The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Sierra Leone

As of January 1, 2011, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints reported 8,907 members in two districts, 23 branches,[1] and one mission, in Sierra Leone.[2][3] By January 1, 2018 membership had risen to over 19,000.

History

The first official meeting of the LDS Church in Sierra Leone was held in Goderich in January 1988. The first LDS missionaries arrived in May of that year. They were under the Liberia Monrovia Mission. A district was organized in Freetown in 1990. At various times in the 1990s missionaries were withdrawn due to the civil war in the country. In 1991 The Liberia Monrovia Mission was discontinued and Sierra Leone was placed under the Accra Ghana Mission. The first LDS built meetinghouse in the country was completed in Bo in 2004. In 2007 the Sierra Leone Freetown Mission was created covering both Sierra Leone and Liberia.[4] In December 2012 Jeffrey R. Holland created the first LDS stake in Sierra Leone in Freetown. In 2013 Liberia was split off to be its own separate mission.

A brief history can be found at LDS Newsroom (Sierra Leone) or Deseret News 2010 Church Almanac (Country Information: Sierra Leone)

Membership history
Year Membership[5]
198812
1989200a
19931,900a
19952,400a
19993,564b
20045,712b
20098,054c
201210,084c
201413,078[6]
  • a Estimated membership for December 31 of the respective year
  • b Actual Membership for December 31 of the respective year
  • c Actual Membership for January 1 of the respective year

Stakes

The Freetown Sierra Leone Stake was organized on December 2, 2012 making it the 3,000th stake in the LDS church.[7][8]

Stakes
  • Freetown Sierra Leone Stake
  • Kissy Sierra Leone Stake
  • Bo Sierra Leone North
  • Bo Sierra Leone South

Districts
  • Bo East, Sierra Leone District
  • Bo West, Sierra Leone District
  • Kossoh Town Sierra Leone District
  • Kenema Sierra Leone District
  • Makeni, Sierra Leone District

Missions

2014 West Africa Ebola outbreak

After two LDS Church members died during the 2014 West Africa Ebola outbreak, the LDS Church required its missionaries remain in their apartments as a precautionary measure.[10][11] Then on August 1, 2014 the LDS Church announced that it would transfer all of its 274 missionaries out of Sierra Leone and Liberia, thereby closing the Sierra Leone Freetown Mission for the duration of the outbreak.[10][11][6]

See also

References
  1. LDS Meetinghouse Locator.Nearby Congregations (Wards and Branches).
  2. "Facts and Statistics: Statistics by Country: Sierra Leone", Newsroom, LDS Church, 31 December 2011, retrieved 2012-12-03
  3. "Country information: Sierra Leone", Church News Online Almanac, Deseret News, January 29, 2010, retrieved 2012-10-18
  4. Church News, 2010 Edition, p. 571
  5. "Country information: Sierra Leone", Deseret News Church Almanac (multiple almanacs from various years), Deseret News
  6. Walch, Tad (1 August 2014). "Ebola outbreak prompts evacuation of LDS missionaries from two African nations". Deseret News. Retrieved 5 August 2014.
  7. Historic milestone: Sierra Leone stake marks LDS Church's 3,000th, Deseret News, December 2, 2012, retrieved 2012-12-03
  8. "Country information: Sierra Leone", Church News, Deseret News, December 2, 2012, retrieved 2012-12-03
  9. "New missions bring total to 347 missions", Church News, Deseret News, February 10, 2007, retrieved 2012-12-03
  10. "Official Statement: Missionaries Serving in Two African Nations are Reassigned". Church News. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. a August 2014. Retrieved 5 August 2014. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  11. Stack, Peggy Fletcher (a August 2014). "Mormon missionaries leaving Sierra Leone and Liberia". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved 5 August 2014. Check date values in: |date= (help)
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