Application of II Corinthians I to the Church in Sierra Leone, Part II

INTRODUCTION

The struggling of the church in Sierra Leone converted the church into an active participant within the affairs of state of the kingdom. A very poor and damaging measurement is the truth that several coup d'etats were staged inside the very on the spot beyond, all of which had a Christian as Head of State. These coups have fairly intensified rather than ameliorated the sufferings of the loads.

A resultant impact of the burning of church systems is a corresponding decline inside the club. The Lutheran situation, though not accurately, usually reflects the kingdom of the art for all denominations. The decline in club might be attributed to some of motives. Although a few Christians had been killed, a full-size wide variety migrated. This diaspora took Sierra Leoneans to many West African international locations. There is presently in Lagos, as an instance, a massive percentage of Sierra Leoneans, some of whom haven't any intention of returning on the grounds that they have got married to Nigerians or were hooked up in any other case. Those with influential family secured tickets to the western international even as the lucky also entered after prevailing diverse resettlement programs.

A very severe impact of struggling inside the church is that it turned into rendered prone to accept distinctive church businesses that claimed to be Christians. It was throughout this period that The Church of Jesus of the Latter Day Saints, for instance, became famous. These our bodies played upon the poverty of Christians. Doctrines that promised a comfy existence had been without problems commonplace by way of maximum Christians who saw them as the solution to their trouble.

THE CHURCH OF SIERRA LEONE'S RESPONSE TO SUFFERING

The church reacted to struggling in several ways. There turned into a exquisite response to the gospel observed through a terrible reaction, that is, the overemphasis located on the teachings of the prosperity Gospel. The response of the church to suffering in Sierra Leone can not be entire with out discussing its contribution in ameliorating the struggling of human beings throughout the civil wars in Liberia and Sierra Leone and an evaluation of this response in the latter especially.

Response to the Gospel

The reaction to the Gospel substantially improved due to the decline within the dwelling standards of the human beings. Hope was absolutely lost in the political system and all human establishments. There turned into a general awareness that the solution to the issues inside the u . S . Changed into spiritual. Credit ought to take delivery of to the Pentecostal Churches that did a whole lot of evangelism which added thousands to the saving understanding of Jesus Christ. Paradoxically, Sierra Leone became possibly the primary West African kingdom to acquire the Gospel. Yet after over  centuries, "below twelve percentage of the u . S . A . Claims to be Christian. Very few denominations have grown spiritually inside the past forty years or made an enduring effect on the country" (Johnstone and Mandryk 2001, 564).

The prosperity teaching

The loss of non secular and biblically skilled leadership is a important trouble in the church in Sierra Leone. The Bible colleges are too few and a long way among. Most of the Pentecostal church buildings are impartial and the leaders aren't theological trained. Most preachers are consequently preaching prosperity (mentioned in the first bankruptcy) from one severe and inspire their congregations to withstand suffering, such as poverty, at all value.

The financial system in the nation did now not assist the situation either. Mental and social decay, coupled with political corruption and economic mismanagement created awesome hardship for the majority of the Sierra Leonean population within the overdue 1980s. Before this era, the church emphasised on a very strong personal confession of its individuals with a willingness to each day bring one's go to observe Jesus. The extremely high unemployment price of graduates and trendy unavailability of jobs for the youths in trendy gave a first-rate appeal to the prosperity gospel in Sierra Leone. Like the Nigerian state of affairs, "the effect of the downturn was specially bewildering considering the reality that the equal humans had experienced unheard of financial increase a decade in advance" (Awoniyi 2004, three).

Response to the struggle in Sierra Leone

In 1991, Sierra Leone became embroiled in a civil warfare waged by using rebellion terrorists, a lot of whom had fled from neighboring Liberia's civil war. The rebels destroyed villages and wreaked havoc at the usa. Many of the church buildings have been destroyed and much of the populace became compelled to escape to Freetown, the capital town, in which the populace swelled to over one million in a completely short time. A remarkable number of these humans have become homeless or survived in refugee camps. After witnessing an unprecedented orgy of violence at some stage in which there has been deep ache and struggling, the churches in Sierra Leone had been called upon to offer healing of diverse sorts. The Council of Churches - a coalition of eighteen Protestant denominations in the course of Sierra Leone - has been a chief pressure in coordinating the rebuilding and peacemaking efforts of the church network. It partnered with the Inter-spiritual Council, a bankruptcy of the World Conference on Religion and Peace, made up of different non secular faiths, which changed into also any other main business enterprise that sooner or later worked for peace. In truth, the Inter-spiritual Council is a coalition of the 2 most important religions in Sierra Leone, Christianity and Islam. It turned into released on April 1, 1997 with Bishop Humper, head of the United Methodist Church, as president. The Inter-spiritual Council represents nineteen of the important Christian denominations in Sierra Leone, together with the Roman Catholic Church, and the nine main Muslim agencies within the united states. In mild of the ruthless massacres that took place after the presidency turned into restored in March 1998, the president of Sierra Leone, His Excellency Alhaji Ahmed Tejan Kabba, become reluctant to satisfy with the rebels on any terms. But leaders of the Inter-spiritual Council encouraged the president to reconsider. At the same time, religious companies started to attain out to the RUF individuals, providing food and humanitarian resource.

