President Kamara Writes to Members of the Press Union of Liberia: Outline Some Achievements

K. Abdullai Kamara
President
Press Union of Liberia

Dear Members of the Press Union of Liberia, My Friends:

It has been 60 days since we assumed leadership of our beloved Press Union of Liberia. This is truly a new beginning, and we have to chart a new course that does not alter the acceptable ways of doing things, but one that enhances partnership, solidarity and fraternity, in the run up to ensuring a free, professional and responsible media. While all of the wonderful expectations of members of the PUL cannot be accomplished in 2 months, we have all the same set our sights on the key challenges and we are driving there – surely.
Within 60 days, we have succeeded in accomplishing a number of activities and instituting related ideas. Principal among these are:
Institutional Development

• The main draft of a 3-year Strategic Plan has been developed and costed. The document is being shared with relevant partners for review, in preparation for a multistakeholder validation session anytime in March 2014;
• Activities of the union have been tasked, with each elected officer responsible for one of the various themes and stakeholders the PUL is engaged with;
• The 5 standing committees have been set up, resourcefully chaired by 3 women and 2 men. Already, the chairpersons of these committees are playing very useful roles on the executive committee of the PUL. There have also been set up a number of ad-hoc, but all the same very relevant, committees to assist in the running of the union;
• We have held engagements with relevant partners in the community – the highest level of executive, legislative and judicial leadership; key players in the international community present in Liberia; crucial donor partners and of course, relevant civil society and democracy building institutions. These consultations have laid the groundwork for the PUL to sustain the process of making media a relevant part of Liberian society, and a key contributor to peace, democracy and development in the country.

Media Advocacy
Over the last 60 days, we have had to engage various government agencies for physical attacks on journalists. We have maintained that this is altogether unacceptable, but we have used various means of resolving them. We insist that there should be no reason for physical attack on anyone, let alone journalists, who are simply doing their work. We again insist that no such attack should go unattended.
We however recognize that the process of getting down to the final decision can be long and painstaking, and we easily agree to reach an understanding, where the offending party acknowledges, apologizes and is in a position to restitute all losses and damages.

