Monrovia – Liberia Council of Churches or LCC has honored the World Council of Churches at its 70th Anniversary held in Geneva, Switzerland.
The World Council of Churches and World Health Organization have a cooperative MOU since 1975 for churches to cooperate in global health intervention.
The World Council of Churches has accompanied Liberia for many years even before the formation of the Liberia Council of Churches especially through a refugee resettlement program under the auspices of the YMCA that mainly helped Sudanese refugees in 1970s and 80s.
WCC is the largest ecumenical body in the world comprising of more than half-a-billion Christians in more than 350 denominational churches from the around the world.
Lutheran Bishop, D. Jensen Seyenkulo who is First Vice President of the LCC, made introductory remarks during the honoring ceremony in Switzerland. LCC President, Bishop Kortu K. Brown presented the award to the World Council of Church on behalf of the Church and people of Liberia at WCC 70th anniversary at the Bossey Ecumenical Centre, the premier theological seminary of the organization, outside Geneva, Switzerland.
WCC 70th year celebration is being held under the theme: Walking together, serving justice and peace focused on many opportunities of great achievements working for Christian unity and action, and further looked at challenges ahead as a fellowship of churches responding to God’s call for unity, mission, justice and peace.
Bishop Brown recounted that when LCC was organized; the refugee program was relocated to the LCC and developed into a new department called the “Emergency, Relief and Refugee” department.
Bishop Brown noted that WCC supported the operational and infrastructural development of the council up to the outbreak of the civil war and mobilized and encouraged ecumenical partners from around the world to accompany Liberia during her great hour of temptation, referred to as the civil war.
The religious prelate said the WCC has also been supportive of the Liberia Council of Churches National and Inter-religious peace efforts, many times fielding solidarity visits to the country and other countries on the pilgrimage of peace and justice. During the outbreak of EBOLA viral disease in Liberia, the world church body was very supportive of the national ecumenical efforts.
Staff personnel from Geneva remained engaged with LCC efforts throughout the crisis while the organization contributed about 12,000 Franc in cash to support LCC intervention. During the 3-day national fast and prayer against EBOLA, August 6-8, 2014, WCC sent a letter of solidarity with Liberians and the churches expressing strong support for efforts that were being undertaken by the nation and the churches to defeat Ebola, Bishop Brown stated. When the Government of Liberia honored the Liberia Council of Churches for the fight against Ebola, he said WCC welcomed the honor through one of their weekly media publication noting, WCC remains grateful for the Churches intervention against EBOLA in Liberia. The LCC President said In 2014, when LCC launched the “Church Response to Fight Hunger” Initiative, the WCC sent the now Methodist Bishop of Nigeria, Right Rev. Dr. C. Raphael Opoko to represent the WCC General Secretary, by serving as Keynote Speaker while former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf served as Chief Launcher, noting, Bishop Opoko is an outstanding member of the Central and Executive committees of the World Council of Churches. Bishop Kortu Brown named part of the reasons for the honor bestowed on WCC at the 70th anniversary as reactivating Liberia Council of Churches full participation in the activities of the global church body during this season.
He concluded by saying WCC further accompanied LCC on intervention with the National Council of Churches in the USA to lobby with the Government of United States of America to defer deportation of Liberians on expired TPS/DED. An Appeal letter to President Donald Trump was signed by more than 600 church leaders from in and out of the United States. The LCC therefore presented a plaque to the World Council of Churches on the 70th Anniversary of the organization