HOMEPAGE


	CMI'S ORIGIN: A PHOTO-RICH BIOGRAPHY OF THE FOUNDER'S LIFE JOURNEY & CREDO . BIO PART 1: SCHOOLING & PUBLICATIONS . CMI's founder/CEO, Rev. Dr. David J. Carlson, is the first-born son & grandson of beloved ministers & was raised in the U.S. states of Minnesota, Hawaii, California, Colorado & Michigan. With a love for learning, his academic accolades incl. being a HS valedictorian ('89), U.S. national scholar-athlete & summa cum laude graduate of both Bethel University (BA '93/MA '98/DMin '11) & U.S. Naval Staff College (JPME '15). His academic publications incl. 12 assorted tractates, a 2011 doctoral dissertation on "Christ & the Undocumented Alien," and a bestselling textbook entitled Why Christ? A 21st-Century Handbook on Christian Apologetics (Manila: National Bookstore, 2006), which was updated & independently republished in the U.S. as Faith Fits the Facts. . THREE GENERATIONS OF PREACHERS: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rev. Harold S. Carlson, his eldest grandson, Rev. Dr. David J. Carlson, and eldest son, Dr. James H. Carlson all flew together in Feb. 1983 from San Francisco to Manila to serve as short-term evangelists to remote parts of the Philippines during this month, when the three were ages 61, 12 & 36, respectively. The trip gave David exposure to how short-term missions can help churches charitably impact their communities & deftly "make disciples" for Christ \|Matt. 28:19\|. Why Christ? was dedicated to Harold \|1922-2000\|. . BIO PART 2: GLOBAL MISSIONS EXPERIENCE . Called to serve Christ full-time in 1989 after reading C.T. Studd's Only One Life poem while a cadet at the U.S. Air Force Academy (Only One Life Twill Soon Be Past, Only What is Done for Christ Will Last), Dr. Carlson has since practiced Christ-centric apologetics (courteously sharing a cogent defense--or Apologia--of Christ's Deity) and/or charity (kindly sharing Christ's Agape love) in 82 nations/territories on all seven continents. He believes sharing Christ & his Agape love is the #1 duty of all Christ-followers & has been blessed to discharge this duty in many iconic global destinations, incl. these sites: Taj Mahal Mausoleum---Agra, India Christ the Redeemer---Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Giza Sphinx & Pyramids---Cairo, Egypt Beijing Portion of Great Wall---China Petra Al-Khazneh Temple---Jordan Colosseum/Palatine Hill---Rome, Italy Angkor Wat---Siem Reap, Cambodia Admirality Bay (penguins)---Antarctica Eiffel Tower/Notre Dame---Paris, France Niagara Falls (both sides)---NY/Canada Great Barrier Reef---Cairns, Australia Old City Jerusalem (Bactrian camel)---Israel . BIO PART 3: DIVERSE VOCATIONS \| ONE CREDO . Desiring to always learn/grow, Rev. Carlson cultivated astuteness working as a head lifeguard ('87-91) & dormitory RA ('91-93), where in the latter job he was given Bethel U's David Stapp Dormitory Award. He's also *acquired perspicacity* serving Christ** as a gospel vocalist ('86-Pres), college choir chaplain ('89-93), church pastor in Minnesota & the Philippines ('93-98), adjunct university professor ('11-Pres), and K-12 int'l school teacher/administrator for Brent Int'l School Subic, Philippines ('98-06), where he was bestowed the school's Jubilee Service Award. Despite this vocational variety, Carlson's 30+ years of diverse ministry leadership has all been aimed at effectuating just ONE Christ-honoring credo, one encapsulated by the aforementioned Only One Life poem: . . BIO PART 4: ACTIVE DUTY MILITARY SERVICE David began serving as a U.S. Navy chaplain in 2006 & plans to pilot CMI full-time post-retirement. During his Navy career, he's been homeported in Rhode Island, California, Bahrain, Okinawa & Texas across eight diverse USN commands, and has conducted more than 5000 confidential counselings, 800 Christian worship services, 500 Christian baptisms, 400 military training seminars, 200 service projects, 150 funeral honors, 100 military weddings, 50 sports tournaments and 40 Nat'l Anthem vocal solos. He has also overseen two disaster-relief ops & a humanitarian mission where he cared for 49 Somali refugees rescued by CG-57 from a sinking skiff in the Gulf of Aden. LCDR Carlson's military awards include the Navy & Marine Corps Commendation Medal (5), Navy Achievement Medal (2), National Defense Service Medal. Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) Expeditionary Medal (2), GWOT Service Medal, Sea Service Ribbon, Overseas Deployment Ribbon (2), Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal, Black Belt in the U.S.M.C Martial Arts Program (MCMAP), U.S. Naval War College "JPME-1" Diploma (with highest distinction), and Panama Canal/ Suez Canal/Equator (a.k.a. "Shellback") Crossing Certificates. . BIO PART 5: CHRISTOCENTRIC LIFE MISSION . Congruent with this Christocentric paradigm, Dr. Carlson's life-mission is three-fold: (1) To effectively champion the "verity" (or fundamental truth) of the Deity of Christ; (2) To assiduously impact others with the kind & unconditional "Agape" love of Christ; (3) To deftly equip Christ-followers worldwide to effectuate these same vital duties. Every ministry he executes relates to one or more of these devoirs. As a consequence, David founded Case Ministries Int'l in 2005 (see CMI's Homepage). Re Christ's Deity & Agape, he avows that D. Jeremiah & C.S. Lewis offer the two sagest axioms (below): . . . PHOTO GALLERY OF FAVORITE MINISTRY MOMENTS FROM CMI'S MISSION TRAVELS . . (a) Driving a "Tuk Tuk" in Vientiane, Laos; (b) Boating (DC + eldest son) in a "Gondola" in Venice, Italy; (c) Hiking the coastline of Okuma Beach, Okinawa (DC + youngest) (((a) Hiking in the "Blue City" of Chefchaouen, Morocco; (b) Marveling at the beauty of "Bali Island" in Indonesia; (c) Wading in "Wadi Shab" river in the Sultanate of Oman . . Giving a "thumbs-up" at stunning & unique architectural designs observed on missions in Europe, Asia & Africa: . (a) "Chandragiri Hills Temple" above Kathmandu, Nepal; (b) Man-made "Passport Is." linking Bahrain & Saudi A.; (c) "Bridge of Peace" over Kura River in Tbilisi, Georgia; (d) "Menelik Orthodox Church" in Addis Abba, Ethiopia; (e) "Topkapi Palace" w/in Europe side of Istanbul, Turkey. BELOW: (a) Crossing "Queen Emma" pontoon bridge in Curaçao; (b) Desert off-roading near Dubai, U.A.E.; (c) Lifeguarding at "Doctor's Cave" beach in Montego Bay, Jamaica: . . Flag-infused collage of favorite '08-11 mission-trip photos from nine nations: Açores Andorra, Greece, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Italy, Guatemala, Belize, and Bahrain: . . BELOW: Scuba Diving Mission for Christ in the Pristine Paradise of Palau -- OCT 2019: \|Palau YouTube Video Link: https://www.youtube.com\| . . BELOW: CMI HUMANITARIAN MISSION TO "MAASAI" PEOPLE OF KENYA & TANZANIA: . . Note: Please check CMI's "Bookings" link to join/support future mission excursions. . .

