Sierra Leone Freetown Mission

"In 2007 the Sierra Leone Freetown Mission, which included Liberia was created. Then in December 2012, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles organized a stake in Sierra Leone's capital city, Freetown. It was the 3,000th stake of the Church. Then came Ebola. The outbreak of hemorrhagic fever caused by the virus originated in Guinea in March 2014. It entered Sierra Leone in May and spread rapidly. Full-time missionaries were reassigned and the mission president in Ghana was asked to serve as the mission president of Sierra Leone - while remaining in Accra.

"In November 2015 Sierra Leone was declared Ebola free by the World Health Organization. President Kevin Clawson and his wife Toi Clawson arrived shortly there after to open the mission again. On February 9, 2016 the first missionaries arrived in Freetown, 20 Elders, 2 Sisters and 1 Senior Couple. President and Sister Clawson are so happy to welcome the missionaries, as are the Saints in that area. 'The Saints in Sierra Leone have a tradition. They continue to share the gospel no matter what.'" - Ensign Sept. 2105

SIERRA LEONE Jan. 1, 2012: Est. population, 6,440,000; Members, 10,084; Districts, 3; Branches, 24; Mission, 1; Percent LDS, .13, or one in 800; Africa West Area; Ghana Accra Mission.
SierraLeoneislocatedonthewestcoastofAfricaandhasaconstitutionaldemocracy. TheofficiallanguageisEnglish, buttribal languages arecommon. The ethnic make-up ofSierra Leone isdiverse: 20native African tribes 90percent (Temne 30percent, Mende 30percent, other 30percent}, Creole 10percent [descendants offreed Jamaican slaves), refugees from Liberia's recent civil war, small numbers ofEuropeans, Lebanese, Pakistanis, andIndians. The major religions include Muslim 60percent, indigenous beliefs 30percent andChristian 10percent.
Michael Samura, a native ofSierra Leone, was baptized inHolland in1981, andshortly thereafter returned tothecapital city ofFreetown. He wrote totheInternational Mission requesting thattheChurch beestablished there. Though theChurch was notyetready tosendinmissionaries, theInternational Mission presidency sentChurch literature andencouraged him tolive thegospel. Samura began totell people about hisnew-found faith. Soon, groups ofpeople interested intheChurch were holding informal meetings.
Elizabeth Judith Bangura and Monica Orleans were baptized inGhana and formed a study group inFreetown inJanuary 1988. Christian L. George was baptized inGermany, given theMelchizedek Priesthood, and had been through thetemple. He returned to Sierra Leone and presided over the first approved meeting held on 18 January 1988 at Goderich, a suburb of Freetown. In May 1988 two missionary couples, Claire J.and Iliene M. Fisherand C. Erwin and Colleen Waite, arrivedin SierraLeone. On11June1988thefirst14converts werebaptized inSierraLeone.
The Goderich Branch, the first branch in the country, was organized on 7 August 1988, with Christian George as president In May 1989,Elder Richard G. Scottbecame the firstmember ofthe Quorum ofthe Twelve to visitSierra Leone. HemetwithChurch members andblessed thelandinprayerfrom thetopofLeicester Peak.
The Liberia Monrovia Mission, which included Sierra Leone, was created on 1 March 1988. The first president was J. Duffy Palmer. The mission offices were moved to Freetown in May 1990because ofthe unrest in Liberia. Later, as civil war developed, the Liberia Monrovia Mission was discontinued in February 1991, and the area was transferred to the Ghana Accra Mission.
In December 1990, Elder Robert E. Sackley of the Seventy organized the Freetown Sierra Leone District with Michael Samura as president. TheBo Sierra Leone District wasorganized inJuly 1991.
Intheearly 1990s, theChurch experimented with home group meetings. Church members living inthe same general Desenet News 2013 Cfiunch News Almanac 559
vicinity metatsomeone's home forSunday worship services. These meetings would cutdown onexpenses thatoften prohibited people from attending meetings in meetinghouses thatwere often for from theirhomes. Once a month, these groups combined for a large branch meeting. InJuly 1992 thehome group meetings were discontinued inSierra Leone. The localChurchmemberswantedtomeetinthelargerbranches.
InMay andAugust 1992,missionary couples weretemporarily removed from Sierra Leone because ofcivil unrest.By year-end 1993, 89 Sierra Leonians were serving full-time missions, including 41 from the six branches of the Freetown District.
In Februaiy 1995 missionaries once again left Sierra Leone and did not return until April 1997. However, the Church memberswerenotleftaloneduringthistime.Mission presidentLariyB. Duke flewtoSierraLeone andvisiteddistrictsin Wellington, Bo, and Freetown. During this time, missionary work by district missionaries continued and people were baptized.
After being in Sierra Leone for onlya month, missionaries were again evacuated by the U.S. military at the end of May 1997 because of riots and chaos that followed a militaiy coup.
In 1999,membership numbered 3,564. In 2001, membership was 4,265, and in 2003, membership was 4,782 in three districts and 16 branches.
Ground was broken for the first meetinghouse in Sierra Leone on 13 October 2004 in a city called Bo. Presiding at the groundbreaking was the Sierra Leone District President Mohamed Turay. He was accompanied by civic leaders and prominent tribal chiefs, who lauded the building as a great asset to the area and a symbol of cooperation and good will between the community and the Church.
Thefirstmission. SierraLeone Freetown Mission, wasorganized 1July 2007.Itwascreatedfroma division ofthe Ghana Accra Mission.

