Who We Are
Christian Educational Ministries (CEM) was founded in November 1995 by Ron (1934–2016) and Allie Dart (1933–2017) as an independent, nondenominational ministry to serve the public and individual Christians of every kind through the ministry of Ronald L. Dart.
Mr. Dart, an ordained minister and evangelist, served God through hundreds of sermons, broadcasts, Bible studies, and books. His messages and printed material bring clarity and simplicity to topics that could otherwise be cumbersome.
(Click here to hear Ron’s personal testimony.)
CEM promotes Ron Dart’s radio ministry, Born to Win, which is heard from coast to coast. His clear, conversational, and inviting style can be heard the world over. The Born to Win website—borntowin.net—features more than 1,000 of Mr. Dart’s timeless sermons and studies at any one time.
Our mission is:
- First, to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world (Matthew 28).
- Second, to teach the disciples of Jesus Christ so that they may be
proficient and equipped for every good work
(2 Timothy 3:17). - Third, to teach and train this generation and the next with studies and programs focused on youth through the Darts’ special passion: Youth Educational Adventures (YEA) (Deuteronomy 11:19, Proverbs 22:6).
- Fourth, to bring God’s people closer together, through cooperative efforts wherever they may be (2 Corinthians 5:18).
To this end, we teach the Bible and its Truth, with a goal of helping people make their own lives work while they are a positive influence and blessing to those around them.
Follow CEM at borntowin.net, Facebook, YouTube, and other media.
(Not counting our newsletter.)
Christian Educational Ministries was founded in November, 1995 as a service ministry with two major goals. First, in the hearts of all Christian people is the imperative to share the Gospel with the world, to evangelize, to make disciples for Jesus Christ. Second, it is our desire to teach those who are disciples of Jesus all that He commanded His disciples to do (Matthew 28:19-20). Paul expanded on this latter objective in his last letter to Timothy:
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be proficient and equipped for every good work.
To this end, we teach the Bible with a view to helping people make their own lives work while they are a positive influence and blessing to those around them.
Our primary mission is carried out through the Born to Win radio program, literature, essays both in print and on the Internet, and published books. We also make available sermon CDs and an Adult Bible Study Course in our CEM Bookstore. Another major effort is the education of youth. Youth Educational Adventures is an arm of CEM created to systematically educate children and young people in God’s way with a curriculum of lessons spanning 17 years of a child’s life, beginning with age three to 20. CEM is here to serve the public, individual Christians of every stripe, and community based churches in every tradition. We are an independent, non-denominational ministry. Our Confession of Faith is broadly stated and not intended to be exclusionary.
People often ask for our doctrinal statement partly because they assume we are a church or para-church organization. We understand why churches adopt creeds or doctrinal statements, because those who consider belonging to the church have a right to know what the church teaches. CEM and Born to Win are more like a commentary than a church in that our belief system is fully contained in what we say and write.
We have a world-view instead of a creed. We believe the Bible is God’s revelation of himself to man. We believe that everything has to be tested against the Bible, and the Bible informs our conscience about right and wrong, whether it be doctrine or conduct. Our world-view is informed in full by the Bible. Our purpose is summed up in something God told Jeremiah:
This is what the Lord says:
Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,declares the Lord.
Our objective is not to advance this or that belief system. It is to know and understand God on his terms, instead of our own. What we think or believe may have to change to be conformable to the Word of God. The best way to understand what we believe is simply to listen to the program and then evaluate what we say based on Scripture. Peter said it well: But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
You can’t grow in knowledge if you already know it all. But as such here is our Confession of Faith
.
Confession of Faith
- We believe in God the Father who is without beginning and without end, who is the source and Creator of all life. He is Spirit and is the personification of love. Through the Holy Spirit, God convicts man, and leads him back to God. Through the Holy Spirit, God inspires, teaches, converts, and empowers his servants.