Our preoccupation in this regard has been with working towards the review of the caseload of difficult media laws, including the perennial threats of contempt. This conversation has made the round in many of our engagements, and will be formalized as part of the strategic plans, when it is unveiled in the coming weeks.
Threats and obstruction of journalists’ work remain a case to reference. Particularly disturbing are the unlawful seizure of the affairs of various publicly owned community radio stations by county administration and political actors. This does not speak to the collaborative leadership that was put into place by the organizing donors, and limits public ownership of these facilities.
In the coming weeks, we will be following up cases with both the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Information for their involvement in ensuring that local government actors do not interfere with the free operations of these vital institutions.
Ethical Concerns
Observations and complaints of ethical breaches by journalists across the country have remained. The Grievance and Ethics Committee is already reviewing a number of cases for adjudication. The leadership however notes that some cases are of such grievous natures that we have had to make direct contacts to have them addressed. There have regrettably been instances of journalists raising tribal, religious and other sentimental flags. We have also had to draw attention to newspapers coming out without any trace of editor, publisher, etc. This is just so shameful and ridiculous. We are making efforts to contact those believed to be connected with such ludicrous work, and would make our findings public in due course.
In addition, the leadership and the Ethics Committee are determined not to await complaints before acting. While seeking resources to support full time monitoring of media content for ethical breaches, the PUL will be privately reviewing and challenging open breaches – even publicly, and gearing up to provide ethical comments at any public function or PUL activity. We hope this will not only raise the bar for professional journalism, but will also keep the public aware of actions that constitute bad journalism.
Membership
The PUL is bracing for a membership drive that is poised to make the PUL a professional, mass-based organization. This will reasonably be launched outside Monrovia. Various incentives are being organized to encourage a stronger membership. This will emphasize journalists from rural based outlets, as well as an increased number of women. We like to assure our members that while we encourage the idea of the more the merrier, we also note that the greater the recognition, the higher the need for responsibility.
Headquarters (100K)
We do not pretend that there is public misapprehension about the PUL, in regards to the $100,000 gift of several years ago. We are addressing this. A special committee has been set up to review the case. Already, consultations have been held with the lawyer, guided by comments from past leaders to chart a way forward. Members of those committees are upbeat about gaining success at an early date.
Activities
World Press Freedom Day 2014 will be held under the theme “Reaching New Goals: Free media fortifies the post-2015 Development Agenda,” with a focus on media’s importance in development; safety of journalists and the rule of law; and the sustainability and integrity of journalism. This activity will be localized in Liberia under the theme: Free Press Exposes Poverty to Bring Development, and will be observed through a two-day reporting exercise and consultative seminar in Gbarpolu County.
As part of this activity, journalists will crisscross Gbarpolu (and other parts of the country) on May 2, reporting the outstanding and successful issues in the MDGs, share their experiences at a roundtable in Bopolu (and elsewhere) on May 3 and report the stories in the national media in the subsequent week.
As usual, the WPFD will be climaxed with the annual awards night. Already, a committee of judges is being considered to collect and review entries for the awards, and to assist in planning an appropriate event, while partners are being sought to provide sponsorship for the various awards. By all means, the PUL is keen on recognizing the excellence put forth by journalists in Liberia, and this activity remains the only determinant of best practice.
Overwhelmed by Community Invites
The Liberian community continues to see the PUL as a source of advice and morality on national issues. We intend to keep this course. As a result, we have been engaged with various civil society and government related activities, least to speak about preparations for the Senatorial Elections; the constitution Review Process; and various legislations, including the Code of Conduct and review of government accounts by the PAC of the Legislature. So far, the PUL has provided a platform for the discussion of the Community Impact Development Bill, and is poised to make this platform available more often to discuss contentious national issues
In preparation for the senatorial elections later this year, the PUL is planning to organize debates in each county for citizens to engage their would-be leaders, on their expectations.
In all of these, we recognize the need to have a space for plural and diverse participation in our national affairs. Actions and decisions that seek to exclude any segment of our population on the basis of our dissenting position do not serve the greater objective of encouraging collaboration. Instead, it strengthens the case of division.
Partnership
All of these activities require resources. To acquire these, we rely upon the goodwill and commitment of the members of the PUL. But we also remain engaged with various donors, partners and corporate agents to ensure adequate resources to undertake these activities.
Challenges
All of these issues can only be accomplished with the fullest cooperation of the members of the Press Union of Liberia. To date, very limited due payment has resumed. Members of the PUL need to obligate themselves to the task of paying professional dues. That is irrespective of the high percentage against their meager salaries.
Salaries remain low for journalists. Conversations on the Collective Bargaining Agreement have not begun in earnest, more due to the fact that the Welfare Committee is trying to itself understand the agreement, before charting a road map.
The PUL is short of resources. That includes emoluments for officers and staff, and facilities to run the institution. Program ideas have been limited, and have only resumed lately. Optimism is the name of the game, and commitment is the charge.
Worse of the challenges is the inability to visit with most of the media houses. We are not ignoring you. We are simply trying to make your union a lot more functional. We however, now invite you to join us in making this union exemplary. Stop by the office anytime, and share with us your perspectives. Once we set things on course, you can be assured we will be visiting more often.
We are listening out to your comments, questions and concerns.
In the name of free speech and a responsible media, we remain.

Best regards,

K. Abdullai Kamara
President
Press Union of Liberia

UMC LIBERIA DELEGATION HEADS FOR FREETOWN, SIERRA LEONE



Rev. Roosevelt Goah, District Superintendent

and Head of Delegation, LAC?UMC

A five member delegation representing the Liberia Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church is expected to leave Liberia tomorrow, February, 25, 2014 to participate in the annual gathering of the United Methodist Church in Sierra Leone. According to sources from the UMC Liberia Central Office, the delegation will be headed by the District Superintendent of the St. John River District, Rev. Roosevelt Goah. Including in the delegation is the leadership of the various auxiliaries of the UMC Liberia. They include the presidents of the Men, Women, Young Adult, and Youth. The delegation includes Catherine Nyenawo, Associate Director, Young People Ministries, LAC/UMC, Bacon Borbor, representing the Conference Secretariat, Ben Korkpelleh, Former District Superintendent, and Angeline Kollie, Conference Usher among others.

