Affiliate Members | FBCTI | Faith Based Counselors Training Institute

Our featured affiliate Gerald M. Wilson is a 2015 graduate of our FBCTI Certified Crisis Chaplain Course. Brother Gerald’s as he prefers to be called, Christian ministry career spans over 20 years. He has served to advance the Kingdom of God in many formal positions, from Chapel Service Overseer to Church Ministry Intern to Praise and Worshiper Leader, and Highway to Hedges neighborhood Evangelism. Prior to relocating from Arizona to Texas in 2013 he successfully Pastored, developed and lead various Community Outreach Ministry programs for many years, serving and advocating for the Homeless, Substance Abusers and Mental/Behavioral Health service populations.

As a small boy growing up in Chicago, Brother Gerald was always drawn to Church and the People of God! Even though he wasn’t able to articulate it at the tender age of 10, he says…” I always knew there was something special about Church and the things of God.” He attended Church services on his own without any encouragement from adults. He was appointed as a Junior Deacon at his local storefront Church. He even had the awesome responsibility to have his own set of keys to unlock and lock the small building in preparation for services. Over the years it became very obvious, and was confirmed by several Ministers and complete strangers; God had a Calling on his life!

Brother Gerald relocated to Texas in 2013 to fulfill his lifelong goal, dream and desire to further his Christian Training and Education. In 2014 he graduated from Christian House of Prayer’s - Sonship School of the First-Born Bible School. In 2015 he was Licensed as a Minister, Exhorter of the Gospel with Convent Connection International Copperas Cove TX. And he possesses a Bachelor’s of Biblical Counseling from Victorious Christians Life Institute Goodyear AZ.

During his time in Texas, he saw the need for the local Faith based Community to be better trained in Crisis Response and Trauma-Informed Care and Mental Health First Aide, as they reach out to those who struggle with Homelessness, Mental/Behavioral Health and substance abuse issues. Brother Gerald answered The Call to service in the area of Chaplain Ministry.

He began the search and to very closely evaluate the usual types of Hospital, Hospice, Police, Firefighter and various other Emergency Response Chaplaincy training programs. He discovered many to be very costly and extremely weighed down with secular education requirements, unaccepting of the vast Christian Ministry and Pastoral experience and training he has already obtained servicing God’s marginalized populations. Many offered no real “ever-day use” curriculum and several where localized to their area or region.

After several months of searching, I found the FBCTI and Dr. Haynes Certified Crisis Chaplaincy Program and I was amazed at the dept of content, webbed with real-life hands-on experience from a bonified “Man of Christian Faith!” I checked the State of Texas website and he was listed as a Licensed Professional Counselor and Therapist Supervisor and Trainer in both secular and Christian professions. He is the author of over 60 books and has trained thousands of people in various walks of life, all over the world over the years. He is the real deal and a top expert in his field.

When I read, he was personally selected by top officials in Washington and New York to train and lead other Crisis Chaplains and First Responders as an expert in Critical Crisis Response at the World Trade Center attack at Ground Zero. I knew his Crisis Chaplain Training program was for me, my answer to prayer. The real deal!

I thought, I recall very vividly where I was on that 9/11 day. I felt scared, helpless, numb and vulnerable. I could not imagine the suffering. Dr. Michael Haynes answered God’s Call to Go there to serve the actual hurting, lost, confused and grief stricken. With death and destruction all around, as others fled the chaos, pain and despair, this man was Chosen to travel across the US to New York to Represent Christ.

And I thought; this is the type of man I want to learn Chaplaincy from. Now the kicker for me was, I learned he live in the next town over from where I lived and had prayed with David Wilkerson the Founder of the now Global Ministry of Teen Challenge the very Ministry, I spent over 2 years in Ministry Training and was attending in Arizona when 911 actually occurred!

When I first talked with Dr. Haynes there was an instant connection and we discovered other relationships and connections in common. Dr. Haynes is also a Military Veteran as I. Dr. Haynes several years prior to me join Christian House of Prayer in Killeen actually trained many people in that Ministry and had a wonderful friendship with my Pastor the late Bishop Nate Holcomb and his family! At that time Dr. Haynes was dealing with several health challenges with himself and his wife. However, he went the extra mile and used his limited energy and efforts to Train and Mentor me by phone through his entire Certified Chaplaincy course. I also recall though dealing with Cancer treatments and health issues he and his wife honored me by traveling 30 plus miles to my Church one Sunday morning to present me with my Credentials personally.

Over the years, I cannot list the numerous occasions I have utilize the wealth of knowledge I gained from his course. Even in my daily Professional duties as a Mental Health Peer Mentor working at the Veterans Healthcare System in Austin TX and later in Solider behavioral Health at Fort Hood TX. I recall specifically using what I learned in the session, “The Ministry of Presence” A person came into the Mental Health Clinic that I was working at and was extremely distraught. I was able to just be there “Fully Present in that moment and just listen. Providing comfort, just being there for that person…Listening quietly showing compassion…not talking, just listening! Silently internally, I was praying for the presence of God to engulf the room and God did! Several months later a Senior Staff member came to me to share how that same person, expressed to him how our encounter had a positive impact on him and he was grateful for that.

My Crisis Chaplaincy Care credentials and training are accepted and recognized by the Faith based Community and under, President Bush executive order that called for equal opportunity for and equal treatment of faith-based and other community organizations in social service funding by the federal government issued December 12, 2002. This “executive order” provides a level playing field and recognizes FBCTI equal to any other qualified secular Institute.

Currently Brother Gerald, is the Founder and Visionary of Project R.E.S.T.O.R.E.; which stands for Reach Every Soul Through Out-Reach and Exhortation. “Because these days, everyone is recovering from something!” This organization currently seeks funding to extend education scholarships to attend his Bible School Alma mater Sonship School of the First Born. Gerald is a product of and has served on the board of Directors for Arizona based Life Transitions Academy Inc for over 20 years. He continue to network with Veterans and others in Mental/Behavioral Recovery Community to advance the Kingdom of God!