By Frank Sainworla, Jr. fsainworla@yahoo.com
The former Secretary to the late popular Liberian female Christian cleric, Rev. Mother Wilhelmina Bryant Dukuly has dispelled longstanding allegations that soldiers loyal to former President Samuel Kanyon Doe maltreated her before she died.
Mother Dukuly, was one of the most prominent spiritual leaders in Liberia who spoke truth to power and preached against the ills in society, ever since she founded the Faith Healing Temple of Jesus Christ on Bushrod Island in 1971.
Fearlessly mounted the pulpit every week with her sermon broadcast on national radio every Sunday. Mother Dukuly consistently spoke truth to power. That period covered many years from the Tolbert civilian government and the military regime of Master Sergeant Samuel Kanyon Doe, who later took off his army uniform to become civilian head of state.
Born on January 17, 1917, the fallen charismatic female preacher died just weeks after the late General Thomas Quiwonkpa’s coup attempt on January 25, 1986. Her death prompted widespread speculations at the time that she was maltreated by troops loyal to Doe, who had earlier stormed the church compound in the wake of the abortive coup.
However, the late Mother Dukuly’s long-serving Secretary, Mrs. Helen Bassey, who was with the cleric throughout the period until her death in a London hospital, said she was constrained to debunk the claims still being harbored in the society that she was physically assaulted.
Mrs. Bassey told the congregation at a memorial benefit concert at the church on Sunday, March 31, 2019 that in fact when the troops stormed the Church’s Bushrod Island compound, Mother Dukuly was calm and never touched.
According to her, when the soldiers entered, they began to ask for her saying: “the woman who always saying bad-bad things about President Doe on the radio”
The Secretary of the fallen outspoken spiritual leader explained that Mother Dukuly then came up to the soldiers and said everything she preached about was what God told her to say and that she was not afraid of anything.
She then called out to the soldiers to drop their guns and go into the chapel for prayers, something Madam Bassey said they promptly did, after which they left the Faith Healing Temple of Jesus Christ compound.
The late Mother Dukuly’s Secretary said she was truly called into the preaching, teaching and healing ministry by the Almighty God, as was seen by her many prophesies.
In a book published in 2010 with the title, “God has a hold on me,” Christine A. Synder James, who is a niece of the late preacher, said the late Mother Dukuly was truly one of God’s chosen ministers.
“God used her to carry out his word. At the end of her destiny, she then called out our family together for what she called the last supper. I can still hear her voice ringing in my ear,” author James writes.
Sunday’s benefit concert, which was organized by the St. John’s Gospel Music Ministry International of top Gospel music star John Sheriff, was soul-stirring.
Maximum inspiration filled the sparkling white edifice of the, as powerful voices of both the old and young folks echoed. From the sweet and vibrant voice of elderly woman, Mrs. Violet M. Cole who thrilled the congregation with “How great thou art”; to the aging Dr. Togba Nah-Tipoteh’s Kpelle and Kru rendition; to Voice of Light Choir; climaxing with the Faith Healing Temple choir led by John Sheriff thrilling the congregation with a song like, “If I can help somebody, my living will not be in vain”.
The maiden edition of the “Dukuly-Young-Roberts” Good Samaritan Benefit Concert is in thanksgiving to God for the life and celebration of three servants of God,” the St. John’s Gospel Music Ministry said.
During the musical concert, tributes were paid three fallen spiritual Mothers, who were said to have “played their roles very well”.
Visibly moved by the Gospel musical showdown, an Executive Member of the St. John’s Gospel Ministry, Associate Justice Jamesetta Howard-Wolokolie said she had no doubt that the concert had rekindled people’s faith and trust in God.
Speaking just 24 hours after her fellow Justice on the Supreme Court Bench, Kabineh Ja’neh was impeached by the Liberian Senate, Justice Wolokolie said Gospel songs lifts her spirit whenever she was feeling down.
“There is a God in good times and in bad times,” she told the congregation.