AUXILIARY IMAGES FROM CMI ALBUMS

CMI's Mission CASE with 82 Int'l Patches

Lecturing at a CMI Apologetics Seminar

Baptizing a Believer
in the Jordan River

CARLSON'S TWO GUIDING

LIFE VERSES/MOTTOS:

"I am appointed for the defense of the Gospel." - Philippians 1:16

"Lord ... my possessions

I will give to the poor." - Luke 19:8

QUOTEWORTHY

EXCERPTS:

"Given his claims to Deity and his credible & suasive resurrection,

Jesus is an unparalleled figure who, if false, is of absolutely ZERO importance, and, if true, of absolutely INFINITE importance. One thing Jesus can never possess is moderate or MIDDLING importance."

- Rev. Dr. David J. Carlson

in textbook, Why Christ?

"When the Rolling Stones came out with the song "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" in 1965, it rang true & became a #1 hit, as many had indeed experienced that no amount of money, fame, power, sex, drugs or rock-n-roll could bring ultimate satisfaction to the human heart. The main reason for this is that, inexplicably to science, the heart (or sentient essence of a person) bears 10 core attributes that only human beings possess, personal

attributes such as conscious self-awareness, abstract reasoning, emotive capacity, creative artistry, linguistic ability, moral conscience,

sovereign free will, worship desire,

altruistic capability and, in relation to satisfaction, a deep longing for eternity, a yearning that is not only ubiquitous & indelible, but one intentionally set in "the hearts of men" (see Eccl. 3:11 image below). Yet in the human heart's undying quest to discover eternal verity, meaning and significance, all man-generated options are found to be totally deficient & wanting, incl. naturalism, humanism, and all man-concocted religions, as each ideology is simply a harbinger of the same pointless ultimate destiny, namely, mankind's desolate future fate of inexorable annihilation. Each worldview is thus incapable of quenching the thirst for eternity which resides in every human spirit.

But ONE source can satisfy -- Jesus Christ, God with a human face.

Through his salvific work, Christ, the Cosmos' true Creator, is the ONLY wellspring who can quench humanity's insatiable thirst for

eternal meaning. Why?--Because he is the author of both eternity & meaning. Thus, those who place their trust in Christ can have absolute confidence that their quest to touch eternity can & will find both (a) temporary fulfillment w/in this present, sin-corrupted,

forged-as-a-means-to-an-end world and (b) final consummation in the perfect eschatological endstate world which Christ, from the beginning of time, always meant to actualize. This will be a faultless world of eternal substantiality where free beings from every tribe will conjointly flourish & always choose only what is good, where entropy, sin, suffering & death shall bear no more sting, where sacred worship & creativity shall thrive in perpetuity, and where life will be forever marked only by robust love, joy, purity, serenity, beauty & bliss, all in the endless & holy presence of the one loving Creator known by

a myriad of fitting & exquisite epithets --Emmanuel (God with us), the great "I AM", the Lion & the Lamb, the Word of God, the Alpha & Omega, the King of Kings & Lord of Lords -- Christ Jesus himself."

- Rev. Dr. David J. Carlson

in article, Cruciform God

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