BookerBanda-bio

Booker Banda
Malawi

Pastor Booker Banda was not born into a Christian family. He was raised with parents who practiced ancestor worship. In 1974, Booker went to visit his sister in a nearby town, where he was invited to attend an evangelical church service.  There was a leadership training seminar going on that week.  Booker told his sister that he was not a leader of the church, so he wasn’t interested in going, but she insisted.

The training was conducted by an American missionary and two Malawian missionaries.  They taught from Genesis 2:15-17 and the Book of Galatians.  The series focused on the questions, “Who is man?” and “Why did God create him?”  Booker attended the first three days, but because of pride, he couldn’t commit his life to Christ. On the fourth day, he discovered for himself that God did create him and for a purpose, and realized his free choice to follow Him or not. At the end of the session, Booker gave his life to Jesus.

Once Pastor Banda knew of salvation, he went directly and shared with his wife, Lesta. He shared his experience with her, but she hesitated in her decision to accept Christ.  Over the course of several months, Lesta saw a great change in his life and she wanted to experience the same thing.  She asked Booker to help her to receive Jesus into her life.  Since then, her life is no longer the same. Booker and Lesta now pray together and work together in ministry. Since they both know Christ as their Savior, they are able to share the challenges of life together. This is something they are very excited about.

“One of God’s wonders,” says Booker, “is His calling me into the ministry." Shortly after becoming a Christian, Booker received his seminary training.  Since that time, the Lord has used him to establish many churches and to train hundreds of men in the work of the ministry.