MONROVIA – The newly elected President of the Liberia Council of Churches, Rev. Dr. Samuel B. Reeves, says his administration will stop at nothing in ensuring that the people of Liberia are reconciled through peace and justice, so as to heal the wounds, bandage the sores, and remove all scars, making the nation whole again.
“I therefore commit to you this day, at this place, in this church, the cradle of this nation’s spirituality and democracy since 1821, as your President of this great Council, that this responsibility bestowed on us this day, shall have positive impact here at home, and heard around the world,” Rev. Reeves promised.
Making the pronouncement Friday, June 3, 2022 at programs making his induction as President of the Liberia Council of Churches (LCC), Rev. Reeves said since its inception in 1982, the LLC has been the most highly respected voice in the nation, advocating for peace, respect for all human rights, equity, and justice for all.
“This legacy of the Council is being rekindled here today through your preferment of this new corps of officers. With prayers and supplication, this administration will stop at no height nor depth; will engage every corner of our country in the north, in the west, in the south, and in the east as God gives us power and strength to reconcile our People through peace and justice, to heal the wounds, to bandage the sores, and remove all scars, making us whole again.
The LLC, Dr. Reeves noted, has had an excellent record of advocacy and mediation, “but we must, and we will do more. This administration recommits to the mission of the Church, which is centered around evangelism, education, and advocacy, of all will be promoted”.
On the issue of tribalism and sectionalism, Rev. Reeves said, as significant as this may appear, from Lofa to Maryland, from Grand Gedeh to Cape Montserrado and everywhere in between, and around the world, detractors within Liberia and churches have been preaching hatred, sectionalism, and tribal politics, without integrity, designed to bring animosity among Christians.
“Our egoistic motives and selfish desires to exclusively pursue our individual interests, both in the state and the Church, thus, failing in our God-given task of following the goal of the unity of all God’s people, is witness to the fragility of human nature, and constitutes the major obstacle to the unity of the Body of Christ (the Church), and this glorious land of liberty towards which we strive.
“The Church of Liberia has been divided over 200 years. Realizing that the time has come for the Church in Liberia to come together in unity, it is imperative that all of us strive together in accordance with the words of the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 4:5-6 to clear the way and open it up for the realization of unity – “One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism, One God and Father, of all who is over all and through all and in all.” The Liberia Council of Churches has the obligation, derived from our covenant with God, to proclaim the gospel and promote peace, love, and unity. This administration will not only operate in the context of gender and youth sensitivity, but as God gives us strength and under your watchful eyes, we here and now commit to ensuring regional and sectarian balance at every level of our Council. While there are ten active LLC branches around the country, gone are the days when the Liberia Council of Churches is seen as a Monrovian Club, we will move quickly to strengthen our efforts to have a national presence by putting offices in the capital city of every county around the country. We will start by putting regional offices around the country,” the LCC president remarked.
Affirming that his administration and officers will work within the confines of the ecumenical body’s Preamble, Rev. Reeves said the LCC will strive to serve as the conscience of the nation, and a reconciling force in time of disharmony, cognizant of their role in always maintaining peace.
Outlining a 14-count imperative of his administration, Dr. Reeves vowed that the LCC under his watch will maintain political neutrality and objectivity rooted in godly integrity.
“Therefore, no member of this administration shall be a spokesperson, affiliate, or card member of or partisan of a political party. We stand ready to do God’s work and the work of our people with neutrality and objectivity,” Dr. Reeves vowed.
He said the Council of Churches will partner with the Government of Liberia but will take no money from the government for national church related programs, such as Fast and Pray Days, among other activities, vowing that “the church will support the Church”.
Affirming further, the LCC president said his administration commits not to be the enemy to or the friend of, but to be true partners with the Government of Liberia on national concerns, providing work, spiritual guidance, and wisdom, noting, that the LCC commit itself to being proactive and not only re-active; promote freedom of speech; the separation of religion and state; promote freedom of religion, food security, better health, education, and Peace and Justice as well as the promotion of gender parity.
The LCC president further vowed that his administration will be a strong advocate against evil in the Liberian society; work towards the alleviation of extreme poverty; be a voice in the promotion of peace, good governance and human rights in Liberia; and commit to greater equity in the dispatch of Liberia’s resources.
“We oppose ‘get-rich-quick’ activities through misuse of governmental positions and powers; we commit to standing in the way of endemic corruption whether found in the government at the local and national levels, or in our churches. Corruption deprives our nation of her fullest potential,” Rev. Reeves affirmed.
The LCC leader also committed his administration to ensuring a world free of war; supporting integrity and sovereignty of nations, and standing against aggression, nation against nation.
“We commit to the family- the family is the core of every person, every people, and every nation. The LLC stands to promote a strong and healthy family of ma, pa, and children. A strong family makes a strong nation.
“We commit to collaborating our efforts in leveraging our combined resources (schools, hospitals, and scalable rice project), to better educate us, heal us, and feed us, and to create more wealth and wellbeing in this great nation,” Rev. Dr. Reeves vowed.
In closing, Dr. Reeves expressed being humbled by his preferment, thanking the LCC from the bottom of my heart.
“As we seek His face, may God hear our prayers, bless the works of our hands, and prosper the Liberia Council of Churches. I am your president today, but I will always be a prophet preacher. Permit me, please, to close this address in glorious celebration. I cannot help it – I am a Baptist preacher. Let the Church say amen. Let our thanksgiving ring aloud throughout the land; that the dawning of a new day is here. The ‘Good Shepard’ is with us. God has spoken, let the church say Amen! The Lord of host will never leave us nor forsake us. We are about our Father’s business,” Rev. Reeves intoned prayerfully.
Earlier, the outgoing president Bishop Kortu Brown, in welcoming the audience, said the task of heading the Council of Churches is indeed Herculean. “The day you will talk good about someone, they will clap for you, but the day you don’t talk good about them, they will not clap for you,” Bishop Brown remarked.
Turning over the leadership mantle, Bishop Kortu Brown said he hopes that this is a lesson for the church and the state. “We can disagree and we can agree and we can have greater aspirations for our church and our people. We wish the new leadership well.
Also making remarks, the Vice President of Liberia, Madam Jewel Howard-Taylor, spoke about the unity of faith, quoting from the Scriptures, Ephesians 4:11-16, which references how the body of Christ (the Church) grooms apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers – all tasked to work for the ministry, for the edification of the Church.
“My prayer is that each part will do its work as we work for the unity of our country, for the unity of the body of Christ, so that in unity we can build a new Liberia,” Madam Taylor enjoined.
For his part, the U.S Ambassador Michael McCarthy said, in a democracy it is the Civil Society Organizations, especially the Churches and Mosques that reflect society’s most pressing needs; and in Liberia, the Liberia Council of Churches is no exception. He noted that the Council of Churches is a critical companion for pulling the country back together after the long civil war.
“Liberia has proven to the world that after so many years of devastating chaos , you helped to host the most peaceful, most transparent democratic Presidential elections”, he said.
He added that next year the world will be watching Liberia in a hope to see another democratic election, free of manipulation, intimidation and bias.
The US Ambassador also reaffirmed that the diplomatic community and civil society will work with the Liberia Council of Churches to continue their essential work in holding all politicians accountable to the rule of law and respect for the will of the people.
The program was graced by the presence of the Vice President of Liberia, Madam Jewel Howard-Taylor; former Vice President Joseph Nyumah Boakai; representatives of various Christian denominations; the Muslim Community; outgoing and inducted LCC officials; members of the diplomatic community; well-wishers and sympathizers.
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