And ordain they did. 10 pastors were ordained at this weekends assembly. These pastors are the product of Bishop Momoh’s leadership and emphasis on raising up leaders, providing opportunities for education (including at the Lutheran Seminary in Nigeria), and planting churches and ministries for them to serve in.

These ten pastors reflect the entirety of Sierra Leone and will serve across the country. Four of them identify as women which is a dramatic increase in the number of female ordained leaders in this church. Again, reflecting the leadership of Bishop and that of the entire church body as they seek to connect with their communities.

In the coming months you will be hearing of Bishop Momoh’s plans to make the ELCSL more self-sustaining and make the investment in the Jubilee Center pay dividends. This will require some investment again from us. For example, the assembly passed a resolution that by 2026 congregations will be able to financially support their operations (other than pastor salary) with local support. This would be a huge step forward for the congregations.

To help accomplish this Bishop has asked for a $5000 investment from NT-NL Synod, ELCA towards administrative training for leaders. We will be sending that gift to help them accomplish this vital task.

He also has finally secured title to the land upon which the Jubilee Center sits (that was not secured before) and invested in drainage works to ensure the foundation is secure. While the facility remains incomplete he is putting together a proposal to complete a portion of it so that the church offices could be located there and they can lease other property they own to create revenue for the church. More to come. Grateful for his clear and transparent leadership.

A great weekend for our partners in West Africa. If you are interested in being part of our support team for this relationship please contact me. #NTNL #ELCSL #InMissionTogether