Sierra Leone Episcopal Area

United Methodist Bishop Warner Brown (to the left of sign, middle row) poses with staff of the Albert Academy boys’ high school in Freetown, Sierra Leone, during a familiarization tour of United Methodist institutions in the country. Brown was appointed as interim bishop of the Sierra Leone Episcopal Area following the death of Bishop John K. Yambasu in 2020. Photo by Phileas Jusu, UM News.

Leading Sierra Leone after tragedy

Interim Bishop Warner H. Brown Jr. reflects on the past year leading the Sierra Leone Conference and shares his hopes for the future.

Global Health

A worshipper's temperature is taken before he is allowed into the worship service July 19, 2020, at Charles Davies United Methodist Church in western Freetown, Sierra Leone. On Aug. 16, a ban on congregational worship was lifted in the country, but churches must adhere to guidelines, including the use of face masks, social distancing and limiting services to 90 minutes. File photo by Phileas Jusu, UM News.

Despite Ebola lessons, COVID-19 challenges Africans

The more contagious delta variant, vaccine availability and skepticism are among the obstacles facing health officials and United Methodists in Africa.

Mission and Ministry

Pupils of the UMC Kulanda Town in Bo, in southern Sierra Leone, rush back to class in March 2020, shortly before schools were closed down after the first cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in the country. There are more than 350 United Methodist schools in Sierra Leone, with the majority of them assisted by the government and affected by the free education initiative. File photo by Phileas Jusu, UM News.

Free education policy affects church schools

Sierra Leone’s Free Quality School Education initiative creates challenges for United Methodist schools, including overcrowded classrooms.

Social Concerns

Abdul Conteh (left) and Foday Kamara work for an artisanal diamond miner in Kono, Sierra Leone. Moving large piles of dirt from one location to the next is backbreaking work that pays $2 a day. Artisanal miners are independent and not associated with the large mining companies in the area. Photo by Kathy L. Gilbert, UM News.

Diamond mining often robs children of education

In the diamond-rich Kono District in Sierra Leone, young people are often lured into mining rather than going to school. One United Methodist girl says her generation is changing that story.

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