Profile
Current Membership, Organizational Governance and Accountability Structure
Council’s member Churches now total 24, affiliate or associate memberships (Para Church organizations and Churches) are 8.
CCSL is governed by an Executive Committee composed of 24 members (Heads of Churches of the member Communions of CCSL) and meets quarterly. The Executive Committee is served by one Committee – the Standing Committee. The Standing Committee of the Executive Committee has 7 members (the President, 1st, 2nd Vice presidents of the Executive Committee, The Chairman of the Board of Trustees, the Treasure and 2 Ex-officio members) and provides direct oversight on behalf of the Executive Committee.
Council staff is spread between the 1.) Human Rights and Social Services Department, 2.) Ecumenical Relationships Department, 3.) Administration and Finance Department and 4.) Development Department and 5.) The Secretariat
Each Department’s Advisory Board of Directors (6-8 members) is tasked with monitoring and evaluation of programs under their oversight.
The General Secretary (GS) is the Head of the Secretariat and CCSL’s Departments, supervises all Departments and is directly responsible to the Executive Committee. The Development Department handles programs related to Food Security and Youth Empowerment. The Human Rights and Social Services Department’s programs seek to promote protect the human rights and dignity of all and the most vulnerable (women and children). The Ecumenical Relationships Department focuses on promoting access to religious and secular educational opportunities, promoting interfaith relationships, values education and peace building activities. The Finance Department provides financial oversight management for and all programs.
Program coverage is nationwide due to the location of Member Churches and collaborative relationships with our interfaith partners and government ministries
PROFILE OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL OF CHURCHES IN SIERRA LEONE
Rev. Henry Abioseh Alexander Solomon Samuels, was elected President of the Council of Churches in Sierra Leone at the Eighth Triennial Assembly held from 22nd -25th September, 2021 at the Council of Churches in Sierra Leone. He succeeded Late Bishop John K. Yambasu whose tenure after his demise in August 2020, Rev. Samuels completed till his elections at the 8th Triennial General Assembly.
Rev. Samuels, is the President of the National Baptist Convention of Sierra Leone and also Missionary of the National Baptist Convention USA Inc.
He holds a Licence in Divinity and Bachelor of Arts degree from Fourah Bay College and a Post Graduate Diploma in Business Administration from the Institute of Public Administration and Management of the University of Sierra Leone. He also holds a Diploma in Insurance from the West African Institute of Insurance and an Associate in Insurance services from the Institute of Insurance in America.
His areas of specialization includes: Pastoral Ministry, Church and Organisational Leadership, Advocacy, Development and Insurance Services
He has over the years served as minister in various capacities as he was commissioned as Minister of the West African Methodist Church. He was former Senior Superintendent of the, West African Methodist Church, Former Chairman Advocacy Committee at CCSL and has served on Several School Boards of governors.
Rev. Henry Samuels currently serves as the Chairperson for the Side-by-Side Inter-Faith Movement for Gender Justice Sierra Leone Chapter. He is an Executive Member of the Inter-religious Council of Sierra Leone.
Rev. Samuels is married to Mrs. Mary Samuels and they are blessed with adult children and grandchildren.
PROFILE OF MRS. KEZIAH KARGBO (NEE GBONDO)
Keziah Kargbo is the current General Secretary of the Council of Churches in Sierra Leone. She is a Sierra Leonean born and raised in Kenema City, Kenema in Eastern Sierra Leone.
Keziah is a development communication professional with over 14 years work experience of which 7 years at senior management level. At that level she provided managerial and coordination leadership particularly in the field of social work.
Keziah served as the Director of Church and Society at the United Methodist Church Sierra Leone Annual Conference before being seconded to work 2016 at the Council of Churches in Sierra Leone (CCSL) as the Women’s Desk Coordinator.
In 2018 she became the Director of Programs, a post she held for 2 years. In that Capacity she coordinated various advocacy programs of Council ranging from
gender justice, child protection to human right and social protection. She was also fully involved in capacity building and in other ecumenical response services aimed at facilitating peace building activities between and within communities.
Keziah is very knowledgeable on development and transformative programs, best practices needed for program implementation and strategy especially at grass root /community level.
In October 2020 she was appointed as the General Secretary of the Council of Churches in Sierra Leone (CCSL). The General Secretary of Council is the Chief Executive Officer of the Secretariat. The portfolio covers all areas of programs- planning and development supervision. Keziah happens to be the second female General Secretary of CCSL (founded in 1924) and incidentally the youngest ever in the history of Ecumenical communities in Africa.
Accordingly and continuing the work of her predecessors she endeavors to maximize the bottom-top approach through program coordination implementation management and supervision of staff and building national and international partnership base.
She also continues to mobilize ecumenical actions for mission by creating the right environment for capacity building and networking.
Her work with Council and the United Methodist Women, has given hope to many women, who hither to felt neglected, by helping them to know their rights, find their voices and participate in decision-making process as from grassroots to government level. She has been working relentlessly with women from all walks of life and has enabled them to live positively.
Keziah Kargbo (Nee Gbondo) started her career as a broadcast Journalist at Radio Democracy FM 98.1, one of the leading broadcasters in Sierra Leone as reporter and producer of current affairs program from 2006 – 2013. She is a recipient of the Sierra Leone Independent Media Commission Award for the Best Female Reporter for the year 2012. During that time she was also a regular contributor to the Pearl Works Production team in the United Kingdom that produces radio series, films, and blogs on issues around the world. She collaborated with various local and international media organizations in advocating for the enactment of policies that enable the well-being of citizens especially that of women and girls.
In 2014, she was awarded Scholarship by the United Methodist General Board of Global Ministries to pursue a post graduate program at the Daystar University in Kenya. There she successfully graduated with a Master of Arts Degree in Development Communication. Prior to her studies at Daystar University, she studied at the Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts, General Degree, and a Diploma in Cultural Studies. Keziah also holds a Certificate in Electoral Administration from the Institute of Electoral Administration and Civic Education, Sierra Leone awarded in 2011.
