David Leister stepped into the role of Executive Director of Missions at Pillar Ministries in October 2024, bringing with him a passion for global evangelism, servant leadership, biblical teaching, and cross-cultural connection. He is the devoted husband of his best friend, Maddalena, and the proud father of Sarah and stepfather of Sophia.

David gave up a nominal Christian life as a young adult when a transformative encounter with Christ led him to fully surrender and follow Jesus as a true disciple. That moment ignited a lifelong passion for reaching people in their most difficult seasons. His own radical salvation experience, combined with a deep love for the underserved and discouraged, equips him to minister with empathy, authenticity, and unwavering hope.

While living in Brazil as a business executive in 2009, David began sensing God’s call into full-time ministry—a call affirmed through prayer, Scripture, and the encouragement of trusted mentors. He responded by stepping into a variety of ministry roles, including mentoring and teaching the Bible to at-risk youth and formerly incarcerated men in Brazil, preaching itinerantly, and leading numerous U.S.-based mission teams. In 2015, David earned a Master’s in Ministry Leadership from Rockbridge Seminary. He later served as Pastor and Director of Church Planting at Community Bible Church in San Antonio, Texas—one of the largest evangelical congregations in the United States.

David later expanded his global ministry experience by serving as International Operations Director with Mission Lazarus in Honduras and Haiti. These years of leadership and hands-on service laid the groundwork for his current role at Pillar Missions. In obedience to God’s leading, David and his family left their native Texas and relocated to New Jersey, embracing the call to lead Pillar Missions into a dynamic season of growth and global impact—beginning in Liberia and West Africa, and reaching to the ends of the earth as God leads.