Thompson, Vitella A. D. (2013) The transformation of Freetown Christianity, 1960-2000. PhD Thesis. SOAS, University of London. http://eprints.soas.ac.uk/id/eprint/20380 Copyright © and Moral Rights for this PhD Thesis are retained by the author and/or other copyright owners. A copy can be downloaded for personal non‐commercial research or study, without prior permission or charge. This PhD Thesis cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the copyright holder/s. The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. When referring to this PhD Thesis, full bibliographic details including the author, title, awarding institution and date of the PhD Thesis must be given e.g. AUTHOR (year of submission) "Full PhD Thesis title", name of the School or Department, PhD PhD Thesis, pagination. THE TRANSFORMATION OF FREETOWN CHRISTIANITY 1960 - 2000 VITELLA A.D.THOMPSON Thesis submitted for the degree of PhD 2013 Department of Religions, SOAS, University of London Declaration for SOAS PhD thesis I have read and understood regulation 17.9 of the Regulations for students of the SOAS, University of London concerning plagiarism. I undertake that all the material presented for examination is my own work and has not been written for me, in whole or in part, by any other person. I also undertake that any quotation or paraphrase from the published or unpublished work of another person has been duly acknowledged in the work which I present for examination. Signed: ____________________________ Date: ___________ 2 ABSTRACT The purpose of this study is to investigate the transformation of Freetown Christianity with reference to different religious institutions for the last 40 years. As a prelude to the study, I will look at the religious, socio- economic and political background of the Christian Krio. This background will help us to understand the extent and type of change that have occurred in the last 40 years in the religious scene in Freetown. The thesis discusses the results of a survey on churches which showed that there has been a proliferation of churches during the period under review. The thesis examines the two most populated born-again churches, Jesus is Lord Ministry and Flaming Bible Church with the aim of bringing out their roles and contributions to the change which Freetown has been witnessing. A related interest in this study is the role of religion in the civil war in Sierra Leone (1991-2002). The evidence suggests that Christian institutions displayed a positive response to the civil war by arranging venues for peace talks, providing relief and rehabilitation to displaced people and refugees. The thesis also shows that women have played a significant role in this transformation as founders and leaders of churches, roles which forty years ago were unheard of. The change in Freetown is also assessed by focusing on other religious institutions such as Bible Schools and colleges, deliverance schools and parachurch organisations to see their roles and impact on this change. The conclusions of the study is twofold: (1) there has been a fluid overlapping of religious identities among “mainline” and Pentecostal (especially the charismatic ones) church members as the former tend to relinquish their membership or affiliation in the latter when they have achieved success in their social, economic, moral or physical problems. These problems are believed to be caused by the “devil” who could only be attacked by the Pentecostal churches. (2) that increase in the establishment of Bible Schools and deliverance schools played a major role in this change 3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank my supervisor Mr Paul Gifford of the department of Religions at SOAS, University of London. He has always been willing to read my work and responded to it in the most helpful and constructive way. Many thanks go to Rev. and Mrs Emile Jones and family for their friendship, ideas, and support whilst writing up the thesis, may God bless you all. Thanks also go to my friends, Alice, Carmella, Cecilia and Joe, Francess, Isatu, Lily, Maggie and Yvonne for all their love and support. I am very grateful to the Commonwealth Awards Commission whose financial support has enabled me to go through my course. Finally, I would like to thank my dear daughter Vitella (jr), my grandchildren Luba and Jamal and my niece, Akiatu (ma cherié), for their patience, encouragement and love all the time. Above all, I give thanks and praise to God whose wisdom, strength and guidance helped me in writing and completing this thesis. 