Church Grows in Sierra Leone

Leadership training for men and for women as well as continued emphasis on youth ministry have also been part of the denomination’s forward movement this year. Literacy training has begun in four communities and farmers are repaying loans they received in the farm program to help grow crops.

"We thank God for his grace that is sufficient for us here in Sierra Leone. God is working in us and through us . . . ," says Rev. John Phiri, coordinator of church development for the church in Sierra Leone in partnership with Christian Reformed World Missions.

Many thanks as well, Phiri says, to all who are praying for the church and donating towards the work. "Without your support, work can be very difficult, if not impossible, to be done. May God bless you."

In the church building projects, five churches have been helped. Christians provided labor and all local materials, and Phiri’s office provided roofing materials and a few bags of cement.

Meanwhile, Phiri says, the plans to build a headquarters church in Kabala are underway. This planning has been done and additional work will be done in conjunction with a group from Denver, Colo.

The denomination’s mission team has been busy in 2010 with church planting, and this year the goal was to plant churches in the cities of Freetown and Bo.

"We thank God that we have started the work in both cities, and in Freetown we have Pastor Elisha leading the initiative while Bo is led by Pastor Mattea," says Phiri. The average attendance in Freetown stands at 62, while in Bo it is at 83.

Land has been acquired for the church in Kabala, and plans are underway to acquire land in Bo and Freetown. Land in these places is relatively expensive, says Phiri.

With assistance from the coordinator for training, Rev. Ezekiel, leadership trainings have taken place in partnership with the Timothy Leadership Training Institute, which is based at Calvin Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids, Mich.

TLT sessions included ones on lay preaching, caring for God’s people, the Reformed perspective of salvation, and stewardship.

The women’s coordinator, Mussu, in conjunction with help of the church’s coordinator for training, Rev. Ezekiel, conducted leadership training in several areas. A total of 77 women leaders attended.

"The women’s ministry also successfully held an annual conference in January 2010, and over 100 women attended the conference," says Phiri.

The church’s youth movement is growing strong with the leadership of Pastor Maxwell. Since January 2010, executive committees have been formed in areas that the church serves, and the youth have been given some basic training on Christian leadership and how fellowships are organized.

A partnership with the Christian Reformed Church in Nigeria "is a big blessing to the upcoming church here in Sierra Leone," says Phiri. "We have enjoyed the training of our leaders here together with the Nigerian church.”

This year, four communities have started adult literacy classes. "We hope that they can be able to read the Bible in their own mother tongue," says Phiri.

Finally, the family farm program is going on successfully, and currently the church is recovering loans provided to boost agriculture in that area. The manager Michael, and his field workers are a very hardworking team, says Phiri. "Though we have had challenges, we thank God for His Holy Spirit, who gives us power to overcome the challenges in the spreading of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ," says Phiri.