Since most of the Kisi could not read or write, literacy classes were arranged in Koindu to teach basic Bible truths. These classes attracted hundreds of students. “Soon the group had 5 new publishers, then 10, then 15, then 20,” Charles recalls. “People came into the truth so fast that I doubted whether they were genuine publishers. But I was wrong. Most of them were not only faithful but zealous as well!”

Confronting the Poro

The first attack came in a village near Koindu where a group of men were studying the Bible and regularly attending meetings. Like most Kisi males, the men belonged to the Poro, a secret society steeped in spiritism. “When the Bible students refused to share in demonic rites, the Poro headman was furious,” explains James Mensah, a Gilead-trained missionary who also served in Sierra Leone. “The headman and his supporters beat the men, stole their property, burned their homes, chained them, and left them in the bush to starve to death. The paramount chief egged the Poro members on. Despite this abuse the Bible students stood firm.”

When the brothers in Koindu reported the matter to the police, the Poro headman, his cronies, and the paramount chief were arrested. They were tried and severely reprimanded, and the paramount chief was suspended for nearly a year. This legal victory became widely known and emboldened more new ones to start attending meetings. Later, the paramount chief had a change of heart and became interested in the truth. When a circuit assembly was held in his area, he accommodated visiting delegates and even donated a large cow.