19 Jun Joe Abu Returns from Sierra Leone

A prayer meeting in Bo.

Joe Abu, senior pastor of Mount Zion United African Church, a UB congregation in Philadelphia, recently returned from a trip to Sierra Leone, his homeland. Last December, he traveled to Sierra Leone with Gary Dilley, Director of Global Ministries. This time he went on his own, with a desire to help his countrymen.
Joe reported the following highlights.

“Resilience of Sierra Leoneans. Very soon after the long and devastating civil war, I was astounded by the resilience of the people as noticed in the churches and everywhere. In spite of the psychological and other effects of the war, the people are happily forging ahead, rebuilding their homes and lives.
“Body Without Head. Even though the body of believers (the Church) has been without a functional head (leadership) for quite some time, it is important for donors to know that their prayers and donations for ministries in Sierra Leone have not gone in vain. Comparatively, we have more churches flourishing today than any other time in the history of Sierra Leone. Some of the Churches are not only growing numerically into self reliance, but also growing spiritually as evidenced by their involvement in conversion, discipleship, baptism, etc. This is not any insinuation that the situation here is perfect. But it is rather unfortunate that we tend to hear more about the negatives about the ministries than the positives. If the local churches are thriving without proper leadership, there is no doubt that they will accomplish more if we continue partnering with them until the Lord blesses them with a sustainable leadership. I encourage you to come with me to see for yourself.
“Islamic Influence. In the recent edition of the Global Ministries Worldview newsletter, Rev. Gary Dilley eloquently reiterated the influence of Islam in Sierra Leone. As Christian missionary presence and support are dwindling, the Arabs are pouring mega money and other resources into Sierra Leone. There is reason to their madness–to capture the heart of Africans for Islam. It is essential for all well-meaning Christians to put away our misconceptions and biases about missions in order to rescue souls from the wiles of Islam. The spiritual battle is raging.”