Because such a lot of non secular our bodies were involved, their representatives ought to accurately cross unarmed into the rise up strongholds. The rebels, too, have been humans of Sierra Leone, and the non secular agencies did now not abandon them. Support for the Inter-non secular Council got here from the World Conference on Religion and Peace and from the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR).
Particular reference need to be manufactured from the role of the United Methodist Church, one of the church denominations that performed a main function within the in depth period of suffering inside the nation. The struggle crippled the socio-financial existence of a once non violent people. During the crisis, the United Methodist Church played several roles. Through the United Methodist Committee on Relief and other companions, human beings in refugee camps obtained food, used apparel and drugs. Ecumenically, a few key church leaders participated in peace talks. Above all, the doors of the church buildings in the cities remained open to all who desired to pray and to look for internal peace and God's intervention inside the apparently hopeless scenario in the u . S . A ..

A team of United Methodists who visited Sierra Leone had a first-hand study the suffering and want for relief within the usa. They additionally discussed challenges associated with Christian training, evangelism, worship, stewardship and communications.

At the only hundred and 20th session of the Sierra Leone Annual Conference, February 22-27, 2000, Bishop Joseph C. Humper repeated his call for global intervention in his u . S .. Humper discussed the church's vision in the context of Sierra Leone's issues, and he gave conference leaders a twenty-three-point mission. He endorsed the release of  thousand (2,000) kids and younger ladies who had been still abducted and raised issue about the gradual tempo of the disarmament, demobilization, encampment and reintegration procedure. The battle has devastated families, communities, businesses and church buildings, and heaps of United Methodists are amongst those suffering in the aftermath. United Methodist-associated colleges and academic centers were destroyed, churches and belongings burned, and ministers and their families left homeless. The annual conference consultation of 2000 became postponed because of battle-associated atrocities that happened Jan. 6-16, 1999.

Mention should be made from the contributions of a completely vibrant Christian organisation, the Nehemiah Project. The Civil War in Sierra Leone left a technology of boy infantrymen who had been traumatized or orphaned kids in determined want. The Nehemiah Project, named after the prophet who rebuilt the city partitions of Jerusalem against incredible opposition, is a rehabilitation mission for these traumatized boys. Identifying such humans, "equipping, training and helping them is one of the maximum important investments the church could make" (Stafford 2002,eleven). The founder, Lynn Coles, a member of Life Line Community Church, Avril McIntyre, Life Line's United Kingdom Co-ordinator, is quoted of announcing that "the goal of the undertaking is to provide care and rehabilitation for those youngsters, and the wish is that they may come to experience the affection of God, who can bring about predominant change in their lives" (Hooper 1999, 7). The challenge of the mission is large.

Imagine you are ten years vintage. You see your mother and father brutally killed in front of you after which are befriended by means of opponents who say they'll help you avenge your dad and mom' dying. They feed and dress you. You start to easy their guns. They come up with a gun to carry, and that they permit you to fire it once or twice. Soon you start to get concerned inside the combating. Unknown to you they've additionally been slipping gunpowder into your food. It makes you courageous however it is also relatively addictive. You go along with the combatants and watch as they instill fear into the villagers. 'These are the people liable for killing your dad and mom,' they say. With a gun or machete to your hand, all of the grief and anger wells up, and before you realize it you've got crossed the road. Now blood is to your arms too. Now believe which you are known as to offer recovery for this child. This is the assignment of the Nehemiah Project in Sierra Leone (Hooper 1999, 6).

