Faith always had a love for numbers and a love for God. As she studied at university, she knew she wanted to work somewhere that allowed her to combine both those passions.
From a young age, Faith Chipeta (Malawi) had a love for numbers. After completing secondary school, Faith attended Malawi College for Accountancy and worked towards a degree in applied accounting, auditing and information systems, with the goal of one day working in a bank or accounting. While in school, Faith worked in her church’s finance office every Sunday, counting the tithes and offerings. This is when Faith had a life-changing realisation that she could work in finance “not just for the money but also to help people who are serving God in ministry,” Faith recalled.
Finding identity in Christ
Faith grew up in a Christian family, with her father being a pastor, but for a while, Christianity was an expectation set forth by her parents, and a requirement to fulfil.
“Whether you like it or not, you have to go to church,” Faith remembered. “You go to church because it’s a rule in the house; you have to go to church. You have to have a Bible study before you go to bed, and you have to pray.”
Gradually, as Faith took part in church activities, the more she wanted to be involved with the church and serve the Lord. Her father was also an instrumental role model. As a pastor and a soldier, he balanced the two professions, remaining committed to the church and discipling others while working in the army.
“Being passionate about God — how [my father] wanted to serve God, how he wanted to help other people to know Jesus Christ — that also developed something in me that pushed me to say ‘this is the right thing to do but also, this is what God has commanded me to do,’” Faith shared.
As young children, Faith and her friends learnt to turn to prayer in difficult situations. This act of gathering and praying over a problem helped Faith grow closer to God. When Faith was about 16 years old, she was sick almost every month and spent time in the hospital. She missed a lot of school and eventually her mom took her to the interim pastor of their church and asked for prayer.
“The moment that I prayed with my mom, the pastor and a few members of my church, I never got sick again,” Faith shared. “I think that’s where my faith grew.”
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