The Sierra Leone Annual Conference (SLAC) is being held under the theme “Blessed to be a Blessing” using as their text Genesis 12:1-2 and will be hosted by the King Memorial United Methodist Church on Regent Road, Freetown, Sierra Leone. The conference is expected to bring together various districts within the SLAC, representatives from religious institutions, the government, and other partners from overseas including the United States of America. The SLAC Annual Gathering will run from Wednesday, February 26, to Monday, March 3, 2014.

The Rev. Dr. Charles S. G. Boayue, who is traveling with the UMC Liberia delegation, will serve as the Bible Study

Flashback: UMC Liberia Delegation preparing to

 travel to Freetown, Sierra Leone for WACC 2012

Leader at the SLAC gathering. Rev. Boayue also participated in the just ended 181st Annual Session of the LAC/UMC where he and other clergy presided over the elections of the UMC Liberia Laity delegates to the West Africa Central Conference and the General Conference scheduled for 2016. Rev. Boayue is Pastor of the Second Grace United Methodist Church in Detroit, USA.

Earlier this month the Sierra Leone Annual Conference sent a delegation of eight persons to the 181st Annual Session of the Liberia Annual Conference held in Gbarnga City,Bong County, Liberia. The SLAC delegation included Rev. James B. Caulker, Acting District Superintendent, West and Head of Delegation, Smart K. Senesie, Director of Mission and Development and Associate Head of Delegation, Philip Kpakima, National Men’s President among others.

The tradition of visiting and participating in each other conferences is a long standing friendly practice among the Liberia Annual Conference and the Sierra Leone Annual Conference. Both conferences are members of the global United Methodist Church.

 

Gbarnga School of Theology (GST) on the Rise

Entrance to the GST Campus

The three prominent brown letters GST greet every visitor who enters the campus of the Gbarnga School of Theology (GST), now the College of Theology of the United Methodist University in Liberia situated in Gbarnga City, Bong County, Liberia, West Africa. The colossal size of these letters tell a different story of the campus than what a visitor sees upon arrival there: lifeless, scattered structures, overarching trees, an unkempt campus, and an empty church building.

On one of my numerous visits, my visiting American friend asked me, midway into the campus, “Where is the campus?”

“This is it,” I said simply. As usual, and wanting me to feel good, my guest said “It is a great campus!”

The New GST Library to be named in
 honored of the Late Rev. Paul Saundar

All things considered, the statement of my friend about the greatness of the GST was very true. After 14 years of civil conflict, at which time the campus facilities where used and vandalized by the various warring factions and the peacekeepers, there is no way that the GST campus would have looked like its counterpart campuses around the world where there has been no war. So much for the sad GST story.

Recently, I was visiting the campus with a team of General Board of Discipleship/Discipleship Resources International and General Board of Higher Education and Ministries (GBOD/DRI & GBHEM) representatives who were there for the purpose of presenting 84 Kindle e-readers and conducting training for GST students who were receiving the items. Upon entering the GST campus, I couldn’t help but notice all the activity going on there. The construction of a huge building, which will house a modern library and administrative offices, a male dormitory that will house over 75 male students, and several hand pumps--one of which is being constructed by a Lutheran Missionary based in Totota, Bong County. So, I engaged the Dean, Rev. Dr. Yatta R. Young, on what was taking place.

