Africa 24 news-By Gibao Brima

Despite the numerous challenges faced by the Jangallor community in the Impere chiefdom, Bonthe District, Southern Region of Sierra Leone, the community has got a well-furnished church.

It has been a Muslim dominated community spanning for many years.

The Christians there have been able to overcome stresses as they had been longing for a place to pray.

Through the conserved efforts of the Jusu family, Jangallor  community church members and other well-wishers have helped in the construction of a well-structured church and is dedicated to the community on Sunday 5th May, 2024.

The ceremony was well-attend, filled with joy and songs of praises for what God has done for them.

The theme attached to the dedication of the church ceremony is ‘a church is not a place you do go to, it is a family you belong to.’

Giving an historic overview of Jangallor church and how it has come to reality, Mr. Edward Jusu (Jr), the trustee and building committee chairman, said the Jangallor church began as a simple gathering point for holiday worship services.

During the vacations, the church was functioning as a home cell group, and members were meeting only in the evenings, that is, after everyone would have returned from work on the farm.

The Jusu family veranda being led by late Henry L.S. Jusu (headmaster at the UBC school Mattru Jong) had served as the initial meeting place.

The congregation, he said, consisted of the Jusu and Campbell’s family.

Upon the retirement of Mr Henry L.S. Jusu, he moved to Jangallor as he missed services at his previous church in Mattru Jong.

He decided to recreate a similar setting by reviving the veranda home cell group, and this time round meetings were held on Sundays.

As the membership grew up, he transferred to his living room (parlour) to be able to conduct meetings there.

Sadly Henry L.S. Jusu answered to the call of God in 2008 and his younger brother Mr. Edward Liegeh Jusu took up the mantle but faced several challenges.

However, with perseverance, Mr E.L. Jusu as principal at the Bonthe Technical College, he was prevented from attending regular Sundays’ services causing the home call to revert to a holiday worship point.

Despite this limitation, the congregation continues to grow seeking for a more spacious place and for a  we’ll ventilated venue.

Mr. Jusu relocated the meeting to his built up barray.

However, Mr Jusu with support from the community, constructed the first church building but unfortunately the foundation was weak which caused the building to collapse after five years due to heavy down pour of rain.

In 2018, with wider vision and future planning during the general thanksgiving service, the overflowing of church and a crowded temporal booth highlighted a need for a more spacious, dignify and sound building. The congregation immediately pledged their support to begin the construction of a church.

This initiative was spearheaded by Mr. Thomas S Jusu who sadly passed away two months later.

However, Mr Edward Jusu pointed out that the decision to build the church was not only sorely made by United Brethren in Christ Church’s members.

But Christians from different domination participated despite UBC bring for most members and it was agreed that the UBC would hold ownership as the building project commence under the leadership of pastor Edward L. Jusu and the building committee chairman Mr. Edward Jusu .(Jusu Jr.).

The UBC Sierra Leone Conference leadership did the sod-turning ceremony.

With construction on the way, Pastor John M.A.Peters became the first officially deployed pastor who made a significant contribution until Rev. Albert Swarray succeeded him to oversee the final churches on the building.

Mr Edward Jusu ushers heap of praises and gratitude for the funding to the Jangallor church members, to friends and to well-wishers of UBC and beyond. Adding that “today they can stand and proudly give back to the community they grew and had been raised from.”

This building, he said, was being designed to address the issues of structure, space and ambiance for the foreseeable future, thus hopefully serving our congregation for two decades or more.

In his address to the congregation, Bishop John Pessima of the United Brethren in Christ Sierra Leone Conference, acknowledged the good work of the Jusu family and all good well-wishers who have contributed to the actualization of the construction of the UBC church  in Jangallor.

Bishop John Pessima said many will say they belong to UBC church but cannot give help.

Rather some even prefer to sell UBC properties.

It is time to help emulate the good work of the Jusu family and all other well-wishers.

A church is not a building but it is a place, he said.

Where family meets and worships the heavenly father, God will surely bless the Jusu family and all those that had contributed immensely toward the church project.

The name dedicated to the newly built church is Henry L. S . Jusu Memorial  UBC Church Jangallor.

A bible gift to help in the church service was offered to the newly church from the Faith UBC Church branch at Regent Road, Lumly in Freetown.

Songs of praises, dance and refreshments climaxed the ceremony.