By Saio Marrah
As a way of galvanizing young people into the leadership of the National Pentecostal Mission (NPM) in Sierra Leone, they church last week elected Rev. Benjamin B. Bangura, as the New Bishop and General-Superintendent for the Mission in Sierra Leone during the 14th Biennial National Delegates Conference.
Speaking to Politico at the NPM headquarters in Freetown on Friday 28 May 2021, the Bishop-elect said that even though he would be working towards achieving the priorities of his predecessor including education, his main focus would be on realigning spirituality:
“Even though we have not been able to fully achieve what we want to achieve in education, that will be one. But my primary purpose for actually serving this mission is to see how we can realign position as far as it has to do with the messages we preach, the messages we teach,” he said .
Bishop-elect Bangura added that the type of education he would be focusing on was not just the formal education for children. He said that since the mission had expanded, they would inculcate bible school for personnel of the mission as well as issuing out certificates and diplomas.
He also emphasized on rebranding the image of the mission: “Over and above that is to see how much we can rebrand the institution, the National Pentecostal Mission to be specific. For far too long people have known us for things which as a mission cannot be identified with especially a spiritual relation for which I think it is high time we looked back and saw what do we think we can now do as far as religious spirituality is concern. That is, it has to do with not just getting people to be baptized, but also to see they are being prepared as a suitable candidate for heaven”.
He pointed out that the notion of the National Pentecostal church being branded as a Limba Church had totally changed, and was there for all.
The Bishop-elect said that even though he had target issues he would be working towards achieving, the strategic plan set up by the mission for the next five years would be their guide as a mission, which he said was the framework that they would be working towards.
The outgoing Bishop, Tamba Alieu Koroma said he took over the leadership of the mission in 2000 as the Acting-General superintendent and as General Superintendent in the year 2002.
According to him, his predecessors did make a foundation for the mission, but education was lacking and thus his main focus was education, adding that with support from the Ministry of Education, the mission was able to establish 34 schools across the country.
The biennial conference started on Monday 24 and ended on Friday 28 May during which elections were held for various positions within the mission.
Also elected was Rev Mary S Kamara, who is the Superintendent for the Western Area, East Zone. The consumate educationist has served the Mission in various capacities including as Vice Principal and currently as Principal of the Pentecostal Secondary School at Fort Street
The mission has 31 churches across the country.
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