At the end of March 2025, a team from Wycliffe Hall and the Relay Trust travelled to Sierra Leone and The Gambia. This visit marked Wycliffe’s first mission partnership in the region and built on the long-standing relationship between Relay Trust and the Internal Province of West Africa (IPWA).
The goals of the trip were both practical and pastoral, setting up a theological library at Mount Zion in Freetown, delivering training on wellbeing and ministry boundaries, deepening relationships with local leaders, and exposing Wycliffe students to the lived reality of Anglican life in West Africa.
In Sierra Leone, the team worked closely with Bishop Thomas Wilson and Rev. Shellac Davies. The Mount Zion library was successfully catalogued using the Dewey Decimal system, and local staff were trained to maintain it independently. This new resource will serve the Church for years to come. Alongside this, the team delivered two well-received training sessions, one on wellbeing and another on ministry boundaries. Both sparked deep and, at times, lively discussion, a clear sign of engagement and openness among participants.
The visit also surfaced important conversations about sustainability. Bishop Wilson shared his desire to make Mount Zion and the wider diocese more self-reliant. Plans are in motion to develop income-generating projects, including a small shop, rental facilities, and possibly a centre addressing issues like kush addiction; an urgent concern in the community.
In The Gambia, the team met with Bishop Kojo Baiden and visited several key diocesan sites. The diocese, though small in number, is filled with vision. Projects are underway to build schools, youth centres, income-generating businesses, and new churches. A highlight was the visit to St. Andrews, a new training hub where ministry to young people is already bearing fruit. Bishop Kojo’s heart for sustainable, outreach-focused ministry was evident at every turn.
Throughout both legs of the journey, what stood out was the commitment of local leaders to grow the Church not just in size but in depth. Whether it was a conversation about library systems or youth evangelism, the shared goal remained the same: to see local leaders equipped for lasting ministry.
Relay Trust was privileged to support this mission and humbly contributed to planning, funding, and facilitation. Our task remains to serve quietly in the background, enabling others to flourish.
Please pray for the Church in West Africa, that their leaders would be encouraged, their communities strengthened, and their vision for mission sustained. The seeds sown in this visit have already begun to grow. With God’s help, they will bear much fruit.