[Isa. 64:8, 2 Cor. 1:3, Gal. 1:1, 1 Pet. 1:2] - We believe in Jesus Christ, God the Son who has eternally existed and through whom the Father created all that is. He is the only begotten of the Father, conceived of the Holy Spirit and through his sinless life and atoning sacrifice, provides the only salvation for mankind. We believe he was three days and three nights in the heart of the earth and after the resurrection from the dead, ascended to the Father, as the first fruits of many brethren. He gave his life willingly and is our advocate, our high priest and our elder brother. He is the Word made flesh, the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world, the Messiah and, through his promised return, the only hope for the world.
[Jn. 1:1–2, Phil. 2:6–11, Col. 1:15–18, 1 Pet. 1:18–21] - We believe the Holy Spirit is the essence, power and spiritual extension, presence and active agent of God in the world and that the Holy Spirit proceeds forth from both the Father and Son. It is the power that personally strengthens a Christian and serves as an earnest or guarantee of eternal life.
[Jn. 14:26, Jn. 15:26, Acts 2:38, Rom. 8:9–11, 14] - We believe in the Holy Bible as the authoritative Word of God, complete in both Old and New Testaments. It is inerrant in its original languages and is inspired by God. The Bible is God’s revelation to man of his will, and through diligent and repeated study of the Bible, man may understand the message of salvation and be guided to the way of true holiness and abundant living.
[Mat. 4:4, 2 Tim. 3:16–17, Heb. 4:12, 2 Pet. 1:20–21] - We believe that man was made in the image of God but has corrupted himself after the example of Adam. All men have sinned and stand in need of the grace of God. We believe that we are saved by grace, through faith, and that not of ourselves.
[Gen. 1:26–27, Eph. 2:8–9, Rom. 3:23–24] - We believe that sin is the transgression of the Law and that the wages of sin is death. Because all have sinned and because man cannot justify himself, God through his love has provided a payment for human transgressions through the death and sinless life of his Son. Man cannot justify himself, but once justified by the sacrifice of Christ, he should live a life of obedience to God.
[Rom. 6:23, 1 Jn. 3:4, Rev. 14:12] - We believe in the observance of the Ten Commandments including the celebration of the seventh day Sabbath. The Sabbath is a gift from God and should be celebrated with prayer, study, and worship. It is a day of rest. We also believe in the celebration of the annual festivals of the Bible through which God reveals his plan of redemption. We believe the annual festivals point to Christ and are rich with Christian symbolism.
[Ex. 20, Lev. 23, Ex. 20:8–10, Luke 4:16, 1 Jn. 2:3–5, 1 Cor. 5:7–8] - We believe in the resurrection from the dead, by which man’s mortal and decayed body will be changed in the twinkling of an eye at the last trumpet into a new body that can never die.
[1 Cor. 15, Dan. 12, Jn. 5:24–29, Jn. 11:25–26, 1 Thes. 4:13–18] - We believe that the Greater Church of God is composed of all the saints, those in whom the Holy Spirit dwells, who are called according to God’s purpose. They are those whom God has called out from the world, though they live in the world, led to a life characterized by spiritual growth, obedience to God’s Word and the fruit of His Holy Spirit. We believe that the Christian’s life is meant to be joyful and triumphant (which is why the radio program is titled Born to Win).
[1 Cor. 1:2, 1 Cor. 12:12–14, Col. 3:12–17]
Ronald L. Dart (1934–2016) was a gifted teacher of the Word of God. People around the world have come to appreciate Ron’s easy style, his non-combative approach to explaining the Bible, and the personal, almost one-on-one method of explaining what’s going on in the world in the light of the Bible.
People say they get hooked on Ron’s depth of insight into the Bible and appreciate the unique gift for clarity and simplicity that enable him to hold an audience. His listeners don’t want to miss a word this broadcaster has to say and they want their community to hear it as well.
