities discipline, but I thank God that I was
able to take the courses. Despite the fact that they were challenging, they
were good for knowledge and sound mind. Some of the courses were, Philosophy
101, Introduction to Psychology, Economics 101 and World History.
The two modules on Church history;
Early Church History and Church History were so addictive and compelling. They
were not just mere history; they were courses which taught about the grace of
God, such that made Christianity come down to us without ending with the
Apostles or the early fathers.
In all, I have acquired a vast wealth
of knowledge in theology that is more than enough for my entry into ministry,
and would serve as the main reference to my theological education which I
intend to pursue up to a doctoral level by the special grace of God.
Impact of the Knowledge I have Acquired
I have been fundamentally equipped
for ministry. I now have the required knowledge to teach appropriately and
soundly. I am now a Bible Study teacher; people are beginning to commend,
appreciate and comment on the knowledge that I have acquired. My writing skills
have improved quite significantly, as I now write weekly for my local assembly.
A couple of my writings have been published in the church bulletins to the
glory of God.
My sermon presentation has assumed a
new dimension; exposition in my sermons has improved and my delivery is now far
better than it used to be.
Impact on my Ministry, Family, Friends and Community
I serve in my local assembly as
Sunday School Teacher, Deputy Music Director, Director of Publicity, Youth
Mentor and on the Church Leadership Forum. My acquired knowledge has helped to
boost my contribution and performances in all of these roles to the glory of
God.
Pastoral Care and Marriage and People
Smart for Ministry were two modules I took with personal attachment, because
they both added values to my family life. My family has benefited from them; I
have also extended the knowledge acquired to my relationships with brethren and
friends. I have begun to teach some of the materials in the modules locally,
which friends and family are benefiting from.
My Favourite Classes
In all honesty, all the classes were of immense benefit to me, and they have all impacted my life for good, but the following classes stood out:
- New Testament Survey: This class afforded me the opportunity to not just read the whole of the New Testament but brought it into perspective, and bridged most of the gaps I had in the knowledge of the New Testament. It helped me to Identify and articulate major theological themes in the New Testament. It also helped to trace the expansion and development of the gospel and the followers of Christ in the first century and to understand the relevance of The New Testament concepts for Christian living. It was such a great class that endeared me so much to Apostle Paul’s writings in particular.
- Old Testament Survey: While growing up, I used to see the Old Testament as mere stories and history without so much of application to it, but after the Old Testament Survey class, my perspective changed and a greater understanding was bestowed on me. All the main aims of the class were achieved by me, some of which were; tracing the progressive unfolding of God's revelation in the history of salvation leading up to Jesus, understanding the relevance of Old Testament history for knowing God and following Jesus today and most importantly, I was able to see how sermons based on the Old Testament history can glorify God, focus on Christ, and apply to people today.
- Hermeneutics and Exegesis: I loved this class with passion because It was the first attempt for me to learn the main basics of interpreting the bible. This got me acquainted with loads of Bible commentaries and I gained a good knowledge of how to use them to study the Bible and interpret passages. This class has made me a better preacher and teacher. The main knowledge I took from the class was, how to depend on sound exegesis of Scripture as the basis for one’s theological positions and preaching among others.
- Theology
I and II: I took these two classes in quick succession and I was able
to link both together as a compendium of Systematic Theology. They both
sharpened my knowledge of Christian doctrines and God at large.
- Church History: This was one of the first set of classes I took at CLC, and I found it quite captivating, instructive, educative and inspiring. The key lessons for me in the class were; I gained a better understanding of Christians from various heritages worldwide. I learnt about important events, persons, and trends in church history and the knowledge of how Jesus and Christianity have affected various aspects of culture.
Challenges Encountered
This was the first completely online
course I ever embarked on, and it was initially challenging to have to
constantly sit in front of my computer every night listening to lecture
upon lectures and reading course materials, but with the help of God and my
family, I was able to quickly adapt and gained a good mastery of online
learning.
The other challenge I had was the volume
of materials required to read for the classes; they were quite a lot and a
number of them were not easy reads but I had to persevere to make sure I study
them well to gain the required knowledge and to pass the associated quizzes.
Ministry Application Noticed
For me, most of the classes I took
had ministry applications ranging from, giving good leadership in ministry,
sermon preparation and delivery, evangelism and effective prayer ministry.
Growth in all of these areas has been noticeable in me since I started the
degree programme. The greatest joy I have is that, all the classes I took have
imputed in me, significant knowledge and skills required to succeed in
ministry.
Appreciation
I would like to thank those that God
gave the vision of Christian Leaders Institute, for yielding to the calling of
God and making this wealth of knowledge available at no cost to vast a large
number of people across the world. This is a blessing to our generation and
God’s kingdom here on earth.
I would like to commend and
appreciate in particular two outstanding leaders and mentors; David Feddes and
Henry Revenge; they are God’s Generals raised to train Christian leaders and
they have been doing so well; I pray that God will continue to strengthen them
and bless them mightily. So also, all the other lecturers that God used to
bless me and train me at the Christian Leaders College, thank you all.
Conclusion
John 3:27 says, a man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven (NKJV). I bless God for that which I have received through this degree programme. I am now well-equipped and empowered for the future. May God help me to be able to make good use of all that I have learnt for his kingdom, and for the benefit of mankind.
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