The GST Males Dormitory

Established in 1959 and jointly run by the Lutheran Church, Episcopal Church, and the United Methodist Church in Liberia, GST remained the theological education lifeline of these churches, especially the United Methodist Church in Liberia. Though the partnership ended in 2000 when GST became a college of the United Methodist University, almost all of the clergy of the UMC Liberia passed through GST. The massive impact of the war on it facilities has has not kept the UMC Liberia from continuing to provide theological education to Liberians.

“We will ensure that GST is returned to its prewar status and beyond,” Dean Young declared in an interview with the West African Writers, an online magazine. She indicated that the Library Project is funded by United Methodists at home and abroad. “The largest portion of the funds; over US$20,000.00 came from Ms. Diane Shumaker of Kansas City, Missouri,” Dean Young affirmed. “The library, when completed, will move beyond the traditional library concept to introducing an e-library in order to enhance the e-reader technology which our partners at the GBOD/GBHEM are now making available to our students.  It will serve as a hallmark of new theological education in Liberia.”

The library will be dedicated in February 2014 during the session of the Liberia Annual Conference in Gbarnga City, Bong County. The library will be named in honor of the late Paul Sunder, the first leader of the Gbarnga School of Theology.

On the question of the dormitory that is now under renovation, Dean Young said, “It has been the dream of my administration to ensure that the male students are housed in order to remove the rental cost which is a major setback for most of the students in Gbarnga City, where GST is located. The dormitory is one of the facilities that gives GST the quality educational image it had in the prewar days,” the Dean asserted. According to the College of Theology Dean, the renovation work cost over US$10,000.00, including a grant coming from the Myers' Park United Methodist Church in North Carolina, the USA.

The next time I visit the College of Theology of the United Methodist University based on the campus of the famous Gbarnga School of Theology (GST), life beyond the three brown colossus letters will be a lot different. Thanks to overseas partners of the United Methodist Church in Liberia, especially those in the United States of America, for the contribution to theological education.

 

  

Sharing on the “Anti-Christian” Comments of the Two Great Churchmen

Pope Francis

The world was rocked by the comments of Pope Francis of the Catholic Church and retired Archbishop Bishop Desmond Tutu of the Anglican Church in South Africa in support of Gay and Lesbian communities. In their separate comments, each clergyman supported the fact that the constituents of these communities have legitimate rights to God's Kingdom and was in no way going to serve as a barrier to any of these people in their attempt to seek entrance to God's Kingdom. Bishop Desmond Tutu said, “God should allow gay people into heaven,” while Pope Francis said, 'If a person is gay and seeks God and has good will, who am I to judge them?”

Bishop Tutu

Surely, these comments were too hard

for any soft-headed Christian to take lightly, especially coming from Pope Francis and Bishop Tutu, two great Christians, if I may put it that way. In Liberia and in the social media (Facebook) there were several comments about the truthfulness of Bishop Tutu's Christian stance on the gay issue. “The Bishop is not a Christian,” one comment read. As I read through the various comments, I was tempted to ask whether these people were now taking the place of God, to be condemning other individuals for their failings to follow God's instruction of righteous living instead of leaving that assignment to God.

I did not see similar comments on the pronouncement of Pope Francis simply because it was not on the social media (Facebook) or not on my page. With the millions of Catholics around world and the numbers of gay sexual abuse cases haunting the Catholic Church, eggs would have been thrown at the Pope or even at television sets if his congregations were watching around the world. As a matter of fact, thank God Pope Francis made the comment on the plane after a well-attended meeting in Brazil. Had he made the statement in one of those gathering in Brazil, he would have lost more than half his audience.

I strongly think that these two outstanding men are not alone in their thoughts and beliefs. As a matter of fact, I want to share in their stance on the issue of the rights of gay and lesbian communities. There are several institutions and documentation that support these positions. I am not certain that Bishop Tutu would want sinners and their sins in heaven just as the Pope Francis would not want to interact with people who practice homosexual acts, unlike those with homosexual orientation. For example, Pope Francis stated, “There is a Catholic teaching that separates those with homosexual orientation from those who practice homosexual acts.” According to the Pope, the orientation is not sin; it is the act that is considered sinful.

