: General Observations

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Author/Creator World Council of Churches Date 1957-00-00 Resource type Reports Language English Subject Coverage (spatial) Sierra Leone Source World Council of Churches Library and Archives: Programme to Combat Racism; microfilm created by the Divinity Library with funding from the Kenneth Scott Latourette Initiative for the Documentation of World Christianity., Microfilm created by the Yale University Divinity Library with funding from the Kenneth Scott Latourette Initiative for the Documentation of World Christianity. Rights By kind permission of the World Council of Churches (WCC). Format extent 3 page(s) (length/size)

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http://www.aluka.org SERRA LEUNE - GENERAL uBSERVATIUNS

SERRA LEUNE - GENERAL uBSERVATIUNS Political. Climate and Trend The country is in the midst of a political campaign. Christians are compelled to think about their political responsibilities seriously. John's election into the Legislative Council seems to have a very positive effect upon the Christian community, which is little short of revolutionary in Sierra Leone, for Christians used to think that colitics were the works of devils. A Willie Fitzjhn, (D.Ed. from Columbia) an ordained minister of EUB, lecturer in Social StUdies at Fourah Bay College, is also running from a district neighbouring John's. Last -ionday John took me to his native village, and Willie went along with us preparing for his politicalgathering to be held a few days later. A Vigorous campaign is going on and everybody is for independence. I met the Governor, Sir Iaurice Dorman. John and I called on him and had a rather leisurely conference with him. He is extremely sympathetic toward the independence movement, and is keenly interested in the rapid social change study and assured us of his fullest cooperation with the local committee. In Sierra Leone Christians today have every opportunity to determine the destiny of the country, if only * they knew it and grabbed it. John and his compatriots are of the opinion that independence is pre-requisite to full development of the country and not viceversa. By gaining independence, they say, Sierra Leone can turn to the U.N. and receive all sorts of technical assistance, which now they cannot. From what little I have seen of the country I am fully convinced that an enormous amount of foreign capital and an enormous number of foreign technicians will still be required to develop the resources of Sierra Leone. Independence in this situation is only meaningful as a step toward interdependence, and for that reason it is of crucial importance that Christians of ecumenical orientation and global outlook be given every encouragement to take active parts in the political life. The Archbishop is solidly behind John and his company, I am happy to say. Educational Scene and Fourah Bay College The primary education is still in a deplorable state. In spite of the high rate of pay scale for school teachers, they do not seem to attract many able students to the teaching profession. They are still suffering from the old colonial policy to educate a select few to become civil servants and leaving the masses uneducated so that they may be more easily ruled. In view of the above situation one can readily apreciate what a crucial position the College holds in determining the future of the country. To what extent is the faculty as a body aware of this may be questionable at this point. There are certainly a few members who are. The chaplain, Raymond Foster is one of them. The College must re-orient itself to produce men and women who will go out into the world with deep sense of vocation in whatever occupation they are to be engaged in. Conversations I had with students indicate that students are seriously concerned about the possibility for them to be separated from the masses on account of the education they are now receiving. The College needs some stimulants from outside. If anyone from the World Council of Churches is going to the All- Conference, he or she ought to plan to visit Fourah Bay for about a week, stay on the campus, lecture to various classes, hold informal discussion groups, talk with faculty members, and help them become aware of the tremendous opportunity which is theirs. The United Christian Council of Sierra Leone As of yesterday Rena Karefa-Smart is its secretary. Bill Rean is returning to England. The chairman is Rev. Dr. Renner, EUB, a sound man, who publicly

-2- congratulated John for his election. Renner had been rather reluctant about the rapid social change study, according to John, but after I spoke to the minister's group, he was extremely enthused about it. I suspect that the fact that John was chosen as our staff consultant without the knowledge of Christian leaders in Sierra Leone might have alienated Renner and some others. Up to now the United Christian Council has also been predominently Euroean in its membership. The African members have tended to be reluctant to voice their opinions. This having been the situation,' the Foureh Bay College people have hesitated to take initiative in the affairs of the United Christian Council. Now with the new day in the life of the United Christian Council the African leaders will be requiesting the College to help then with its facilities and resources. The faculty assured ne that when this happens they will be more than glad to be of service to the United Christian Council. The Problem of Church Unity and Indigenization of Christianity There is a growing concern on the part of some Christian leaders for this problem in connection with the issue of political independence. The United Christian Council and Fourah 3ay College may jointly start a series of Faith and Urder conversations among various denominations within the context of the concern for indigenization of Christianity in view of the forthcoming "independence" of the nation, which is to say to conduct Faith and urder studies in the context of the raoid social change study. As I see it, the country is bound to be more and more "westernized" in her economy, industry, politics, education, etc., but at the same tine if the people were to survive such westernization, their Christianity must be thoroughly indigenized. Christianity so far remained "foreign" to the people of Sierra Leone. It is "practically" impossible to become and remain Christian without a wrking knowledge of the English language. Tost of the Christians worship, pray and listen to sermons in English, while in their daily life everything else is done in their tribal languages. Thus Christianity has not been integrated into their real life. When, therefore, African Christians begin to seriously concern themselves about the indigenization of Christianity the two issues: 1) language and 2) denomination, cannot be evaded. And the "rapid social change" which is going on compells them to face uu to these issues. Une thing which strikes me very strongly is that all the Churches in conduct their services in Lnglish. To be sure English is Lingua franca and without it some 15 odd language groups cannot communicate with one another. Nevertheless the fact remaiiis that without English people cannot participate in Church life. Christianity is therefore something not quite natural to Africans. As one of the students put it, they have to be black Englishmen in order to be Christian. African Church leaders must take up this problem seriously. Education is another serious o--oblem. Here again, no education without English: Which means the educated are necessarily denationalized, and are virtually disqualified to be of real help to their fellow tribesmen. Some students at Fourah Bay College -are keenly aware of this problem. The country lacks technically trained people in every field. And yet as far as the masses are concerned there seems to be very little interest in education. Sierra Leone and the All-Africa Conference of January 1950 They do not seen to be too keenly interested in sending delegates to ecumenical conferences. They would rather wish some ecumenical leaders to visit

-3- Sierra Leone, stay there long enough to cover fairly wide territory and meet with Christians of all types. Their contention is unless and until the rank and file of the Christians are awa2.ened to the ecumenical reality, it is impossible to get them interested in sending one or two of their numbers to a big conference in a remote country. I ho*e the organizing secretary of the all-Africa conference ill soon go to Sierra Leone and do something about this situation. Here again if they begin their rapid social change study seriously they will be constrained to tal,.e part in the all- Africa conference and the consultation preceding it, I am sure. Odds and Ends It is the tail end of the dry season here. There is a shortage of water supply in town, but not too serious yet. 'evertheless it brings to a head a number of social Iroblems which are passed unnoticed in normal times. Freetown is faced with the problem of sudden increase of population by migration of upcountry people. Problem of detribalization is a serious one, but the problem of people whose tribal mentality remains unchanged while they are compelled to live in the city is even more serious. There seems to be a high rate of delinquency and crininality on the one hand and an increase of mental illness on the other. This country needs a lot of things, and anong other things it night be of strategic importance that they have an ecumenical visitor of some stature, preferably of non-European (Americans included) background come and stay for a month or two visiting various parts of the country. Christians both clergy and laity need to be aroused It will be costly, but what John R. Mott did for Asian countries around the turn of the century may be exactly the thing needed for West African countries today. More especially colleges and universities in these countries nee. some such "shots in the arm".