The Strengthening Families Conference (SFC) of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, an annual event sponsored and organized by the Church in West Africa, was held on June 26-27, 2025, at the Bintumani International Convention Center in Freetown, Sierra Leone. The theme of this year’s event was “Building Stronger Families within Communities Through Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection.”
What Is the ‘Strengthening Families Conference’?
This year’s SFC, the seventh edition of the conference, was a two-day event organized in conjunction with the office of the First Lady of the Republic of Sierra Leone. As with previous conferences, the purpose of this year’s event was to promote measures designed to maintain and strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society.
The Office of the First Lady promoted the conference, along with her initiative to empower women and protect children. Her Excellency Dr. Fatima Maada Bio has had multiple interactions with the Church, including visiting Church headquarters in Salt Lake City in 2024 and hosting Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in her home in 2025. Since these visits, the relationship between her Excellency and the Church has remained strong, and her participation throughout the conference helped establish this year’s SFC as an event of national pride.
Through keynote addresses, presentations and panel discussions, the conference addressed topics such as family unity, moral values and community responsibilities in preserving the institution’s dignity. Musical performances were interspersed with the presentations, while vendor booths provided visitors with information and products from different services.
Although rooted in the teachings of the Church, the conference brought together experts and leaders from various religions, countries, and backgrounds to address global and West African cultural issues, offering both practical and spiritual solutions. This year, over 1,500 participants attended the conference in person, while tens of thousands participated virtually from around the world through streaming technology.
Participating Organizations
This year’s conference was preceded by opportunities for visitors to browse vendor booths outside the main hall. Some of these vendors included FamilySearch, BYU–Pathway, YSA Gathering Place, Seminary and Institute, Welfare and Self-Reliance, Church History and more.
Worldwide organizations, such as Family Watch International and Engage Now Africa, had booths, while other local Christian and Muslim organizations displayed items ranging from marriage and parenting books to modest clothing, African-made attire and jewelry. There was hands-on computer experience at some booths, free samples with information flyers and brochures at most booths, and some even had candy for the kids.
The Conference
Day one of the conference opened with two national celebrities, Phebean Swill and Khadison Duwai, teaming up to serve as Masters of Ceremonies. Elder Kenneth Pambu, an Area Seventy for the Church of Jesus Christ, greeted the audience and introduced the theme:
“We know that when women play a key role in families’ lives, we empower them and they are also empowered. We help our whole society move forward. Equally, every child deserves to grow up in a safe and caring home, a place where they are respected, their dreams are encouraged, and their rights are protected. The theme for this year’s conference is built from these ideas.”
The Honorable Paramount Chief Sheku Amadu Tejan Fsuluku-Sonsiama III, chairman of the National Council of Paramount Chiefs, told the audience, “As a parent and a traditional leader, the issue of strengthening the family unit, which is the theme of this conference, is of great importance to me. It is critically important not only in the well-being of our people but also for the progress of our country.”
Adward Tamba Sharles, Archbishop of the Roman Catholic archdiocese of Freetown and the president of the Interreligious Council of Sierra Leone, highlighted several challenges that families face, including the influence of social media, the shift from a community-centered culture and more.
He said, “We need to address those factors that are undermining, and in some cases destroying, marriage and family life. It is my hope that this conference would come up with strong recommendations in favor of strengthening families and preparing youth and young adults to be good husbands and wives in the future.”
Elder Isaac K. Morrison of the Africa West Area Presidency explained that the role of mothers is a sacred trust. He pointed to Mary, the mother of Jesus: “Her life, honored throughout scripture, exemplifies the divine worth and strength of women.” After looking at the key principles her life illustrates, he summarized saying, “When women are spiritually strong, homes and even nations become places of peace and safety. As nurturers and teachers, women bring hope, guidance and stability to their families and communities.”
Elder Morrison then paid tribute to his wife, Hannah, who served alongside him as mission leaders in the Ghana Cape Coast Mission, highlighting her leadership in working with missionaries from over 27 different nationalities, creating meaningful connections across diverse cultures, and holding that up as an example of “the true power women hold to lead, to uplift and to transform communities.”
The Guest of Honor, Madame Bio, spoke about empowering women, noting that “empowerment is not charity, it is justice.” She tied that sentiment to the theme of child protection and overall strengthening families, stating, “Empowered women are often the fiercest protectors of children. Strong families anchored in respect, equity and love are the most resilient against poverty, violence and neglect, so as we gather today, let us make this more than just a conference. Let us make it a call, a call to fund women-led initiatives, a call to legislate with children in mind, a call to build communities where no girl is silent and no child is unseen. I am so grateful to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for choosing me to be a partner for this year’s Strengthening Families Conference.”
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While the first day of the conference focused on women, the second day focused on the theme of protecting children. Panel discussions and speakers from organizations such as Engage Now Africa, Family Watch International and Esteem pointed to the dangers that children face now from sexual exploitation and abuse, and concerns from initiatives such as the Comprehensive Sexuality Education Agenda being promoted in many schools and communities.
In his keynote address, Elder Alfred Kyungu, President of the Africa West Area of the Church, focused his remarks on protecting children within their own homes, where corporal punishment is often employed as a tool for disciplining children. Explaining that physical and psychological abuse are tied together in these approaches to discipline, he advocated for a more Christ-like approach that protects children rather than harming them.
Acknowledging that the scripture in Proverbs 13:24 of the Bible is commonly summarized in the saying “spare the rod, spoil the child,” he clarified: “Many people interpret that as license to impose discipline and beat children with a stick. But let’s understand what this really means.
In biblical times, a rod, or more precisely, a shepherd’s rod, was not a weapon — it was a tool of guidance. The shepherd used it not to beat the sheep, but to gently steer them, protect them from danger, and keep them safely on the path. The rod was a symbol of care and direction, not aggression.
“‘Sparing the rod,’ then, can be understood as neglecting to guide or correct a child at all as opposed to failing to administer physical punishment. In this light, the focus of discipline is on active, loving involvement. It becomes less about control and more about intentional teaching and consistent boundaries.”
Following his remarks on child discipline, Elder Kyungu addressed more sinister types of abuse that include child molestation, abandonment, child slavery and more. Tying it all into the overall theme of the conference, he announced that the Church will be building a safe house in the community of Kono, Sierra Leone. The safe house will be a 54-bed facility with dining areas, a kitchen and a storeroom.
The project is expected to be completed in eight months, after which it will be handed over to the Ministry of Social Welfare and Gender to manage and ensure its sustainability. A safe house has been a long-held dream of Her Excellency Madame Bio, and she expressed that the Church’s involvement in the project is a dream come true for her.
Following those remarks, Elder Kyungu presented the First Lady with a sculpture of a family in recognition of her remarkable work in promoting family values in Sierra Leone.
As an expression of her deep gratitude, Madame Bio organized a dinner for the key participants who made the Sierra Leone SFC a success. She said that the Church has her full support and is welcome back any time. The guests enjoyed an evening of good food, a cultural celebration, and time spent building relationships with government officials, non-governmental organization (NGO) leaders, and other attendees.
Eighth Edition of SFC
As a vehicle for teaching the divine nature of the family, sharing the light of Christ and helping people understand God’s plan of happiness through strong families, the annual SFC will continue to be presented across the various countries of the Africa West Area of the Church of Jesus Christ. The torch for the next Strengthening Families Conference was passed to representatives of Liberia, who graciously accepted it and will hold it in their country in June 2026.
