Christopher Rudolph Sylvah

Mr. Rudolph Sylvah was a man of God who lived his entire life serving and leading others to Christ. Words are simply not enough to embody the impact he made in this world, across multiple states, countries and continents.

Christopher Rudolph “Ina” Sylvah lived a dedicated life of service and served as a Missionary Director under the United Methodist Church until his very last breath.

He passed away on July 1st, 2024, in the state of New Mexico from a sudden cardiac health incident after completing his mission with the Navajo Nation in New Mexico USA.

Christopher was born and raised in Freetown, Sierra Leone, Africa on August 30, 1956, to parents Nathaniel and Abigail Sylvah. He was the third born in a family of seven.

Christopher showed signs of dedication and positive qualities in his formative years. He was very active in school, participating in the debate team and even becoming a star Track and Field player earning medals in the Javelin throw. His work career began in the financial industry after high school where he worked as Pay Master at the Guma Valley Water Company. His involvement in the church also developed as he served as the Senior Society Steward of the Portuguese Town Methodist Church at Campbell Street.

He was a leader and a dedicated steward of the Lord in his home country of Sierra Leone long before he came to the US. As he built his career in the financial industry and his church community, he met his lovely wife Winifred nee Freeman, who shared in his vision of a life dedicated to serving the Lord. The two of them quickly joined forces and decided that their dream was too big to be contained and that they needed to share their dream across the ocean. They decided to join Winifred’s siblings in the state of Minnesota, USA while Christopher’s siblings settled in the UK. They married on a cold and snowy December day in 1991 at Camphor Memorial United Methodist Church and welcomed two amazing children-Irwin and Idella. After getting his degree at Century College, Christopher continued his professional career in finance, securing a position as a manager at Wells Fargo Bank Corporate where he worked for over 20 years before his retirement. Throughout these years, Mr. Rudolph was a committed community member serving in various social service projects, as well as various youth education programs such as BDPA, STAR, and others. He and his wife were some of the original members of the SLCM and SLAI group of Sierra Leoneans in Minnesota who paved the way for the growth and stability of Sierra Leone immigrants in the state. He was an active volunteer even in his workplace; he was a leader in the many communities and organisations.

He also played active roles in many more localized communities.

Later in life he decided to further his skillset by going back to school for an additional dual Bachelor’s degree in Project Management and Computer Science at Bethel University. As he grew in his professional career, his faithworks grew as well. A lifetime member of Camphor Church, Christopher served in several ministries over the many years. He was committed to the Lord, and it showed in his calm and caring demeanor. He worked closely with church leaders serving as a Trustee Board member, Communion Steward lead, and even in Christian Education where he served as a Sunday School teacher for the high school class while his kids were in high school! But he didn't stop there, Christopher furthered his Christ works by becoming a Lay reader giving the message on Sunday Mornings and also becoming a member of the Pastoral Care Team who extended church service and resources beyond the churches walls into the greater community for those that were sick or unable to attend in person.

Christopher was a faithful servant of the Lord up until his last breath. Even after his retirement from Wells Fargo, he decided to fully dedicate the later portion of his life to serving the Lord by taking on a new endeavor into full missionary work. He became the Director of Solar Oven Partners LLC, an arm of the United Methodist Church (UMC) Global based in the Minnesota/Dakota Conference. With the main office based in South Dakota he made various road trips to the Dakotas before moving the office closer to home at Elk River United Methodist Church. Although he was no stranger to the United Methodist Church Global works as he was also a member of the Operation Classroom Mission where they packed and shipped school supplies internationally. This new opportunity with Solar Oven Partners took him personally to places like the Dominican Republic and also back home to Sierra Leone, it even took him to various Native American Communities in Arizona and New Mexico where God eventually called him home to receive his heavenly reward for a life well served in Christ.

Christopher has always been known for his strong leadership and calm demeanor while working with so many people from different walks of life. His warm smile and patience brought peace and compassion to others while he mentored so many.

Mr. Rudolph is survived by his lovely wife Winifred and children Irwin and Idella in the Twin Cities. He is also survived by sisters Elsie and Kainde, brothers Nathaniel, Olu Sholay, Sydney, Winston and Abimbola in the UK and Sierra Leone.

Other relatives include several cousins, nieces and nephews at home and abroad.

Ina, as he was known to his Salone community, was a man who truly led by example; what it means to be and live as a Christian - from the way he raised his family to his leadership in the workplace to his community involvement and then of course his dedication to the church. There are not enough words that could ever suffice to describe Christopher and the legacy he has left for others, especially for his family.

Mr. Sylvah would always emphasize to his children how important it is to wake up with a purpose everyday, to strive for something greater than ourselves, and to live into our God given purpose. That is the way he lived his life and the family will forever honor him by continuing his legacy and living into each of their own God given purpose.