Capital City: Monrovia
Year of Independence: 1847
Area: 111,370 sq km
Arable Land: 3.43%
Population: 3,334,587
Median Age: 18 years
Population Growth Rate: 3.661%
Infant Mortality: 143.89 deaths/1,000 live births
Life Expectancy at Birth: 41.13 years
Literacy Rate: 57.5%
Ethnic Groups: indigenous African 95% (including Kpelle, Bassa, Gio, Kru, Grebo, Mano, Krahn, Gola, Gbandi, Loma, Kissi, Vai, Dei, Bella, Mandingo, and Mende), Americo-Liberians 2.5% (descendants of immigrants from the US who had been slaves), Congo People 2.5% (descendants of immigrants from the Caribbean who had been slaves)
Religions: Christian 40%, Muslim 20%, indigenous beliefs 40%
Languages: English 20% (official), some 20 ethnic group languages, of which a few can be written and are used in correspondence
In Cooperation with ACAT (African Cooperative Action Trust)
The sustainable development outreach of the Into Africa Project in Liberia has two full-time workers who have conducted training for over 200 women. Many food gardens have been established. The photos in this section show scenes from the Liberian sustainable development work.
One lady testified that she has been able to fund her son’s education. Another testified to improved health of her children. All this in just the first six months!
Fifteen accountability groups of five persons (mainly women) have been launched. They have established home food gardens and are currently saving and preparing to start micro businesses.
Liberia is a relatively new country for the Into Africa Project. Training began in November 2007, and church planting started in March 2008.
Liberia is a country ravaged by war, with a battered economy and very poor infrastructure. Although there has been a strong Christian influence in the past, it is often very shallow and not credible.
The work of Into Africa in Liberia is sustained by two partners from the USA, a US denomination named Evangelical Congregational Church, and a single church in Eldorado, Kansas, named Eldorado First Baptist Church. These two groups support both the VCP and sustainable development work of the Into Africa Project in the country. This is an excellent example of the effect that a denomination or single congregation can have in the Kingdom.
The Into Africa Project works in the following areas of the country:
- Bomi Hills
- Sinoe County
- Count Cape
- Magribi
- Compound 1
The main people groups in these areas are the Mandingo, Liberian, and Bassa. The main languages spoken are English and Bassa.
Country Wide VCP Statistics as of June 2011:
Members - 5,495
Churches - 238
Training Centers - 8
Coordinator: Sam Greene
Sam Green and His Wife, Pearl
Reverend Sam Greene is with the Baptist Church partner of the Into Africa Project, and holds a master's degree in education. He and his wife, Pearl, have three children and foster two others. Pearl runs a small baking business at home. The family lives in the capital city of Monrovia.
As of late 2008, 46 first generation and six second generation churches have been planted in the areas managed by Sam, with a total membership of over 1,000. See above for recent country statistics.
Selected Areas of Liberia
Coordinator: Abednego Wesseh
Abednego and His Wife
Reverend Abednego Wesseh of the Evangelical Congregational Church is married and lives in Monrovia. His passion is in church planting.
As of December 2008, the number of churches planted in Abednego's area is 36, with a total membership of about 700. See above for recent country statistics.
Click here to view a Liberia trip report from February 2009.
Click here to view photos from Bible distribution in Liberia.
