Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone
In the 1960s Apostles F D Walker and Egyir Painstil visited Sierra Leone to explore the possibility of starting the Church of Pentecost. For some reason, this did not materialize. This vision lingered on and never died.
As the Church in Liberia started expanding, there was a vision to cross the boarder and propagate the gospel in Sierra Leone. There had been calls from various parts of Sierra Leone by Ghanaian immigrants. Consequently, in February, 1987, a four member delegation led by Apostle F.C. Ampiah comprising Elder Frank Osei – Owusu (Now a Pastor), Mr. John Patta and Elder Kwesi Ansah, opened a single assembly at the Bishop Johnson Memorial Secondary School. Elder Kwasi Ansah was left behind as the leader to nurture the young church. Church attendance was between 25 and 40 at the initial stages. The first rally brought a few people including, Bro Musah Kebie, now a pastor of the church whose evangelistic zeal God used to bring many of the young men, especially from Mount Aureol.
The first crop of leaders were ordained in early 1988. Rev Kwasi Ansah was ordained the first Overseer of the small church. He was supported by Elder Charles Macauley (Who later became the first Sierra Leonean Pastor) Elder Nicholas Darko, the current Finance and Administration Director at the Church’s headquarters in Ghana. (Who was the first National Deacon and Presiding Elder of the first Assembly) Deaconess Elizabeth Mensah(Nee Crankson) who was the National Secretary; Mrs Mabel Darko as the Women’s Leader. Deaconess Regina Sawyer, a blind woman was instrumental in mobilizing prayer support at the initial stage of the church. Mrs Ampiah, the wife of Apostle Ampiah started the women’s movement with only about five women in the house of Elder and Mrs Darko. Ovr. Kwasi Ansah went to the Gambia and started a church. While Apostle S. K Baidoo, the pioneer missionary to the Gambia was doing his work in the Gambia, he became a great blessing to the new church in Sierra Leone during the few visits he paid to the church.
On the 25th June 1989, Apostle F.C Ampiah ordained a batch of officers, including Mr. Emmanuel Yao Mensah, Mr. Sylvester A. Pessima, Bro John Bomah now Pastor Bomah (Retired) and Mr. Seth Danso became ordained deacons of the Church. While Mary Asare, Mrs. Olive Koroma and Mrs. Lydia Jakamba became deacons Sister Elizabeth Kamara who is now Deaconess Elizabeth Cole joined the Church of Pentecost at the ending part of 1989 from Bethel Temple.
Pastor Felix Elvis Antwi, now Apostle Antwi arrived in Sierra Leone as the resident Missionary on the 12th September 1990. Apostle Antwi took the church with great evangelical zeal to the Northern, Eastern and the Southern Provinces of Sierra Leone within a short time of his arrival in Sierra Leone. With his military background, he was quick to establish contact at the military barracks. More assemblies were opened in Freetown as well. Mrs Comfort Antwi was quick to strengthen the women’s movement and developed a great prayer force with the women. Apostle Antwi built the first chapel at Porti and went ahead to start the first school of the church. The church’s social responsibility was thus, felt in the society. During this period, Apostle Antwi ventured, even at the beginning of the rebel war, to establish a church in Guinea. By the early 1990s, the church was so well known in the Evangelical community that, Apostle Antwi was invited to serve on the Executive Committee of the Evangelical Fellowship of Sierra Leone.
When the Bishop Johnson assembly was asked to leave the school compound, Mama Regina Sawyer took the initiative to host the Church in her compound by giving a portion of the empty plot to the Church where the first temporary structure was erected to hold the first congregation. Even though Sierra Leone was ravaged by a ten-year rebel war, the Church is seeing a gradual growth in membership. Currently, the membership stands at 3,388 for adults and 1,182 for children.
This members are housed in forty-nine (49) assemblies and shepherd by six ordained ministers two probationer overseers and seven (7) field assistants, at present our report stands at sixteen (16) districts and forty-nine (49 assemblies nation wide.)
(1) Membership – Adults – 3,388
Children – 1,182
Over – all membership = 4,570
(2) Districts = 16
(3) Assemblies = 49
FACTS AND FIGURES ABOUT THE COUNTRY SIERRA LEONE
Area - 72,000 sq km
Population as per 2004 - 4,963,298
Capital – Freetown = Western area 1,95,023
Language – English (official) Creole – Common
Monetary Unit – Leone
Sierra Leone is situated along the West Coast of West Africa with a population as stated. People made up of 16 different tribes. The largest tribes are the Mende Timine and the Limba respectively. The whole country has 12 districts, one Western Area, 149 Chiefdoms and one urban center. Freetown is the Capital City hosting the seat of Government, center for business and administration. The largest province is the North containing the largest district the Koinadugu district. The North links Sierra Leone with the Republic of Guinea – Conakry while the East links Sierra Leone with Liberia – Monrovia and the sea engulfs the Western Area. Sierra Leone has a lot of Hills and Mountains yet have vast space of Savanna grassland with one of the best natural beaches in Africa if not the world.
Sierra was the first West African country to be evangelized. But after 200 years, Christianity collapsed. The foundation established since 1787 has been contaminated and defiled in every corner of the country. There are factors responsible for this and prominent among these factors are;
1. Nominal Christianity: This came about as the whole nation was under the influence of the mainline churches that fail to teach holiness to their converts.
2. The president aggressiveness in promoting Islam in the country is also a contributing factor to the deflating spiritual aroma of the country.
PROJECTS
Two Church buildings in progress and two mission houses under construction.
To acquire land and build a central chapel that will host the national office.
PROBLEMS:
Constant
rejections or high increase in rent payment for mission houses. Lack of a
central chapel portrays a very poor image of the Church to the general public
and hides the true identity of the Church of Pentecost world wide.
PASTOR KWESI ANSAH
FIRST PIONEER MINISTER
APOSTLE F. E ANTWI AND WIFE
FIRST RESIDENT MISSIONARY
EVANGELIST M. T. WAYOH
SECOND RESIDENT MISSIONARY
PASTOR J. Y. ACQUAH AND WIFE
THIRD RESIDENT MISSIONARY
PASTOR A. S. KAMARA AND WIFE
FIRST INDEGENOUS NATIONAL HEAD
OF THE CHURCH OF PENTECOST
SIERRA LEONE