The church has seen a revolution and a revival in the past decades. From a place the one attended and followed set rituals for life out of sheer training and duty, it has become a spot of choice.

Inevitably the church has attracted a host of characters but that has not stopped people from keeping preconceived ideas of who should, or rather who should not be on the pulpit.

For Will Phiri, the catwalk was the perfect way to the pulpit as the founder and pastor of Triumph City Church in South Africa.

"I felt like one person with no internal conflict. The way to the pulpit led through the modelling ramp as the audiences at the shows were my church clients in the making.

"Paul says in the Book of Philippians that God had to fashion Christ as a man. It took me to be a model to practically understand what that meant.

"Fashion is trends, lifestyle, sub-culture, preference and options just as in our Christian walk one has to choose the spiritual option.

"The Kingdom of God is a sub-culture, set apart from the logic of this world, it's coded in revelation and one acquires it through the faith, that is its currency. So I learnt all this from those seemingly parallel worlds yet it was all one blessing for me," he said.

Will became a Christian in 1986 but experienced backslide between 1995 and 1998.

He rededicated his life in 1999 and credits his mother with his second spiritual birth after she spent sleepless nights praying for his redemption.

Like many Christian youths, Will was in a church choir while also serving as an usher. He was to later join the missions department in the church that specialised in travelling extensively to Mutoko, Mutare, Mhondoro, Hatfcliffe Extension and other areas to preach.

Doubling roles in the Young Nu G Adults Ministry and working at the church's book store as the assistant administrator there was a platform to work with the Scripture Unions in various schools.

As Will pursued his professional programmes in Public Relations and Marketing in 1999 nothing spoke of what was coming in the life of the Malawi-born-pastor. However, a walk one day at Fife Avenue Shopping Centre changed his entire destiny.

"I accidentally met Miss Universe Zimbabwe Langa Sibanda, who stopped me and asked if I was a model. She immediately gave me a card and urged me to call Paxina Kalulu of Silhouette Modelling Studio. I made an appointment and met her together with the legendary photographer Marie Louise.

"They both urged me to enter SuperModel 1999 and during that period they did a crash programme for me in which I went through shooting my portfolio and basic drills of ramp modelling.

"In two days I was going for the once-in-a-lifetime auditions of the grand male and female modelling contest, Supermodel," he said.

But an operation was threatening Will's chance of a lifetime.

"I got the results that I made it for Supermodel 1999 while on a hospital bed in Malawi recovering from an operation. The following day I urged the doctors to discharge me and I got on a bus with a bandage wrapped round my neck.

"When I arrived in Harare just an hour before the close of rehearsals at Borrowdale Racecourse I got into a room full of the country's top models.

"I was asked to walk on the ramp to determine my place into the finals. I call it the walk of life which is that make-or-break moment that defines your destiny. I did not make it that year but I was determined and resolved to be a comeback kid," he added.

In 2000, fellow students were shocked to see Will in the beginners' class at Model Management having previously seen him on the screen at the Supermodel auditions. He said it was odd as they thought he was already a professional.

"I had to go and learn the basics because I knew that what my talent could not do for me, skill would. So Supermodel 2000 was the beginning of an exciting future in modelling and many things to come. Unknown to many, it was also the year of a remarkable calling into ministry.

"Monday evenings I was in Bible School at New Life Bible Institute. I did not fit the look but had the heart for it then Tuesday evenings I was in modelling class.

"I looked the part, fitted in with the looks, twisted dreadlocks and loop earrings but with a timid reserved conduct. Two nations were growing inside and it was then that I learnt the influence of great mentoring.

"What seemed as a strange combination became an incredible life journey.

"Since attending church at New Life Temple, finally I had a meeting with Bishop Tudor Bismark at Jabula House church offices and in a few words my life had changed and as they say the rest was history. I was a top finalist of Supermodel that year and my friend Trust Mathe won it," he added.

Will was released for ministry in 2007 and two years later moved to South Africa to build the Triumph City Church with his ordination as a pastor following in 2010.

"I had never seen myself as a formal pastor. I got ordained years later after having done the job already for many years. It's about the functions and the heart of it more than the title.

 "We were taught to serve. Bishop once had me waking up at 5am, set up equipment and conducting a church service all by myself with the entire programme from opening prayer, hosting, praise and worship, offering, welcoming visitors, preaching and altar call. Only, two people showed up during altar call at 7.30am and the other person was my wife Gail," he said.

He said meeting Bishop and Pastor Bismark was destiny unfolding.

"When people of such calibre are raised in a nation, God will sift for them sons and daughters from all places.

"It took an incredible bishop to understand and accommodate me. He had an apostolic eye; one that sees beyond, it makes out the end result and works with the conclusion from the start.

"There are many gifted young people in Zimbabwe with their untapped market of intellectual wealth amounting to billions of dollars ready to be discovered, nurtured and offered to the entire world."

Phiri, who is now a father of two, has featured as a model for Edgars, Bondi Blu sunglasses, fashion shows and television adverts.He has also been a presenter for Joy TV.

He became a fashion designer after being endorsed by Faith Wear which saw the birth of his label called DEFIANCE and is also an image consultant.

"It was just a matter of time before I would come back home, I am a church boy although very good at other things. But those are just market place talents," ce concluded.