Carmel Mtika Banda is a committed pastor. As George Chipeta explains in the article below, he is using his training to further the Kingdom of God in the Central Region. From the map you can see how great the distance is. The trip takes many hours. On his way home Carmel, travelling on the back of a truck, was involved in an accident. Two of his fellow travellers were killed, Carmel survived with bruises and much pain. Please pray for him.

-Hans and Elly Timmermans for the DCI Team

Sent on Feb. 11, 2023

I had a great time this past week with pastor Carmel Mtika Banda from Madise in Dowa District that’s the Central Region of Malawi. He came all the way from the Central Region to be trained further on DCI Principles as well as get some materials. This is the second time for him to use his own resources to come and learn more about DCI principles. He heared from another pastor that these training are very helpful to grow the work of God.

He reported that the work is going well. He has established 7 church branches using DCI principles and each church has a number of Life Groups where people are either being discipled or discipling others. The one-on-one discipling takes place outside the participation in the Life Group. I have been training him as a leader on one-to-one when he comes here as well as on the phone calls. He has also trained a number of leaders who are leading the churches and those church leaders are also training the Life Group leaders in turn. I like pastor Carmel because of his a humble heart. He is teachable as well as hard working. He is one of the pastors that we talk with for a long time on our phone calls. He feels free to ask for advice.

These are the churches he has planted so far:

• Wakerenela church branch. The Leader is Damiyano and has 4 Life Groups.
• Dwangwa branch. The leader is Precious Chiziko and has 3 Life Groups.
• Mponera has 5 Life Groups. The Leader is Lisa Kamanga
• Nsanganga. The leader is Juphrikisi Kapundu and has 4 Life Groups
• Nambamba branch. The leader is Selina Bizwick and has 5 Life Groups
• Kamwendo has 2 Life Groups and tey they have no bibles.
• Madise, where Carmel is based has 7 Life Groups

These are Life groups in other places:

• Chambande boundary Zambia & Mozambique. The leader is Dickson and has 2 Life Groups.
• Chinkhoma. Pastor Gibson Seza Banda is the leader and has 2 Life Groups.
• Lojwa. The leader is Fumu Chizunba and has 8 Life Groups.

Carmel has also started teaching some orphans the Word of God, seeing that it is the only hope for them to hear God’s Word and to start a Life Group with them.

– George