Sierra Leone Church Records

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Sierra Leone

Church Records

For information about records for non-Christian religions in Sierra Leone, go to the Religious Records page.

Historical Background

The large majority of Sierra Leonean Christians are Protestant, of which the largest groups are the Wesleyan Methodists. Other Christian Protestant denominations with significant presence in the country include Presbyterians, Baptists, Seventh-day Adventists, Anglicans, Lutherans, and Pentecostals. Catholics are the largest group of non-Protestant Christians in Sierra Leone, forming about 8% of Sierra Leone's population and 26% of the Christian population in Sierra Leone. The Jehovah’s Witnesses and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are the two most prominent non Trinitarian Christians in Sierra Leone, and they form a small but significant minority of the Christian population in Sierra Leone. A small community of Orthodox Christians resides in the capital Freetown.

Information Recorded in the Records

Different denominations, different time periods, and practices of different record keepers will effect how much information can be found in the records. This outline will show the types of details which might be found (best case scenario):

Baptisms

In Catholic and Anglican records, children were usually baptized a few days after birth, and therefore, the baptism record proves date of birth. Other religions, such as Baptists, baptized at other points in the member's life. Baptism registers might give:

baptism date the infant's name parents' names father's occupation

status of legitimacy occasionally, names of grandparents names of witnesses or godparents, who may be relatives

birth date and place the family's place of residence death information, as an added note or signified by a cross

Marriages

Marriage registers can give:

the marriage date the names of the bride and groom indicate whether the bride and groom were single or widowed their ages

birth dates and places for the bride and groom their residences their occupations

birthplaces of the bride and groom parents' names (after 1800) the names of previous spouses and their death dates names of witnesses, who might be relatives.

Burials

Burial registers may give:

the name of the deceased the date and place of death or burial the deceased's age place of residence

cause of death the names of survivors, especially a widow or widower deceased's birth date and place parents' names, or at least the father's name

How to Find Records

Digital Copies of Church Records in the FamilySearch Catalog

Watch for digitized copies of church records to be added to the collection of the FamilySearch Library. Some records might have viewing restrictions, and can only be viewed at a FamilySearch Center near you, and/or by members of supporting organizations. To find records:

a. Click on the records of Sierra Leone.

b. Click on Places within Sierra Leone and a list of towns will appear.

c. Click on your town if it appears, or the location which you believe was the parish which served your town or village.

d. Click on the "Church records" topic. Click on the blue links to specific record titles.

e. Some combination of these icons will appear at the far right of the listing for the record. . The magnifying glass indicates that the record is indexed. Clicking on the magnifying glass will take you to the index. Clicking on the camera will take you to an online digital copy of the records.

Writing for Records

You will probably need to write to or email the national archives, the diocese, or local parish priests to find records. See Letter Writing Guide for Genealogy for help with composing letters.

Anglican (Episcopal) Church Records

Writing for Records

• Google Maps search results for Anglican churches in Sierra Leone
  

Diocese of Bo
PO Box 21
Bo, Southern Province, Sierra Leone

Telephone:+232 766 778 62

Diocese of Freetown
Bishopscourt
105 Fourah Bay Road
PO Box 537
Freetown, Sierra Leone

Telephone:+232 (0)22 251 307
Email: vicnold2003@gmail.com

Historical Background

Anglican Diocese of Freetown and Diocese of Bo were formed in 1981 by the partition of the previous Diocese of Sierra Leone, which had been established in 1852.

Baptist Church Records

Writing for Records

• Google Maps search results for Baptist churches in Sierra Leone

Historical Background

The Baptist Convention of Sierra Leone is a Baptist Christian denomination in Sierra Leone. It is affiliated with the Baptist World Alliance. The headquarters is in Freetown. The Baptist Convention of Sierra Leone has its origins in a Canadian mission of the preacher David George in 1792 and the support of the Jamaica Baptist Union. It is officially founded in 1974. In 2017, it had 50 churches and 28,212 members.

There are many different organizations that fall under the category of Baptist churches. This just gives an indication of how early there were Baptist denominations in Sierra Leone.

Catholic Church Records

Writing to a Local Parish

Earlier records can be held at the diocese, with more recent records still kept in the local parish. To locate the mailing address or e-mail address for a diocese or local parish, consult:

• The Catholic Directory: Sierra Leone

Historical Background

The Catholic Church in Sierra Leone is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome. There are approximately 175,000 Catholics in Sierra Leone - around 3% of the total population. Catholic missionaries were active in the coastal regions of Sierra Leone from the early sixteenth century although only a few people converted to Catholicism. The country is divided into four dioceses in one ecclesiastical province.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Records

Online Records

Online information is available to current members, for deceased members and immediate family members who are still living. Sign in to FamilySearch and then select Family Tree in the drop-down menu.

Historical Background

Total Church Membership: 21,286. Congregations: 69. Church members who had been baptized in the Netherlands and Ghana formed a study group in Freetown in 1988. That same year two missionary couples arrived, and in June they took part in a service in which the first 14 converts were baptized. The Goderich Branch (a small congregation) was organized in August 1988, and in 1989 the first local full-time missionary was called to serve in his country.

Eastern Orthodox Church Records

Dioceses and Archdiocese of the Greek Orthodox Church of Alexandria and of All Africa

Sierra Leone is included in the Archdiocese of Guinea.

Writing for Records

• Google Maps search results for Eastern Orthodox churches in Sierra Leone

Historical Background

It wasn't until late in the twentieth century that Orthodox Christian missionaries arrived in Sierra Leone. Missionary efforts by the Church of Alexandria in West Africa began in 1983. In 1997, the Diocese of Ghana was established with jurisdiction over much of West Africa including Sierra Leone.

Jehovah's Witnesses Church Records

Writing for Records

• Google Maps search results for Jehovah's Witnesses churches in Sierra Leone

Historical Background

Members of this church began working in Sierra Leone in 1915. For a detailed history, see Sierra Leone history at JW.org.

Lutheran Church Records

Writing for Records

• Map and list of Lutheran parishes in Sierra Leone
• "Evangelical Church in Sierra Leone, The Lutheran World Federation
• Google Maps search results for Lutheran churches in Sierra Leone

Methodist Church Records

Writing for Records

• Google Maps search results for Methodist churches in Sierra Leone

Historical Background

The missionary work of the Wesleyan Methodist Church in Sierra Leone started in 1792, at the request of converted settlers from Nova Scotia who, on arrival in the country, had formed themselves into religious classes. A few people served as local preachers and class leaders. Personnel from the Methodist Church in Britain and Ireland developed the work in the provinces. The church was part of the British Conference, and became autonomous in 1967.

Pentecostal Church Records

Writing for Records

• Google Maps search results for Pentecostal churches in Sierra Leone

Presbyterian Church Records

Writing for Records

• Google Maps search results for Presbyterian churches in Sierra Leone

Seventh-day Adventist Church Records

Writing for Records

• Google Maps search results for Seventh-day Adventist churches in Sierra Leone