Mr. Dart was born to young parents on a farm just south of Harrison, Arkansas. His father worked for the railroad and also sang bass with the Melody Four Quartet. He started school in a one room schoolhouse in Gaither, Arkansas and finished high school in Houston, Texas where he met his wife to be, Allie Driver. He joined the Navy in September of 1952 and earned the rating of petty officer first class in four years.
After the Navy, Ron attended Hardin Simmons University in Abilene, Texas for two years, and Ambassador College for two years, getting a bachelor’s degree (1960). Ron served as a pastor of a church, and returned to college to get his master’s degree in theology (1968). He then went to the University of Texas in Austin and did work towards a doctoral degree in communications.
It is through his continued studies in theology and communications that Ron’s gift for teaching the Word of God became evident—eventually teaching Old Testament Survey, the Epistles of Paul, and public speaking at university; and recording over 1000 sermons, given on virtually every book in the Bible. After retiring from teaching and church administration in 1995, he started Christian Educational Ministries and the Born to Win radio program.
(Click here to hear Ron’s personal testimony.)
Christian Educational Ministries and its broadcast program, Born to Win, are supported by tithes and offerings. These come from dedicated people and some community churches. We are most grateful to those who make it possible for us to provide educational materials for our youth, churches, and those who strive to improve their walk with God. Christian Educational Ministries is a 501(c)(3) organization and all donations are tax-exempt.
No, we work in a cooperative manner with churches. Our goal is to make the job of community churches easier and more effective by providing educational materials and services.
Our mission is fourfold:
- First, to share the Gospel with the world, to evangelize, to make disciples for Jesus Christ.
- Second, to teach those who are disciples of Jesus all that He commanded His disciples to do (Matthew 28:19-20).
- Third, share with this generation the words of the prophets and how these words were written to, and apply to, people today.
- Fourth, to teach and train the next generation to carry on our mission by a broad youth ministry, including Youth Educational Adventures materials & YEA! Let’s R.E.A.C.H, a computer based program where preschool children can learn the Bible using the phonics teaching method and all children and young people can download FREE daily Bible-based activities to do.
To this end, we teach the Bible with a goal of helping people make their own lives work while they are a positive influence and blessing to those around them.
It is not a frequent question, but sometimes people ask, “Why do you charge for some of your materials?” The answer is simple enough. We charge for them so we can make them available. But before I elaborate on that, I really should address two scriptures that are sometimes advanced to suggest that one should not sell biblical materials. The first comes from the book of Proverbs:
Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.Proverbs 23:23
This passage is telling us to get hold of the truth and keep it. It means that we shouldn’t sell it in the sense of disposing of it. Taken too literally, this passage would even prohibit the selling of a book that discusses the truth or conveys truth. It would even prohibit the selling of a Bible. You would not even be able to buy a Bible because no one would be selling them! There is nothing in this passage to say that it is wrong to sell a CD with a sermon on it. In fact, it plainly tells you to buy it if it is the truth. The other scripture is from the words of Jesus:
Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.Matthew 10:8 (KJV)
The first thing to know about this passage is that it is specific to the occasion. On this first “missionary journey,” Jesus is sending out the twelve with a restrictive set of instructions so they can learn some important lessons. You can also read this article for more information.
Board & Management
The current members of the Christian Educational Ministries (CEM) Board of Trustees are:
- John Beasley
- Richard Crow
- Willie Oxendine
- Blake Silverstein
- Larry Watkins
- Joe Weicks
The management of CEM includes:
- Kimberly Marsh (Office Manager)
- Willie Oxendine (Vice President)
- Blake Silverstein (President/General Manager)
Financial Disclosure
- Form 990 (2022) [pending]
- Form 990 (2021)
- Form 990 (2020)
- Form 990 (2019)
- Form 990 (2018)
- Form 990 (2017)
- Form 990 (2016)
- Form 990 (2015)
- Form 990 (2014)
- Form 990 (2013)
- Form 990 (2012)
- Form 1023 [pending]