Resilient

<p><strong>Bishop Joseph L. Banks</strong></p><p> Bishop Joseph L. Banks answered the call to ministry in 1995 and was appointed Bishop in August 2019. A visionary leader educator and entrepreneur Bishop Banks left a 13-year career with UPS to fully pursue the divine assignment God placed on his life.</p><p>A graduate of Southern University with a degree in Secondary Education Bishop Banks also holds a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Theology as well as Doctoral degrees in Divinity and Theology from Life Christian University. In 2001 he founded <strong>Living Word Christian Center</strong> in Lake Charles Louisiana-an outreach-focused ministry committed to foreign missions education and community development.</p><p>Bishop Banks later established a fully accredited extension campus of Life Christian University and launched the <strong>Word Ministerial Alliance (WMA)</strong> to mentor and equip emerging leaders in five-fold ministry. Today he oversees churches across the United States South Africa Mexico Ghana and Liberia and continues to travel globally preaching and teaching the Gospel.</p><p>In addition to his pastoral calling Bishop Banks is a respected educator in the Calcasieu Parish School System and serves on the <strong>Mayor's Advisory Board</strong> for Lake Charles bridging faith and civic leadership. A successful entrepreneur he owns multiple businesses and non-profit organizations and is developing a groundbreaking campus for a church school and business incubator in Monrovia Liberia.</p><p>He has been married for over 30 years to his beloved wife <strong>Dr. Cathy S. Banks</strong>. Together they share one son <strong>Kirkland Joseph Banks</strong> a professional athlete in the MLB Draft League.</p>