My Experience with Christian Leaders Institute

My name is Jennifer C. Valerie from the island of Dominica in the Caribbean. I am a stay at home mom, married to a pastor and we have two boys who we homeschool.

My first experience with Christ was as a child. My paternal grandfather was a pastor and he took me to church with him. When I was 9yrs old I had to choose and began going to the Catholic church with my mom. For ten years I was out doing things that were not pleasing to God and struggling to be an obedient child to my parents. Though I remained a virgin I was by no means sexually pure and I used profanity regularly, went to discos with my cousin and many other shameful things.

In His graciousness the Lord brought me back to Himself at age 19. At that point my life changed so drastically that people in my village were making comments such as, "If she can get saved I can get saved too." Peace came into my heart and I no longer struggled to do right. My zeal for the Lord had me going to church each time the doors were opened. My mentor took me to all crusades, prayerwalks and anything she was involved in. I was thoroughly immersed in ministry training almost from the beginning. My friends were pastors and preachers and ministers. From there my desire to be in full time ministry was birthed.

I have been involved both as a single young adult and a married woman in just about every ministry except Men's Ministry. I have served on the Youth Leadership Team, taught Sunday School, Women's Ministry Director, Assistant Women's Ministry Director, usher, cleaner, secretary of different groups, outreach team, prayer team, counseling, deliverance ministry, marriage counseling. Whatever my hands found to do I did because one of my spiritual gifts is that of helps.

As led by the Lord I have been the Christian Education Director at the congregation where we serve for a few years now and am also on the Youth Leadership Team and on the Women's Ministry Leadership Team. Just recently the Bishop of our Pentecostal denomination asked me to serve as the Christian Education Director nationwide.

I hold the basic credential offered by our denomination but in order to receive further upgrades of my credentials I need to have some sort of Bible School training. Our denomination has a Bible School but it's located on another island. Recently one of the programs was placed online but at this time in our lives we are unable to afford it. I searched and searched online to find the training I was looking for. In my search I found Christian Leaders Institute.

The courses offered at CLI hold much promise to help me be further trained and be better equipped for ministry in and out of our church and denomination. Having a scholarship at Christian Leaders Institute has helped me to gain the training I need to excel in ministry. Since we are unable to afford the cost of regular seminary training online this scholarship has meant a whole lot as I continue to walk in the areas of ministry that God has called me to and placed me in.

Founders

I am Drewdolph Valerie, more fondly known as Pastor Dolph, Bro. Dolph or just Dolph. I responded to the Lord's invitation to salvation at the age of 12. At the age of 16 I responded to another call to surrender my life to ministry. I have been preaching and teaching the word of God ever since. I have functioned in various areas within the church in youth leadership, men leadership, church leadership, associate pastor, assistant pastor, Bible Study teacher, musician, worship team, Sunday school class teacher among others. My first foray into formal ministry studies was at a Bible School in St.Thomas. Then the Lord opened a door for me to go further and I obtained my degree in Christian Ministry at the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. After completing my studies I returned to St. Thomas to pastor a church there. After that tenure I served at the Frenchtown Evangelistic Assembly as Pastor's assistant to the Senior Pastor, Pastor Edward Magras. I've been in ministry for the past 28 years and counting and been an ordained minister for over 20 years. Currently I reside in Dominica, West Indies serving as pastor of the Morne Prosper Pentecostal Church for the past 8 years and District Missions Director of the Dominica District of PAWI(Pentecostal Assemblies of the West Indies). I am a registered Marriage Officer in Dominica as well. I am the husband of my beloved one wife in whom I am well pleased and the father of our two awesome boys.

I am Jennifer C. Valerie, wife of one husband, Dolph Valerie. I gave my life to the Lord at age 19. I have been involved in various areas of ministry including youth, women, Sunday school, worship and prayer. My God-given name is Abigail. God spoke that name to me during one of my times in His presence. Abigail is referred to in 1 Samuel 25:3 as being of "good understanding and beautiful countenance". That's me. We homeschool our two sons and I enjoy being a keeper at home and partner to my husband. I also serve as the District Christian Education Coordinator of the Dominica District of PAWI(Pentecostal Assemblies of the West Indies) as well as General Director of  Christian Education over the entire denomination. I sit as the secretary of the Dominica Association of Evangelical Churches and am also the Administrative pastor at our home church, the Morne Prosper Pentecostal Church. I've been in ministry for over 20 years and gained my license to minister in 2017, became an ordained minister in 2020.