Ordinary Christian brothers and sisters have volunteered to work with several humanitarian agencies. A living proof is Children Associated with the War, an agency of the Archdiocese of Freetown and Bo, is running with United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) to help former infant-soldiers, who had been rescued from rebels who abducted them to fight within the country's civil warfare. They have succeeded in reuniting many kids with their households.Application of II Corinthians I to the Church in Sierra Leone, Part II



INTRODUCTION

The struggling of the church in Sierra Leone converted the church into an active participant within the affairs of state of the kingdom. A very poor and damaging measurement is the truth that several coup d'etats were staged inside the very on the spot beyond, all of which had a Christian as Head of State. These coups have fairly intensified rather than ameliorated the sufferings of the loads.

A resultant impact of the burning of church systems is a corresponding decline inside the club. The Lutheran situation, though not accurately, usually reflects the kingdom of the art for all denominations. The decline in club might be attributed to some of motives. Although a few Christians had been killed, a full-size wide variety migrated. This diaspora took Sierra Leoneans to many West African international locations. There is presently in Lagos, as an instance, a massive percentage of Sierra Leoneans, some of whom haven't any intention of returning on the grounds that they have got married to Nigerians or were hooked up in any other case. Those with influential family secured tickets to the western international even as the lucky also entered after prevailing diverse resettlement programs.

A very severe impact of struggling inside the church is that it turned into rendered prone to accept distinctive church businesses that claimed to be Christians. It was throughout this period that The Church of Jesus of the Latter Day Saints, for instance, became famous. These our bodies played upon the poverty of Christians. Doctrines that promised a comfy existence had been without problems commonplace by way of maximum Christians who saw them as the solution to their trouble.

THE CHURCH OF SIERRA LEONE'S RESPONSE TO SUFFERING

The church reacted to struggling in several ways. There turned into a exquisite response to the gospel observed through a terrible reaction, that is, the overemphasis located on the teachings of the prosperity Gospel. The response of the church to suffering in Sierra Leone can not be entire with out discussing its contribution in ameliorating the struggling of human beings throughout the civil wars in Liberia and Sierra Leone and an evaluation of this response in the latter especially.

Response to the Gospel

The reaction to the Gospel substantially improved due to the decline within the dwelling standards of the human beings. Hope was absolutely lost in the political system and all human establishments. There turned into a general awareness that the solution to the issues inside the u . S . Changed into spiritual. Credit ought to take delivery of to the Pentecostal Churches that did a whole lot of evangelism which added thousands to the saving understanding of Jesus Christ. Paradoxically, Sierra Leone became possibly the primary West African kingdom to acquire the Gospel. Yet after over  centuries, "below twelve percentage of the u . S . A . Claims to be Christian. Very few denominations have grown spiritually inside the past forty years or made an enduring effect on the country" (Johnstone and Mandryk 2001, 564).

The prosperity teaching

The loss of non secular and biblically skilled leadership is a important trouble in the church in Sierra Leone. The Bible colleges are too few and a long way among. Most of the Pentecostal church buildings are impartial and the leaders aren't theological trained. Most preachers are consequently preaching prosperity (mentioned in the first bankruptcy) from one severe and inspire their congregations to withstand suffering, such as poverty, at all value.

The financial system in the nation did now not assist the situation either. Mental and social decay, coupled with political corruption and economic mismanagement created awesome hardship for the majority of the Sierra Leonean population within the overdue 1980s. Before this era, the church emphasised on a very strong personal confession of its individuals with a willingness to each day bring one's go to observe Jesus. The extremely high unemployment price of graduates and trendy unavailability of jobs for the youths in trendy gave a first-rate appeal to the prosperity gospel in Sierra Leone. Like the Nigerian state of affairs, "the effect of the downturn was specially bewildering considering the reality that the equal humans had experienced unheard of financial increase a decade in advance" (Awoniyi 2004, three).

Response to the struggle in Sierra Leone

In 1991, Sierra Leone became embroiled in a civil warfare waged by using rebellion terrorists, a lot of whom had fled from neighboring Liberia's civil war. The rebels destroyed villages and wreaked havoc at the usa. Many of the church buildings have been destroyed and much of the populace became compelled to escape to Freetown, the capital town, in which the populace swelled to over one million in a completely short time. A remarkable number of these humans have become homeless or survived in refugee camps. After witnessing an unprecedented orgy of violence at some stage in which there has been deep ache and struggling, the churches in Sierra Leone had been called upon to offer healing of diverse sorts. The Council of Churches - a coalition of eighteen Protestant denominations in the course of Sierra Leone - has been a chief pressure in coordinating the rebuilding and peacemaking efforts of the church network. It partnered with the Inter-spiritual Council, a bankruptcy of the World Conference on Religion and Peace, made up of different non secular faiths, which changed into also any other main business enterprise that sooner or later worked for peace. In truth, the Inter-spiritual Council is a coalition of the 2 most important religions in Sierra Leone, Christianity and Islam. It turned into released on April 1, 1997 with Bishop Humper, head of the United Methodist Church, as president. The Inter-spiritual Council represents nineteen of the important Christian denominations in Sierra Leone, together with the Roman Catholic Church, and the nine main Muslim agencies within the united states. In mild of the ruthless massacres that took place after the presidency turned into restored in March 1998, the president of Sierra Leone, His Excellency Alhaji Ahmed Tejan Kabba, become reluctant to satisfy with the rebels on any terms. But leaders of the Inter-spiritual Council encouraged the president to reconsider. At the same time, religious companies started to attain out to the RUF individuals, providing food and humanitarian resource.

