COUNCIL OF CHURCHES IN SIERRA LEONE (CCSL)

The Council of Churches in Sierra Leone (CCSL) started small in 1924 as the United Christian Council (UCC). The founding members were the Sierra Leone Church (Anglican), Sierra Leone District of The Methodist Church (Methodist Church Sierra Leone), Evangelical United Brethren (United Methodist Church Sierra Leone),


Workshop on CCSL Strategic Plan 2006-2009

United Brethren in Christ, African Methodist Episcopal, Countess of Huntingdon’s Connexion, and Baptist Church. Today, the membership has grown from seven to nineteen member churches and twenty-eight affiliates.

Our Mission

We are a communion of churches inspired by the love of God and moved by the message of Jesus Christ to foster ecumenical actions in promoting holistic (spiritual as well as social) development among poor and vulnerable communities.

Our Vision (2006 - 2009)

A council with effective and efficient leadership, generating and managing its own resources to support its core cost on sustained basis in a more peaceful Sierra Leone where democratic values of human rights, transparency and accountability are the cornerstone.

Our Values

Our work is driven by the four values we hold and believe in:

  • Religious Tolerance meaning respecting people of other church denominations and religions and cooperating with then in areas of shared values

  • Participation meaning active involvement of all stakeholders in the activities of the council.

  • Commitment to out work meaning willingness to contribute our resources whether time, energy, material, expertise and finance to attain our vision.

  • Integrity meaning doing the right thing based on set principles of the council.

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    Our Roles & Responsibilities

    In the communion, there are three broad defined roles, namely:-

  • Facilitation which involves capacity building, coaching, providing necessary resource support, networking and information sharing.

  • Coordination meaning supervision, monitoring and evaluation, field mapping, resource mobilization and creating linkages with strategic partners

  • Implementation involves making direct contact with the groups or communities in carrying out initiatives

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    The secretarial will essentially facilitate and coordinate council’s interventions but works with or through member churches and affiliate organizations to implement its initiatives. The member churches and affiliate organizations in turn facilitate and coordinate interventions at community level and play primary role in the implementation of Council’s initiatives.

    Our Strategic Directions for 2006-9

    1. Christian Education and Evangelism with three broad activities, viz.

  • Christian nurture for church growth numerically and spiritually

  • Capacity building for effective and efficient nurture

  • Ecumenical formation/cooperation for evangelization, nurture etc

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    2. Self-sustainability with three broad activities, viz.

  • Investment in strategic property

  • Right-sizing of the council

  • Strengthening finance department for efficient performance

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    3. Livelihood with three broad activities, viz.

  • Support food security and youth employment

  • Raise awareness on disaster management and preparedness

  • Promote good health and care for the vulnerable

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    4. Governance with three broad activities, viz.

  • Support peace with justice activities

  • Support consolidation of democracy initiatives

  • Build effective leadership of council

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    Our sources of funding

    The two main sources of funding for the activities of the council are membership dues and grants from overseas partners/donors. For programme costs the council has been over-dependent for a greater part of its eighty years of existence on overseas donor/partner financial support.

    Membership dues account for a little under 5% of the core/general management cost only. Again, in addition to support for programme costs, overseas partner/donors have over the years met 95% of council’s core management cost. This is a very big risk. As such by the end of 2009 Council should have had the capacity to locally generate from membership dues and invest its core cost as a first step to self-sustainability.

    We welcome all who wish to partner with us and support any of our strategic programmes.

    Contact Details

    The Communications Desk
    Council of Churches in Sierra Leone
    P O Box 404
    4A King Harman Road
    Brookfields, Freetown
    Sierra Leone, West Africa
    Tel: +232 22 – 240569 / 235020
    Fax: +232 22 – 421109
    Email: ccsl@sierratel.sl

    © DACO/SLIS August 2008