4 Dedicated To My Grandchildren: Luba and Jamal 5 CONTENTS Page Abstract 3 Acknowledgments 4 Dedication 5 Table of Contents 6 List of Abbreviations 10 List of Tables 13 CHAPTER ONE Introduction 1:1 Introduction 14 1:2 Background to the Study 14 1:3 The Problem 15 1:4 Review of the Literature 17 1:5 The Purpose of the Study 33 1:6 The Significance of the Study 34 1:7 The Scope of the Study 35 1:8 The Research 36 CHAPTER TWO Pioneers of Freetown Christianity: The Krio: their History and Culture 2:1 Introduction 41 24222 2:2 Locating the Krio 45 2:3 Krio Ethnicity and Identity 48 2:4 Perceptions of Identity 51 2:5 Krio Ethnicity 52 2:6 Krio Ethnicity and Religion 57 2:7 Religion in the Life of the Krio Community 60 CHAPTER THREE Places of Worship: A Demographic and Theological Survey of Churches in Freetown 3:1 Introduction 71 3:2 The EFSL/YWAM Survey 72 3:3 My Church Survey 74 3:3:1 Mainline Churches 75 3:3:2 Missions 79 3:4 Pentecostalism in Sierra Leone 85 3:4:1 Classical Pentecostal Churches 88 3:4 2 Neo-Pentecostal Churches 98 6 CHAPTER FOUR Case-study I: Jesus is Lord Ministry 4:1 Establishment of the Church 100 4:2 Church Departments 102 4:2:1 Kitchen Department 103 4:2:2 Security Department 103 4:2:3 Chain Prayer 104 4:2:4 Reaching out –The Cassette Department 105 4:3 Church and State 106 4:4 Bible Study Classes 107 4:4:1 Beginners‟ Class 107 4:4:2 Converts‟ Class 108 4:4:3 Baptism Class 109 4:4:4 Discipleship Class 110 4:5 Membership 111 4:5:1 Sex and Marital Status 112 4:6 “Special Wednesday” Service 119 4:7 Church Service 120 CHAPTER FIVE Case-Study II: Flaming Evangelic Ministries 5:1 Background to the Founder 129 5:2 Structure of the Church 131 5:2:1 Structure 131 5:2:2 The Youth Fellowship 133 5:2:3 The Youth Adult Fellowship 133 5:2:4 The Womens‟ Fellowship 134 5:2:5 The Mens‟ Fellowship 135 5:2:6 Children‟s Church 136 5:3 Home Cells/House Fellowship 136 5:4 The Flaming Chronicle 137 5:5 Membership 138 5:5:1 Education 139 5:5:2 Ethnicity 140 5:6 The Bible School Ministry 141 5:6:1 Structure and Organisation 142 5:6:2 Membership 143 5:7 The School of Deliverance and Demonolgy 144 5:8 Healing Miracle and Deliverance Service 146 5:9 Deliverance Ministration and Faith Clinic 148 5:10 Crusades and Revivals 149 CHAPTER SIX Sisters in Leadership: The Role of Women in the Transformation of Freetown 6:1 Introduction 158 6:1:1 Literature Review 158 6:2 Role of Women in Mainline Churches 161 6:3 Women in Spiritual Churches 164 6:3:1 Women as Founders in Spiritual Churches 165 7 6:3:1:1 Prophetess Winstina Strasser-King of Christ Healing Church 165 6:3:1:2 Prophetess Phebean Buwanie of Faith Healing Church 170 6:3:2 Women as Head of Branches in the Church Of the Lord (Aladura) 172 6:3:2:1 Senior Prophetess Rebecca Grant of the Wellington Branch 172 6:4 Women in Charismatic Churches 176 6:4:1 Pastor Christiana Vandi of the New Life In Christ Ministry 177 6:4:2 Sister Julie Thomas of Christ for All Ministries 180 6:4:3 Sister Angela Sahid Kamara of Born- Again Christ Healing Temple 182 6:4:4 Sister Felecia Kamara of Shekinah Glory Assembly 184 6:5 Women‟s Intercessory Networks 186 CHAPTER SEVEN Training and Church Leadership:Bible Colleges and School of Demonology 7:1 Introduction 191 7:2 The Sierra Leone Bible College 192 7:3 The Church of Christ Bible Training Institute 196 7:4 The Sierra Leone Theological College And Church Training Centre 196 7:5 Bethel Temple Training Institute 199 7:6 Freetown Bible Training Centre 202 7:7 Schools of Deliverance and Demonology 208 7:7:1 New Life Ministry School of Deliverance And Demonology 209 7:7:2 Calvary Charismatic School of Deliverance 212 7:8 Prayer Schools 216 7:8:1 Shallom Prayer School 216 CHAPTER EIGHT United We Stand: Parachurch Organisations and Their Contribution to Freetown Christianity 8:1 Council of Churches in Sierra Leone and its Structure 220 8:1:1 Development and Environment Department 221 8:1:2 Church Relations, Theology and Research Department 223 8:1:3 Relief and Rehabilitation Department 225 8:1:3:1 Non-Food items 226 8:1:3:2 Medicare 227 8:1:3:3 Educational Placement 228 8:1:3:4 Shelter 228 8 8:1:4 The Role of CCSL in the Peace and Democratisation Process 229 8:2 Evangelical Fellowship of Sierra Leone 234 8:2:1 Evangelism and Church Ministry 235 8:2:2 Womens‟ Ministry 236 8:2:3 Relief and Development Ministry 237 8:2:4 Rapid Engagement in the Acquisition Of Skills (REAPS) 239 8:3 Scripture Union 241 8:3:1 Organisational Structure 243 8:3:2 Departments 244 8:3:3 Camps 246 8:4 Youth For Christ 248 8:4:1 Organisation and Structure 249 8:4:2 Departments 250 8:4:3 Youth Leadership Training and Camps 254 8:4:4 The Freetown Youth Centre 254 8:5 The Great Commission Movement of Sierra Leone 255 8:5:1 Ministries 256 8:6 Health Care Christian Fellowship 257 CHAPTER NINE The Church and the Civil War: Theological Response to Political and Military Turmoil