Pastor Charlie Frederico fundraising for church in Sierra Leone
(Photo courtesy of Grace Bible Church) Pastor Musa Kpaka spreading the gospel
BONNERS FERRY — Pastor Charlie Frederico is hosting a fundraiser starting June 4, Friday and Saturday, to help pastors in the African country of Sierra Leone.
The pastor of Grace Bible Fellowship Church, Charlie Frederico has guided his flock for the past three years. He has been married for over 26 years, has 10 children from ages six to 25 years old, and two grandchildren.
Frederico works diligently to help showcase his ministry and share the word of God by creating relationships at the church, fellowship around functions, worship on Sundays and other events throughout the week, both formal and informal.
“Our goal is to make disciples by calling people to repent from their sins and follow Christ by faith,” Frederico said, “Our goal is to make disciples by calling people to repent from their sins and follow Christ by faith.”
The fundraiser starting June 4 is meant to fund an annual teaching trip to Sierra Leone. Due to the travel restrictions from COVID-19, this year he will be teaching remotely.
Even though it will be conducted remotely, there are still costs involved, such as meals to prepare students and pastors who attend the annual conference, Frederico said
The conference is sponsored by the Sierra Leone Fellowship of Evangelical Students, an organization that concentrates on its Christian ministry to students and people in the surrounding regions.
Conference attendance spans all over the globe, with viewership over 70,000 from last year’s annual conference.
“The goal of the fundraiser is to make the conferences possible as they have such little resources,” Frederico said, “pastors there have almost no training, and some don’t even have a Bible.”
In the past, Grace Bible Fellowship has supplied bicycles, a motorbike, meals and Bibles to those in the churches to whom they minister. The hope is with the vehicles, and pastors can preach the gospel and hand out meals to distant villages.
According to Frederico, Grace Bible Fellowship has a missionary who has known the leaders in Sierra Leone for many years and, in 2018, established a relationship with community stakeholders.
“They are still hungry for the Word of God, so we are privileged to bring it to them any way that we can,” Frederico said.
The three main pastors who work with Charlie Frederico are William Conteh, director of SLeFES; Musa Kpaka, ministry leader; and Paul Bockarie, pastor at Grace Community Church.
“From these men, we have access to hundreds of Christians and pastors to whom we minister,” Frederico said.
Grace Bible Fellowship has been a community church in Bonners Ferry since the 1960s. The church emphasizes Bible teaching with an emphasis on an expository teaching ministry.
According to Frederico, those who attend the church are the most loving and committed Christians he has the pleasure of knowing.
“It is a privilege to worship the Lord Jesus Christ with them each Sunday,” he said.
The mission fundraiser June 5-6 will benefit churches and local pastors in Sierra Leone. The food offerings will be a grilled hot dog lunch from 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m., baked goods, yard sale items and more. Cash and item donations will also be accepted.