Additionally and unless this discussion is held in other contexts, I am sure it is not the place of any one person to condemn another for a decision that rests purely with God. I read that Bishop Tutu's comments were in opposition to the decision of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe who threatened to “chop off the heads of gays & lesbians in his country.” As if there were not too many criminal activities in that part of the African continent or on the continent as a whole, why would any leader want to kill his people just because of their choice to life? How many gallows are there for the armed robbers, drug pushers and users, sex offenders, and all the various kinds of trafficking and traffickers? Oh, maybe African leaders, especially in those countries where there are laws against gay and lesbian practice are getting kickbacks from the other criminal activities, which they are not getting from the gay and lesbian people.

"I would not worship a God who is homophobic and that is how deeply I feel about this" Bishop Tutu said in his support of gay rights, something largely shunned and frowned upon on the African continent. Yet a lot of Africans, myself included, are not made destitute by the gay and lesbian people, but rather by the individuals who preside over our nations as presidents, lawmakers, and judges. These are the people we should shun, instead of the tiniest minority whose orientation is different from ours.

As I rumble through these classic statements (my description) of these two great Christians, especially, Bishop Tutu's, I realize that individuals with different sexual orientation have a place in God's Kingdom once they are transformed by God Himself. I think the retired Archbishop Tutu's desire to be in heaven with gay people is rooted in the scriptures. “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” (I Corinthians 6:9-11).

This is where I share in Bishop Tutu's comment. If the Apostle Paul can recognize the already washed people of God with their former identity, who is the Bishop to think that gay people will not be in heaven? The logical content of the Bishop's comment gets my strongest support.

I would not have agreed with Pope Francis more if I had not read what the Scriptures said about God's position on these matters. As it is written, Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated. What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God's part? By no means! For he says to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy”(Romans 9:13-16).

For example, the Pope admitted that there is “a lot written about the gay lobby in the Vatican, but I still have not seen anyone in the Vatican with an identity card saying they are gay.” The same is true about all the religious institutions (especially churches) in the world. We all go to church with some kind of sin under our sleeves or with someone we know is living sinful life. Surely, we don't stop going because of that reason. We either talk them into changing or pray for them to change; and gays and lesbians are included.

The United Methodist Church Book of Discipline states, “The United Methodist Church does not condone the practice of homosexuality and considers this practice incompatible with Christian teaching. We affirm that God's grace is available to all. We will seek to live together in Christian community, welcoming, forgiving, and loving one another, as Christ has loved and accepted us. We implore families and churches not to reject or condemn lesbian and gay members and friends. We commit ourselves to be in ministry for and with all persons” (BOD para. 161, The Nurturing Community).

Based on all these documentations and others that I cannot cite in this piece, I share in and support the stance of these two great men who in my lifetime have presided over and are still presiding over large Christian communities in the world. I strongly believe that there is room for more at the Cross of Jesus and this includes washed and transformed gay and lesbian people. As a matter of fact, the UMC Book of Discipline states that “the grace of God is available to all”; and in my judgment, that grace can only be found in God’s house, the Church.

Action or Inaction: President Sirleaf Pronouncements

The last three weeks have been hectic from the administrative point of view for the Unity Party-led government of the Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. In her nationwide radio talk show, she outlined the successes of her government and admitted some of the lapses of the government; including the fight against corruption, which has not gone well in her two terms of office, though she declared it “public enemy number one.”

For one week, radio talk show hosts launched a popularity and performance rating for the president after her hour-long radio talk show, which was hosted by the government-owned radio station, ELBC, and carried on other stations. Her opponents say she has not done anything for the nation and its people after seven years in office. Some vehemently condemned her and pointed to her lack of willpower to deal with her friends in the government who were suspected of corrupt activities. Not only did they condemn her, they refused to acknowledge the little things she has done such as the roads rehabilitation, the inclusion of non-partisans in key government positions, the recruitment of young people in the administration, and the freedom with which the government and issues related to it are discussed without fear.

