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Collection 576 Oral History Interviews with Raymond Attawia

 Collection
Identifier: CN 576

Scope and Contents

Oral history interviews with Raymond Attawia. Topics discussed include his family background and childhood in Sierra Leone, his spiritual seeking as a teenager, conversion through the ministry of the Christians in Action Mission; his involvement in various positions of leadership in the Christians in Action church in the country, including National Superintendent; the civil war in Sierra Leone and its impact on the church; the Evangelical churches in the country in 2002, his attendance at Amsterdam 2000 conference and impressions of Billy Graham. The time period covered in the interviews is 1977 to 2002.

Raymond Attawia was interviewed by Bob Shuster in November 2001 and January 2002 in the office of the Billy Graham Center Archives.

Dates

  • 2001-2002

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

There are no restrictions on the use of this collection.

Conditions Governing Use

The copyright to the sound recordings in this collection is held by the Billy Graham Center Archives.

Biographical Information

Full name: Raymond Sylvanus Kwa Attawia

Birth: January 10, 1961 in Freetown, Sierra Leone

Family

Parents: Father was an immigrant from Togo

Siblings: Two brothers, a half sister

Marital Status: Married to Patricia

Children: Four

Conversion: May 25, 1978 by a visitor from the Christians in Action Church

Education

1972-1977: Albert Academy, Freetown, Sierra Leone

1977-1979: Prince of Wales School, Freetown, Sierra Leone

1979-1981: Christians in Action training school, Sierra Leone

1987-1991: Sierra Leone Bible College, graduated with a B.Th.

2001-2003: Wheaton College Graduate School, Wheaton, Illinois, received a MA in Biblical Exegesis

2008-2010: Northern Illinois University, Dekalb, Illinois, MA in Economics

2008-2016: Northern Illinois University, Dekalb, Illinois, PhD in Economics

Career

1981-1987: Pastor, Christian in Action church, Freetown, Sierra Leone

1991-2001: National Superintendent in Sierra Leone of Christians in Action churches founded 4 churches. During this period the denomination grew from five to twenty-two churches

1998-2000: President of the Evangelical Fellowship of Sierra Leone

1998-? Produced 105 minutes per week of Christian radio broadcasts

July 2000: Attended Amsterdam 2000, a conference for itinerant evangelists sponsored by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association

2003-2016: Part-time pastor at Second Presbyterian Church, Aurora, Illinois

2012-2016: Adjunct Faculty Instructor, Elgin Community College, Elgin, Illinois

2015-2016: Adjunct Faculty Instructor, College of DuPage, Glen Ellyn, Illinois

2016- Assistant professor of economics, Southern Wesleyan University, Central, South Carolina

Other significant information

Became a citizen of the United States after graduating from Wheaton

Extent

3 Audio Tapes

180 Minutes

Language of Materials

English