October 25, 2021
Bishop Kortu Brown
President
Liberia Council of Churches (LCC)
Monrovia, Liberia
Dear Mr. President:
I greet you as institutional ‘leaders of the flock’ in these difficult times of a global pandemic that is wreaking havoc on the human race and the need for spiritual reawakening. This might seem like the prophetic beginning of the end times recorded in the Holy Gospel of Matthew. Therefore, let me thank you, and the leadership of the LCC, for staying the course in the face of the clear and present danger that COVID-19 poses to our existence combined with the sinful ways of mankind, as the LCC projects a rallying voice of moral conscience and spiritual guidance in Liberia.
Inasmuch as I adore your role, and it may seem or ought to be seen as neutral, and absolutely void of recrimination, I am absolutely unable and unwilling to delude myself of your outfoxing utterances, sometimes in the form of innuendoes, sheer gossips or emotional verbal attacks against unsuspecting Liberian citizens in the public space for unexplained reasons.
This letter is in reaction to the October 21, 2021 Edition of the Analyst Newspaper captioned: “LCC Bemoans Cllr Cephus’ Attacks against Bishop Brown”, which is alluded to you and in which the Council is said to have taken exception to what it called: “attacks on the personal character of the President of the Liberia Council of Churches”.
In that article, I, as Solicitor-General and Chief Prosecutor of the Republic of Liberia, was singled out for allegedly maligning Bishop Brown as one “having hatred against the George Weah government, using his religious connection to conceal his mendacious posture as a faceless politician, and using his campaign to get even with anyone who has seen through his hypocrisies and viciousness.”
I am told that the LCC’s position statement was read by its first Vice President Bishop D. Jensen Seyenkulo, at what the Analyst Newspaper termed: “ a well-attended press conference held yesterday, Wednesday, October 20, 2021,” describing the “statement coming from a high profile government official as “worrisome” and counted as an affront to morality and disrespect to episcopal leadership.”
It is quite interesting, and I am not surprised that my comments against Bishop Brown of the LCC have been taken out of context and are construed to be an attack on the LCC. First, I respect the LCC and its solemn role in our society, but I disagree with what seems to be a rather shameful and limited understanding on the part of the LCC first Vice President of my use of the word “of” to describe Bishop Kortu Brown as a man with a limited vision and courage–a man who falsely uses the pulpit and the edifice of the LCC to malign the characters of those who do not share his parochial views.
The word “of” as used by me to refer to and identify Bishop Brown is a preposition, and only expresses his relationship with the LCC either in part or in a whole, and from the actual wording and text, intent and purpose, the letter did not attack the LCC as a religious body. As a form of resisting my position, and let this be a form of workshop to all and sundry, I am constrained to quote the portion of the letter ad verbatim as follows: “… and as in the case of Bishop Kortu Brown, having personal hatred for this government and using his religious connection to conceal his mendacious posturing, as a faceless politician, is also using the campaign to get even with anyone who has seen through his hypocrisies and viciousness.” The letter only refers to his title: “bishop” and not the LCC as a religious body, and the reason for doing so is scriptural, because God’s recognition and elevation of those who lead the flock, like Bishop Kortu Brown is based on service and innovation to expand his Master’s Vineyard and not on status. See Matthew 25:20-21. I am certain that the role of a Bishop is to build relationships, love his neighbors as himself and win more souls for Christ rather than tear down people, ferry gossips or sow seeds of discords. What else is left of the credibility of a bishop, if any, that runs his mouth lousily or loosely, or join a gullible public to trade lies and disinformation against reputable individuals without any evidence?
That said, it is sad to note that the LCC has taken a side and did not see the true aggressor in this matter before issuing such provocative statement. I am the victim and Bishop Kortu Brown is the aggressor. He and his collaborators have taken to the airwaves on the basis of hearsay to call for my dismissal. I am quite aware that blood is thicker than water, and one can easily analyze what Jesus Christ teaches us as recorded in the Holy Gospel according to Matthew 7:20, that: “So then, you will know them by their fruits”; and in Matthew 12:33, He says: “Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.” What other evidence do we need to prove that the press statement said to be the official position of the LCC is not influenced and instigated by Bishop Brown and read by his crony? Where was the LCC when Bishop Kortu Brown took the airwaves and accused me of heinous crimes, although without any evidence, and then called for my summary dismissal and prosecution?
It is absolutely regrettable to note that the LCC statement delivered by Bishop Seyenkulo is reminiscent of the bellicose discipleship of :“Send it back to the senders” being preached by morons, and strayed Christians in the streets and it woefully failed to take into account the nature and character of the New Covenant of our faith as Christians, as recorded in the Holy Gospel according to Matthew 5:44, where Christ teaches: “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.” So, let us agree, that I am the aggressor or one of those whose reaction to Bishop Brown’s reckless and irresponsible tantrums is described as “worrisome”, is this the kind of response that ‘men of God’ ought to provide?
Finally, I am baffled but not ruffled because we are in end times, as earlier indicated, and therefore it is shameful or completely disgraceful to see that my reaction to Bishop Brown reminding him of the rules and procedures of evidence, according to the Holy Book of Deuteronomy 19: 15-21, calls for at least two or three witnesses as a condition precedent for convicting an accused of any crime. Apparently driven by sheer politics or personal hatred, or both, Bishop Brown, the professed man of God and coterie have grossly ignored or trampled underfoot this elementary procedure of evidence simply to blindly support atrocious and subversive conduct of Bishop Brown totally incompatible with what is expected of a man of God.
That said, I have no regret, now or in the future, for whatever I said against Bishop Brown, and hereby call on the section of the LCC headed by Bishop Jensen Seyenkulo, to understand that my reaction was not against the LCC but rather Bishop Kortu Brown. As part of my constitutional right under Article 15(b) of the 1986 Constitution, I have the right to hold the view that Bishop Kortu Brown is an agent provocateur and an uncompromising egoist who, in order to mask out his impotencies and cowardice will manufacture the most asinine slander against those who have seen through his hypocrisies and viciousness. I hold this view to be palpable, because of his wanton and unprovoked attacks on my person, character, and image and that of my darling wife and family, and for this reason, I could not powder my words.
I hope the LCC will understand my position.
Thanks.
Faithfully,
Cllr. Sayma Syrenius Cephus
Solicitor-General & Chief Prosecutor
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