Those who appeared on radio talk shows to defend the government found it difficult to make any sense at all to almost all who called in. Not because they were not making sense, but because their callers or listeners had passed judgment on them before they even came to talk to them. To the extent that citizens themselves failed to act, her government was blamed for their inactions. Listening to some of the radio talk shows, I was confused about what many Liberians, myself included, wanted from the Sirleaf-led government.

I know that at one time, I traveled to Buchanan and it took me six hours to get there. Now in less than an hour and half, I can reach the Buchanan City. Travel to Gbarnga is becoming a little easier because of the road rehabilitation, even though it is being done in parts. I am not a hospital freak so I cannot say anything about the health sector, but I am sure services at the health sector have somewhat improved. So now you see why I was confused listening to the radio talk shows.

I am not legally minded, so the issue of corruption and its attending consequences I may not be able to comment on sufficiently. Some of the things I heard on most of those radio talk shows were outrageous: “She brought her friends and relatives to give them jobs for them to take our money and go back to the United States of America”; “She and her children are pillaging our resources and there will be nothing left after her twelve years in office.” Still others alluded to concessions contracts that were signed without considering the interests of the Liberian people. Then my mind started racing back to the days when such radio show hosts or callers would be picked up by plainclothes security and driven away, only to reappear with complaints of being beaten. At this point in time, no one has been arrested for what they said or wrote about the government or the President in particular.

A few years ago, the General Auditing Commission submitted several audit reports to the government of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. Until today, the only thing we heard about those audits is that the government does not have sufficient proof or evidence to prosecute those who are accused of misapplying public funds in the administration of their duties. Though some of them resigned, others were dismissed and later found their way into other lucrative position in other entities. Better still, others were pardoned by the lead state agency responsible for bringing such people to book. I stand to be corrected: I think all audit reports are accusations on the one hand and an opinion of the auditor on how the system has malfunctioned on the other. Unless they are requested by the court as part of its proceedings to be submitted into evidence, audit reports are strictly for institutional updates.

I also know that audits are intended to check institutional systems and how well they are functioning. I remember the years of audits at the Monrovia District Young Adult Fellowship, which I served as Coordinator for ten years, there were always opinions, recommendations, and the way forward to make the financial officers' work easier for the following year. Based on this understanding, I am convinced that audit reports are not judgments on which the President or the government can send people to jail.

The second week started with the rumors that she was bringing her friend Mary Broh to the City Hall. Another round of radio talk shows gripped the airwaves ,and for once the callers were divided down the middle. Those who wanted her to the City Hall provided all the justifications for her to come in, while her opponents also provided their reasons for her to stay off City Hall. One newspaper referred to her as “Mary Broh: The Indispensable!” Frankly speaking, I don't know where I stand on the Broh issue. Whether or not she is at City Hall, I will do my part in keeping the city and my surroundings clean. If we all did just that, we would not have need for her.

In the third week and in what I suspect is the President's response to the poor rating she got on corruption, she fired two of her officials, suspended others, and made new appointments, which included the name of Mary Broh for the City Hall. I saw the sacking and suspension as a way of buying the public off the reappointment of Mary Broh to the City Hall. So while we were again arguing on radio about the timeliness of the decision on the sacked and suspended officials, Mary Broh was being endorsed by some of the folks on Capitol Hill. My source on Capitol Hill told me that there would be a standoff on the decision to bring Mary back. Division on Capitol, a long haul.

Seeing It Differently, I strongly think that it is not the President's inaction, but the processes leading to these pronouncements. For example, dismissing and suspending the officials does not in any way bring to closure the issues at stake, including corruption. Our over zealous activists are calling for prosecution without knowing what the legal process is in these matters. I learned that the Auditor General, Robert Kelby, is already challenging his dismissal. I am sure that at the end of the day, he will have to go. I am only worried about the disappointment of those calling for prosecution.

