Raymond H. Wilson was born September 30, 1896, in Rochester, New York. He became a believer in Pittsburgh in September 1909 and was called into ministry in 1911. He attended the Missionary Training Institute (now Nyack College) in Nyack, New York.
On April 24, 1923, Raymond sailed for Africa. He kept a journal of his sea journey as well as his first few months in Sierra Leone, Africa. He returned on furlough in April 1928.
Raymond married Xernna Mae Brown on February 26, 1929, and a month later returned to Sierra Leone with his new bride.
Xernna was born October 18, 1904, in Cleveland, Ohio. She attended two years at Normal School, a school or college for the training of teachers; three summers at Denison University in Granville, Ohio; three years at Cleveland Bible Institute; and three months at the Missionary Training Institute in Nyack. She sailed to Sierra Leone with her husband on March 12, 1929.
While on the field, the couple had a son, Raymond Henry Wilson Jr., on January 17, 1923. The family returned to the United States on March 21, 1934. Raymond continued to work with churches in the Pittsburgh area until his death in 1957. Xernna remained active in the church through various ministries and passed away in 1989.