Because such a lot of non secular our bodies were involved, their representatives ought to accurately cross unarmed into the rise up strongholds. The rebels, too, have been humans of Sierra Leone, and the non secular agencies did now not abandon them. Support for the Inter-non secular Council got here from the World Conference on Religion and Peace and from the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR).
Particular reference need to be manufactured from the role of the United Methodist Church, one of the church denominations that performed a main function within the in depth period of suffering inside the nation. The struggle crippled the socio-financial existence of a once non violent people. During the crisis, the United Methodist Church played several roles. Through the United Methodist Committee on Relief and other companions, human beings in refugee camps obtained food, used apparel and drugs. Ecumenically, a few key church leaders participated in peace talks. Above all, the doors of the church buildings in the cities remained open to all who desired to pray and to look for internal peace and God's intervention inside the apparently hopeless scenario in the u . S . A ..

A team of United Methodists who visited Sierra Leone had a first-hand study the suffering and want for relief within the usa. They additionally discussed challenges associated with Christian training, evangelism, worship, stewardship and communications.

At the only hundred and 20th session of the Sierra Leone Annual Conference, February 22-27, 2000, Bishop Joseph C. Humper repeated his call for global intervention in his u . S .. Humper discussed the church's vision in the context of Sierra Leone's issues, and he gave conference leaders a twenty-three-point mission. He endorsed the release of  thousand (2,000) kids and younger ladies who had been still abducted and raised issue about the gradual tempo of the disarmament, demobilization, encampment and reintegration procedure. The battle has devastated families, communities, businesses and church buildings, and heaps of United Methodists are amongst those suffering in the aftermath. United Methodist-associated colleges and academic centers were destroyed, churches and belongings burned, and ministers and their families left homeless. The annual conference consultation of 2000 became postponed because of battle-associated atrocities that happened Jan. 6-16, 1999.

Mention should be made from the contributions of a completely vibrant Christian organisation, the Nehemiah Project. The Civil War in Sierra Leone left a technology of boy infantrymen who had been traumatized or orphaned kids in determined want. The Nehemiah Project, named after the prophet who rebuilt the city partitions of Jerusalem against incredible opposition, is a rehabilitation mission for these traumatized boys. Identifying such humans, "equipping, training and helping them is one of the maximum important investments the church could make" (Stafford 2002,eleven). The founder, Lynn Coles, a member of Life Line Community Church, Avril McIntyre, Life Line's United Kingdom Co-ordinator, is quoted of announcing that "the goal of the undertaking is to provide care and rehabilitation for those youngsters, and the wish is that they may come to experience the affection of God, who can bring about predominant change in their lives" (Hooper 1999, 7). The challenge of the mission is large.

Imagine you are ten years vintage. You see your mother and father brutally killed in front of you after which are befriended by means of opponents who say they'll help you avenge your dad and mom' dying. They feed and dress you. You start to easy their guns. They come up with a gun to carry, and that they permit you to fire it once or twice. Soon you start to get concerned inside the combating. Unknown to you they've additionally been slipping gunpowder into your food. It makes you courageous however it is also relatively addictive. You go along with the combatants and watch as they instill fear into the villagers. 'These are the people liable for killing your dad and mom,' they say. With a gun or machete to your hand, all of the grief and anger wells up, and before you realize it you've got crossed the road. Now blood is to your arms too. Now believe which you are known as to offer recovery for this child. This is the assignment of the Nehemiah Project in Sierra Leone (Hooper 1999, 6).

Ordinary Christian brothers and sisters have volunteered to work with several humanitarian agencies. A living proof is Children Associated with the War, an agency of the Archdiocese of Freetown and Bo, is running with United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) to help former infant-soldiers, who had been rescued from rebels who abducted them to fight within the country's civil warfare. They have succeeded in reuniting many kids with their households.