Moreover, I don't have a recollection of how many suspended officials made it back to their offices. However, because there is an investigation as requested by the President during these pronouncements, I am hopeful that most of the people suspended will craw their way back into government. As a matter of fact, Victor B. Smith of the Public Works Ministry, who was one of the suspended government officials is back at work. Again, because our activists don't follow these issues as they are, when any of these people like in the case of Hon. Smith, return to office, most of them will consider it as the President's inaction.

The bottom line: the dismissal and suspension are considered the President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf's action, but if she and her government fail to find sufficient evidence to prosecute, that will be the President's inaction as far as the activists are concerned.

UMC Liberia Holds Young People’s Leadership Training

The Rev. Dr. John G. Innis, Resident Bishop of the Liberia Area of the United Methodist Church is challenging adult leaders of the church to see young people as an important part of the church. “Let us value young people in all that we do in this church and state,” Bishop Innis declared. The Resident Bishop’s declaration was contained in his keynote address delivered at the United Methodist Church Young People’s Development Seminal on March 20, 2013, at the S. T. Nagbe Retreat Center in White Plains, Montserrado County, Liberia.

Bishop Innis said that for too long the young people of the church have been despised and regarded as troublemakers by the adult population of the United Methodist Church of Liberia. “It is now time that we start loving them and teaching them about the church we intend to leave with them,” the Bishop asserted. Speaking on the theme, “Know the Church You Will Lead Tomorrow,” the Episcopal Leader of UMC Liberia urged clergy of the church to work collaboratively with the young people in order to move the church forward in a positive way. He reiterated that the training has been his long-held vision for the young people of the church.

Bishop Innis also called on the young people to learn to understand the church that they will lead tomorrow. He emphasized that it is time that young people reflect inwardly to deal with those vices that will impede their involvement in the development and growth of the United Methodist Church of Liberia. In an apparent reference to the young people attending the training, Bishop Innis added,  “We want this nation (Liberia) to be built on this rock.”

The head of UMC Liberia further urged leaders of the young people’s ministry to provide the time and space for learning in order to enhance the understanding of their members. “We recognize the impact of the war on our young people, so we need to stand with them as we move this church forward,” the Bishop concluded.

The Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministries, S. Edward Harmon, said that the church and the state need to make good their promise to the young people by making available resources that will enhance learning. “If we need effective and efficient leaders for this church and nation tomorrow, the time to act on our desire in now,” Director Harmon said.

The training is sponsored by the General Board of Church and Society (GBCS) based in the United States and other philanthropic Liberians. The workshop will last for four days (March 20-24, 2013).

“Be Agents of Positive Change”

… Women Cautioned

Mrs. Elmira Sellu, Regional Missionary Initiative/UMW

Facilitators at the start of a three-day women’s empowerment workshop have called on participants to be agents of positive change for the improvement of their respective communities.

Mrs. Elmira Sellu, Sis. Alfreda E. Anderson, and Ms. Beatrice Fofanah speaking briefly at the start of the three-day Regional Missionary Initiative Workshop at the S. T. Nagbe United Methodist Church in Monrovia, challenged participants at the workshop to make positive differences in their neighborhoods, communities, country, and the world at large.

Participants at the Regional Missionary Initiative Workshop

In separate remarks, the three leaders representing the General Board of Global Ministries, Liberia Annual Conference, and the Sierra Leone Annual Conference told participants at the gathering to be selfless and always think about bringing hope to the hopeless and courage to the downhearted.

Mrs. Sellu urged participants to always be in readiness to show positive attitudes, love, and a clear heart to others. She told participants to be good leaders who care about people’s feelings—what they feel, how they feel, and why they feel that way, in a given situation.

Madam Sellu said agents of positive change are leaders who live lives with legacies that benefit others.

She maintained that any leader who fails to reproduce himself or herself is a failure, leaving behind a short positive memory but with a long-lasting negative effect on those left behind.

The workshop is now in its second day of dealing with various topics such as “women as leaders in church and society”, “women and gender”, “women and HIV/AIDS”, and “how to work with young women” among others. The workshop is filled with interactions and dramas depicting various behaviors of good leaders and servants.