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Equipping Leaders to Build Better Communities in Malawi

In Malawi, church leaders often bear the heavy responsibility of guiding communities not only spiritually but also socially, emotionally and morally. For many, this calling comes with enormous challenges, especially in communities where traditions and cultural practices run deep. 

The Leadership Development School at There is Hope, is a programmatic area where leaders are being equipped with knowledge and skills that are helping them respond to these challenges and make a lasting impact in their communities.

The Leadership Development School, located at Lilambwe Village, opposite  Dzaleka Refugee Camp, Dowa, is an inter-denominational Bible school for both men and women from various churches within the Evangelical Circle. The school offers a two year Certificate Level Course in Biblical Studies and is affiliated with the Evangelical Bible College of Malawi (EBCoM).

Pursuing this course in the current cohort, is Elinati Gilbert Khoma, an Associate Pastor from Chauwawa in Dowa. As a single mother and a woman in Ministry, she has faced many obstacles, not only balancing family responsibilities but also dealing with perceptions from people who believe women cannot be pastors.

“Sometimes people look down on me simply because I am a woman. But the Leadership Development School has given me the confidence and the right approach to stand firm and lead,” she explains.

For Elinati, leadership offers more than just preaching. Communities are made up of people with diverse traditions, morals and values, and these are often deeply rooted. She admits that changing such mindsets is never easy. But through the training, she has learned to appeal to people across different traditions, using biblical knowledge combined with practical leadership skills. 

Today, halfway into the two year course, she is not only preaching the gospel but also helping her community address everyday issues in ways that bring people together rather than divide them.

From Salima, another Associate Pastor, Lingson Samuel, also joined the Leadership Development School with one goal: to become a leader who could reach people beyond the pulpit.

“In leadership, the biggest challenge is that people are deeply rooted in behaviors and beliefs that are difficult to change. With just a spiritual calling, it is hard to know how to approach them,” he says.

Today, he is learning how to meet people’s inner needs without judgment, how to counsel families, resolve disputes, and address problems that go beyond the spiritual. 

For Lingson, the training has been more than education, it has been a transformation. He feels prepared not only to serve his local community but also to share his knowledge beyond his area, even across Malawi. 

“I believe this training has made me a good and reliable leader. I encourage other leaders to join because it equips you with leadership skills that are just as important as the spiritual calling.”

By equipping men and women with practical leadership and counseling skills, the school is shaping leaders who can bridge boundaries, challenge harmful traditions, and offer hope where it is most needed.

As Elinati puts it, “I came here to add knowledge to my spiritual gift, now I can confidently lead and reach people’s needs.” And as Lingson says, “I have learned not just how to preach, but how to lead people in life.” 

These transformed leaders are, in turn, transforming their communities.