Capital City Baptist Church to install new Senior Pastor, Sandress Msiska, Sunday 24 June

Capital City Baptist Church (CCBC) a diverse congregation in Area 14, Lilongwe, will install Sandress Elias Mung’ondi Msiska as its new Senior Pastor on Sunday 24th June 2012 at 2pm. This is the milestone in the life of CCBC as it installs its first Malawian Senior Pastor.

Capital City Baptist Church is a body of believers committed to the biblical pattern of a Christ-centered, all member ministry. Its purpose is to worship God in spirit and in truth, to bring people to Jesus and into the fellowship of His family, developing them to be Christ-like through discipleship, equipping them for their ministry in the church and world, by the empowering of the Holy Spirit in order to glorify God.

Brief Profile for Sandress Msiska

Sandress was born to Elias and Dailess Msiska on 20th September 1956 in a remote village of Khoroti in Rumphi District, 17km south of Livingstonia Mission station.  He is a third born in a family of nine children and he had a difficult beginning in life.

He started primary school at the age of nine and he had to drop out of school for a number of years due to school fees problem. At the age of 21, he entered Form One at Livingstonia Secondary School from where he proceeded to go to Chancellor College where he graduated with a Bachelor of Education in 1986.

The Holy Spirit started working in him in December 1979 and for four months he resisted the Holy Spirit who kept on confronting him with his sins. The conviction grew stronger by the day and on one evening in April 1980, Sandress broke down and wept profusely before God asking Him for forgiveness and cleansing. That was the beginning of new life in Christ Jesus for which he is truly thankful to God.

He married to Tomaida on 1st September 1990 and the Lord has since blessed them with three children: Samuel, Uchindami and Talumba.

His Ministry Journey

Sandress taught at St John’s and Livingstonia Secondary Schools for a total of five years before moving to join the Student Christian Organization of Malawi (SCOM) in April 1991 as General Secretary.

In 1997 he took leave to study theology at Nairobi Graduate school of Theology in Nairobi, Kenya for two years where he obtained an MA in Christian Education in 1999.

In 2001 Sandress stepped down from SCOM and then between 2001 and 2004, he served the Lord through Baptist Convention of Malawi (BACOMA) in two different capacities: as Deputy General Secretary and later as head of the Baptist Publications.

On 4th January 2004 he joined World Relief as Deputy Country Director and in January 2006 he was appointed Country Director for World Relief in Malawi, a position he held till end of May 2012.

The Msiska family moved from Falls Baptist Church to Capital City Baptist Church in 1999 and in 2001 Sandress was invited to serve as one of the elders of the church. On February 24th, 2008 Capital City Baptist Church and BACOMA ordained him as pastor at large and on October 11, 2009 CCBC voted to have Sandress serve as its associate pastor under the leadership of Pastor Henry Joseph the Third.

Historical Background of CCBC

Capital City Baptist Church was born out of the will of God through four couples from different parts of the world who began a home Bible study in 1983. On the last Sunday of September 1983, the first service was held with the four couples and three visitors in attendance. The church met in two classrooms of the Malawi College of Accountancy, which the College offered rent-free.

By November 1986 a beautiful church building was dedicated to the glory of God. Over the years CCBC gave birth to a couple of daughter churches in addition to introducing services for youths, the Chichewa and KiSwahili speakers on Sundays. 

A children’s Sunday school is provided during the preaching period. There are currently several Cell Groups (Care cells) and small Bible study groups. On any given Sunday morning the church ministers to over 600 adults and children. In the English service, those in attendance come from different parts of the world, including Malawians. 

Signed

Elder Hestern Banda                           

Chair, Pastors Search Committee