Our first born is Judah Andrew Darius Valerie.  He was born to us on September 16, 2002 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Judah means God will lead among other things. Andrew means manly. Darius means one who upholds the good. His full name therefore means 'God will lead the manly one who upholds the good'. We call him Judah which speaks into his life every time he hears it the fact that God will lead him. He ministers as a drummer and sound technician at the church and is currently one of the lead drummers. He also helps in any area of ministry he's called upon to.

Our second son is David Abdiel Jeremiah Valerie. He was born to us on September 16, 2003 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Yep, same day as his brother exactly one year later. David means beloved. Abdiel means servant of God. Jeremiah means appointed by Jehovah. His full name therefore means 'Beloved servant of God appointed by Jehovah'. We call him Jeremiah which daily speaks into his life the fact that he is appointed by Jehovah. He's currently ministers with the worship ministry at the church as a vocalist and having learned to play keyboard some time back is looking at playing with the worship team.  He also helps in any area of ministry he is called upon to.


The Valerie family has chosen to take the path of full-time ministry because we believe that this is the path our Heavenly Father chose for us. We aim to please Him first and foremost. His wish is our command. We minister as pastors of the Morne Prosper Pentecostal Church and in the areas of pre-marital guidance, marriage intervention, marriage enrichment, deliverance and deeper life conference speakers.

Origin of the name

Our name evolved based on the different aspects of our lives.
VALERIE because our last name is Valerie.

GLOBAL because we have lived/ministered in various countries. Our ministry has impacted persons in Alabama, Antigua, Dominica, Florida, New Jersey, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, St. Lucia, Sweden, U S Virgin Islands.

MINISTRIES because our ministry areas are varied: Music, singing, preaching, teaching, deliverance, discipleship, women's ministry, men's ministry, youth, Sunday School, secretarial, administration, marriage, natural health and more.

Purpose

The purpose of this blog is to relay the happenings & keep friends and well-wishers abreast of the ministry part of our lives as well as to encourage and share the word with others. We pray that you would be ministered to as you browse. We covet your prayers as well because we all need each other in the body of Christ.
Steady in His grip.

Beliefs

We believe in God the Father, Creator of everything, Who loved the world He created and sent His only Son to be our Savior.

We believe that God the Son is Jesus of Nazareth, the Savior sent by God, Israel's Messiah, born of a virgin, fully man and fully God.

We believe that God the Holy Spirit quickens us from death to life, indwells all those who receive Jesus Christ by faith as Lord and Savior and continuously conforms believers to the image of Jesus Christ.

We believe the death of Jesus Christ on the cross is sufficient in itself to make atonement for the sin of the world--an atonement available to all who repent of their sin and believe in Him alone for forgiveness and salvation.

We believe Jesus Christ died on the cross, was buried, and the third day He bodily arose from the dead guaranteeing the bodily resurrection of all those who have received eternal life through faith in Him.

We believe salvation from judgment, forgiveness of sin and eternal life are free gifts of God's grace and cannot be earned, deserved, inherited or bought.

We believe only those who believe in Jesus Christ and receive Him into their inner being will escape eternal judgment and be accepted into heaven.

We believe in the imminent, visible, bodily return of Jesus Christ to this earth to reign in righteousness and justice.

We believe the true church is not an organization, but the Body of Christ made up of those who have personally trusted Jesus Christ as Savior and publicly confessed Him as Lord.

We believe that the Bible is the Word of God, inspired by the Spirit of God, without error and thus the supreme and final authority for faith and practice.

We believe that daily Bible reading, prayer and fasting are as necessary for the sustenance of spiritual life as food and water are necessary for physical life.

We believe that all believers are commanded to be witnesses for Christ, sharing the Gospel to the whole world.