[vc_row][vc_column][dfd_spacer screen_wide_resolution=”1280″ screen_wide_spacer_size=”100″ screen_normal_resolution=”1024″ screen_tablet_resolution=”800″ screen_mobile_resolution=”480″][dfd_heading enable_delimiter=”off” style=”style_01″ title_t_heading=”” title_font_options=”tag:h5″ subtitle_t_heading=”” subtitle_font_options=”tag:h3″ subtitle=”OUR STORY”][/dfd_heading][dfd_spacer screen_wide_resolution=”1280″ screen_wide_spacer_size=”50″ screen_normal_resolution=”1024″ screen_tablet_resolution=”800″ screen_mobile_resolution=”480″][vc_column_text]Wayne Benson is a visionary leader for the 21st Century! He is an articulate speaker, gifted administrator and experienced pastor who communicates a compassionate and compelling message for ministry and the Christian life. He is President and founder of Paraclete Ministries and he and his wife, Kathy, have ministered internationally in more than 40 nations.
From 2005 to 2010, Wayne served as President and CEO of EMERGE Ministries, a premier Christian counseling center in Akron, Ohio, specializing in helping minister and missionary families. EMERGE has also been a training center for Christian counseling, including a Masters Degree program and the new online Center for Pastoral Counseling established under Wayne’s leadership. During his tenure, EMERGE increased the scope of its ministry to over 300 clients per week through an outstanding team of 20 Christian, mental healthcare professionals. In addition, a satellite center was established in New York and a network of counselors in Toronto. Miraculous and extraordinary transformations occur in the lives of people who are helped by EMERGE.
Prior to serving at EMERGE, Wayne was elected President of Central Bible College, where the singular focus historically is “for the training of ministers and missionaries.” The college, which has a distinctive 90-year history with over 30,000 alumni serving in more than 80 nations, made new advances in both academic recognition and field-relevance through the President’s Master Plan. In 2004, the college attained regional accreditation and received over 30 commendations from three accrediting bodies. CBC also experienced new growth under Benson’s administration showing the largest increase in the freshmen class in nine years. Today the Center for LifeLong Learning, the distance education arm created under the leadership of President Benson, provides teaching for students around the world. In June of 2005, Wayne declined a second term and became President and CEO of EMERGE Ministries.
During his 25 years as Senior Pastor at Grand Rapids First Assembly of God, the church experienced exceptional growth: Orchestrating a staff of 93 with 13 pastors, housing a K-12 school, and leading a small congregation of 250 to become a leading, healthy church that still today is advancing members toward spiritual maturity and launching many, powerful outreach ministries. From this local venue, more than 300 responded to the call of God to enter fulltime ministry.
From 1996 to 2000 the Bensons gave pro-active, sustaining leadership to a revival that swept through the church resulting in thousands responding to Christ, accompanied by dramatic healings and deliverances. Many regional pastors and members from various denominations were touched by this move of God.
From 2000 to the present, Wayne and Kathy have been engaged in a strategic coaching ministry they founded called Paraclete Ministries, coming alongside pastors and missionaries in the U.S. and abroad. Onsite Paraclete consultation visits include a week of in-depth mentoring and assessment followed by a comprehensive report with detailed recommendations provided to the pastor. Following the onsite visit, continued strategic coaching is offered for ongoing advancement and development. Paraclete Ministries has also expanded its scope of institutional help in partnership with denominations and academic institutions. Wayne and Kathy also serve the local church as Pastors of Leadership Development for the four campuses of the Rock Family Worship Center based out of Huntsville, AL.
Wayne is proud to be husband to Kathy, father to two married children serving God in fulltime ministry, and grandfather to nine grandchildren.
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