PHOTO: Rev. Reeves (first from right) and other newly inducted LCC officials
By Augustine Octavius, augustineoctavius@gmail.com
The newly inducted leadership of the Liberia Council of Churches has reaffirmed its commitment to 14-count propositions, in order to maintain its role in always maintaining peace, and because of the diversity of the ministry, ecumenical commitment and unity in the country.
LCC President, the Reverend Dr. Samuel Reeves, who is also the President of the Liberia Baptist Missionary and Educational Convention, said the church is the conscience of the nation and a reconciling force in time of disharmony.
Rev. Dr. Reeves pointed out that the Church, which is cognizant of the role in always maintaining peace, will be politically neutral and objective as rooted in godly integrity.
Rev. Dr. Reeves made the declaration in Monrovia over the weekend, when he delivered his message at the induction of the shortly after the newly elected leadership of the Liberia Council of Churches.
Last week, a group of Christian clerics under the banner of the National Pastoral Network for Peace has called for the nullification of the election of the Reverend Dr. Samuel Reeves as President-elect of the Liberia Council of Churches (LCC).
Rev. Reeves, who is Pastor of the Providence Baptist Church and Head of the Liberian Baptist Missionary and Educational Convention, is the Vice Standard Bearer of the opposition Movement for Economic Empowerment and he ran as running mate to Dr. Mills Jones in the 2017 presidential election.
Addressing a press conference in Monrovia this week, the spokesman of the network, Bishop Justice Nyansiea, disclosed that Reverend Reeves should resign and give the position to the LCC Secretary General, Christopher Toe to act as interim President.
But speaking during his induction ceremony last Friday, Rev. Reeves said that no member of this administration shall be a spokesperson, affiliate, or card member of or partisan of a political party. National Politics Dividing The Church In Liberia – News Public Trust
Promises to partner with Liberian government
He added that the LCC will partner with the Liberian government but will take no money from the government for national church related programs, such as Fast and Pray Days, among other activities because the council will support its activities.
“We commit, not to be the enemy to or the friend of, but to be true partners with the Liberian government on national concerns, providing work, spiritual guidance, and wisdom and we commit to being pro-active and not only re-active.”
Dr. Reeves pointed out that the council is also committed to the promotion of press freedom, separation of state and religion, food security, better health, justice as well as promotion of gender parity.
“We commit that we will be strong advocate against evil in our society, the alleviation of extreme poverty will be a voice in the promotion of peace, good governance and human rights in Liberia.”
The Liberia Council of Churches President maintained that this leadership is endeavoring to greater equity to the nation’s resources, oppose to the get-rich –quick activities through the misuse of governmental positions and powers.
The Baptist clergyman made it clear that the council will stand on the way in the endemic corruption whether found in the government at the national or local levels or in the churches because corruption deprives the people of basic social services and potentials
“We commit ourselves to a world free of war; we support integrity and sovereignty of nations, and stand against aggression, nation against nation.”
Rev. Reeves made it plain that the LCC is committed to the family because 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 because 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.”
“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.”
“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 our nation and churches have been preaching hatred, sectionalism, and tribal politics, without integrity, designed to bring animosity among us,” the new LCC President said.
“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.”
In remarks, the United States Ambassador, Michael McCarthy, said in democracy, it is the civil society such as the church and the Mosques that reflect the views of the society more accurately.
“In Liberia,” he went on, “the Liberia Council of Churches is no exception because you are a critical component of putting back the country together after years of civil war.”
“Today, you serve as the voice of conscious holding the government to promises they made and calling the people to aim for higher goals.”
According to him, Liberia has proven the rest of the world that after so many years of chaos and mayhem, Liberians held the two most peaceful, transparent and democratic elections in the country’s history.
“You have set a standard for free, fair and transparent elections that envy of countries around the world and next year, the world will be watching Liberia in the hope of another democratic election that will be declared free of manipulations, void of violence and intimidation.”
“We look to organizations such as the Liberia Council of Churches to continue your essential role in holding all politicians to the rule of law and respect for the will of the people.”
LCC has civil society backing
Speaking on behalf the civil society organizations, the Executive Director of the Better Future Foundation, Reverend Augustine Akoi pledged the support of the civil society organizations cooperation with the Liberia Council of Churches.
“The Civil Society Organizations will remain to validate the good governance, peace and justice for all,” he said; adding” we will continue to perform that role.”
“The real lemon text for the Liberian democracy is next year during the presidential and legislative elections ; so it is better that we start preparing now not next year.”
For her part, Liberia’s Vice President, Jewel Howard-Taylor, said her prayer is that each part will do its work as Liberians work for the unity to build a new country.
Earlier in remarks, the outgoing President of the LCC, Bishop Kortu Brown, said in Liberia “we don’t celebrate one another and this some of the reasons we are always having conflict in this country.”
Others inducted were Bishop Samuel Reeves, First Vice President; Rev. Sanjee Stepter , Second Vice President; and Emmanuel Howe Treasurer.
The program was graced by a cross session of the Liberian society including members of various churches, family members of the inducted officers of the LCC, among many others.
The Liberia Council of Churches is an ecumenical Christian organization in Liberia and it was founded in 1982 and is a member of the World Council of Churches.