	Elder Tyler Fullmer www.mymission.com/eldertylerfullmer	2024
	Elder Joseph Graff www.mymission.com/elderjosephgraff	2024
	Elder Colton Hatch www.mymission.com/eldercoltonhatch1	2024
	President James and Sister Christine Jarvis www.mymission.com/presidentjamesandsisterchristinejarvis	2024
	Elder Max Johnson www.mymission.com/eldermaxjohnson1	2024
	Elder Tui pulotu Ma'u www.mymission.com/eldertuipulotumau	2024
	Elder Ed-Ceasar Morcilla www.mymission.com/eldered-ceasarmorcilla	2024
	Elder Cameron Morrell www.mymission.com/eldercameronmorrell2	2024
	Elder Fisher Pratt www.mymission.com/elderfisherpratt	2024
	Elder Todd and Sister Melissa Stirling www.mymission.com/eldertoddandsistermelissastirling	2024
	Elder Miles Atzbach www.mymission.com/eldermilesatzbach	2023
	Elder Adam Claridge www.mymission.com/elderadamclaridge	2023
	Elder Godefroid Kengele www.mymission.com/eldergodefroidkengele	2023
	Sister Samtricia Cole www.mymission.com/sistersamtriciacole	2022
	Sister Salome sallay Kpullum www.mymission.com/sistersalomesallaykpullum	2022
	Elder Kohner Cullimore www.mymission.com/elderkohnercullimore	2021
	Elder Edun Sisanmi www.mymission.com/elderedunsisanmi	2021
	Sister Kenberlyn Tarpeh www.mymission.com/sisterkenberlyntarpeh	2021
	Elder Enoch Ward www.mymission.com/elderenochward	2021
	Elder Jack Winters www.mymission.com/elderjackwinters	2021
	Elder Bryson Allen www.mymission.com/elderbrysonallen	2020
	Elder Niklas Armstrong www.mymission.com/elderniklasarmstrong	2020
	Elder Brendan Ball www.mymission.com/elderbrendanball	2020
	Elder Brendan Ball www.mymission.com/elderbrendanball1	2020
	Elder Brendan Ball www.mymission.com/elderbrendanjball	2020
	Elder Ian League www.mymission.com/elderianleague	2020
	Elder Ian League www.mymission.com/elderianleague1	2020
	Elder Ian League www.mymission.com/elderianleague2	2020
	Elder Callum McDonald www.mymission.com/eldercallummcdonald	2020
	Elder Alec McCracken www.mymission.com/elderalecmccracken	2019
	Elder Spencer Raymond www.mymission.com/elderspencerraymond	2019
	Elder Ethan Brimhall www.mymission.com/elderethanbrimhall	2018
	Elder Stephen Rogers www.mymission.com/elderstephenrogers	2018
	Elder Evan Wolters www.mymission.com/elderevanwolters	2018
	Elder & Sister Carley carleyafrica.blogspot.com	2017
	Elder & Sister Sherwood topoftheforest.blogspot.com	2017
	Elder Ethan Brimhall elderethan.brimhallfamily.org	2017
	Elder Ryland Turner elderturnerblog.wordpress.com	2017
	Missionary Couple aminerwalk.blogspot.com	2017
	Elder & Sister Barney barneymission.blogspot.com	2016
	Elder & Sister Lauritzen mmlauritz.blogspot.com	2016
	Elder Marc Cornista eldercornista.blogspot.com	2016
	President & Sister Roggia sierraleonefreetownmission.blogspot.com	2015
	Elder & Sister Kanzler kanzlerskorner.blogspot.com	2014
	Elder & Sister Kirkham kirkhamsmission-liberia.blogspot.com	2014
	Elder Braxton Rogers braxtoninsierraleone.blogspot.com	2014
	Elder Christian Lehr christianlehr.blogspot.com	2014
	Elder Cody Beckett eldercodybeckett.blogspot.com	2014
	Elder Cody Crandall eldercodycrandall.blogspot.com	2014
	Elder Collin Park eldercollinpark.blogspot.com	2014
	Elder Jiggs Sison agentjiggs.tumblr.com	2014
	Elder Kenneth Strain elderstrain.blogspot.com	2014
	Elder Randall Gebauer elderrandallgebauer.blogspot.com	2014
	Elder Taylor Ray eldertaylorraymission.blogspot.com	2014
	Elder Zayne Lanier missionsite.net/elderzaynelanier	2014
	Elder & Sister Schlehuber seniormission.blogspot.com	2013
	Elder Edward Pentreath elderpentreath.blogspot.com	2013
	Elder Jarren Rochester jarrensmissionblog.blogspot.com	2013
	Elder Scott McDonald elderscottmcdonald.blogspot.com	2013
	Elder Spencer Stanford missionsite.net/elderspencerstanford	2013
	Elder Camren Harris missionsite.net/eldercamrenharris	2012
	Elder George Ellsworth missionsite.net/eldergeorgeellsworth	2012
	Elder Jackson Priddis missionsite.net/elderpriddis	2012
	Elder Kyle Norton missionsite.net/elderkylenorton	2012
	Elder & Sister Patterson pattersontown.blogspot.com	2011
	Mission Alumni mission.net/sierra-leone/freetown	2010
	Elder Marc Cornista www.mymission.com/eldermarccornista	2001
	Elder Jacob Huff www.mymission.com/elderjacobhuff	2001

1.	Sierra Leone Freetown Mission 2013-16 Group
2.	Sierra Leone Freetown Mission 2010-13 Group
3.	Sierra Leone Mission Moms Facebook Group
4.	Sierra Leone Freetown Mission 2007-10 Group

Sierra Leone Freetown Mission