Discovering the Discipleship Adventure in Sierra Leone
By Chris Owens
Recently, I returned from a 15-day excursion in Sierra Leone, primarily to attend the 126th Session of the Sierra Leone Annual Conference, and also to personally visit with people and churches in that country.
I wanted to get a deeper sense for what life and ministry is like there. And I wanted to see in what ways people there might also be living out their own Discipleship Adventure. What the Lord showed me profoundly changed my life.
For several years now, my congregation, Bethel UMC, has had a rich partnership with Sierra Leone. One of our members, Ivy Johnson, is the daughter of the Rev. Mary Johnson, district superintendent of the Yonibana District.
Through our ongoing conversations, Rev. Johnson stays with us, and the outpouring of support Bethel has provided for her, churches, and schools in her district, we felt that God was leading us to the next step in our relationship - a journey to Sierra Leone.
It is an absolutely beautiful country in every regard. The people there - their stories, their embrace, their faith and all the new friends I made - so touched my soul.
Living in Sierra Leone was one of the most unusually captivating experiences of my life. Even as I write this, I?m still trying to grasp the immensity of its impact on me and how thoroughly blessed I am to be in company with United Methodists there. Indeed, they are spiritual giants.
While there is so much to share, I would say in a nutshell that Sierra Leonean United Methodists are doing the hard work of making disciples of Jesus Christ under some of the most difficult economic and humanitarian struggles in all of United Methodism.
A brutal 11-year civil war utterly destroyed their country. Without a basic economy, infrastructure and adequate health care, United Methodist lay people, pastors, churches, and Conference staff clamor for the bare essentials they need to live and carry on God?s work.
Yet, with their hope and faith in Christ, I was profoundly touched to see how much can be done to further the kingdom of God with so few resources. While they don?t use the same formula or titles we use, Sierra Leonean United Methodists are living the Discipleship Adventure in numerous ways. I?ll share a few examples:
? Faith celebration - combining traditional prayers and hymns with spirited, soul-stirring krio praise and worship songs;
? Faithful connections - in the African spirit of tightly knit families, churches and communities;
? Faith development - providing Sunday School for children and adults and Bible studies;
? Faithful service - building and running a whole host of schools, health clinics, an eye clinic, and Bishop Joseph Humper?s chairing of the Sierra Leone Truth and Reconciliation Commission;
? Faithful sharing - sharing Jesus with a majority Islamic population.
Yet the greatest yearning of the Sierra Leone Annual Conference is for you and me to be their partners in ministry. Bethel UMC, a small congregation, has been learning how a little goes a long way in Sierra Leone. And we?ve seen how intensely appreciative our partners in Sierra Leone are for our partnership with them. They give back so much to us - their prayers, their stories, their gifts, their priceless letters, and most especially their love.
I also discovered another haunting reality: without partners in ministry, the Sierra Leone Annual Conference cannot survive. Their crippling financial struggles and lack of basic resources shocked and astounded me. Yet they are trying as hard as they can, even with what little they have, to faithfully carry on the work of Christ.
We have an historic, timely opportunity to form mutually beneficial partnerships with our fellow United Methodists in Sierra Leone. It?s my hopeful prayer that many of you will join in to form partnerships. And in the meantime, you?re reading the words of someone who is eternally grateful to share in the Discipleship Adventure with Sierra Leone.
The Rev. Christopher Owens is pastor of Bethel UMC in Upper Marlboro.
Recently, I returned from a 15-day excursion in Sierra Leone, primarily to attend the 126th Session of the Sierra Leone Annual Conference, and also to personally visit with people and churches in that country.
I wanted to get a deeper sense for what life and ministry is like there. And I wanted to see in what ways people there might also be living out their own Discipleship Adventure. What the Lord showed me profoundly changed my life.
For several years now, my congregation, Bethel UMC, has had a rich partnership with Sierra Leone. One of our members, Ivy Johnson, is the daughter of the Rev. Mary Johnson, district superintendent of the Yonibana District.
Through our ongoing conversations, Rev. Johnson stays with us, and the outpouring of support Bethel has provided for her, churches, and schools in her district, we felt that God was leading us to the next step in our relationship - a journey to Sierra Leone.
It is an absolutely beautiful country in every regard. The people there - their stories, their embrace, their faith and all the new friends I made - so touched my soul.
Living in Sierra Leone was one of the most unusually captivating experiences of my life. Even as I write this, I?m still trying to grasp the immensity of its impact on me and how thoroughly blessed I am to be in company with United Methodists there. Indeed, they are spiritual giants.
While there is so much to share, I would say in a nutshell that Sierra Leonean United Methodists are doing the hard work of making disciples of Jesus Christ under some of the most difficult economic and humanitarian struggles in all of United Methodism.
A brutal 11-year civil war utterly destroyed their country. Without a basic economy, infrastructure and adequate health care, United Methodist lay people, pastors, churches, and Conference staff clamor for the bare essentials they need to live and carry on God?s work.
Yet, with their hope and faith in Christ, I was profoundly touched to see how much can be done to further the kingdom of God with so few resources. While they don?t use the same formula or titles we use, Sierra Leonean United Methodists are living the Discipleship Adventure in numerous ways. I?ll share a few examples:
? Faith celebration - combining traditional prayers and hymns with spirited, soul-stirring krio praise and worship songs;
? Faithful connections - in the African spirit of tightly knit families, churches and communities;
? Faith development - providing Sunday School for children and adults and Bible studies;
? Faithful service - building and running a whole host of schools, health clinics, an eye clinic, and Bishop Joseph Humper?s chairing of the Sierra Leone Truth and Reconciliation Commission;
? Faithful sharing - sharing Jesus with a majority Islamic population.
Yet the greatest yearning of the Sierra Leone Annual Conference is for you and me to be their partners in ministry. Bethel UMC, a small congregation, has been learning how a little goes a long way in Sierra Leone. And we?ve seen how intensely appreciative our partners in Sierra Leone are for our partnership with them. They give back so much to us - their prayers, their stories, their gifts, their priceless letters, and most especially their love.
I also discovered another haunting reality: without partners in ministry, the Sierra Leone Annual Conference cannot survive. Their crippling financial struggles and lack of basic resources shocked and astounded me. Yet they are trying as hard as they can, even with what little they have, to faithfully carry on the work of Christ.
We have an historic, timely opportunity to form mutually beneficial partnerships with our fellow United Methodists in Sierra Leone. It?s my hopeful prayer that many of you will join in to form partnerships. And in the meantime, you?re reading the words of someone who is eternally grateful to share in the Discipleship Adventure with Sierra Leone.
The Rev. Christopher Owens is pastor of Bethel UMC in Upper Marlboro.
Login/Register to leave comment