Liberia: Christian Community Extols God For Peaceful Elections and Transition Following Tension-Packed Elections

MONROVIA – In an effort to express gratitude to God, knowing that “gratitude helps us to realize all we have comes not because of us, but from God;” a National Thanksgiving Service under the theme “Liberia says Thank you Lord,” was held on Sunday, January 14, 2024, at the Harvest Intercontinental Cathedral (formerly Bethel) on Tubman Boulevard, Congo Town.

The National Thanksgiving Service was organized by the Christian Community of Liberia, under the auspices of the Liberia Fellowship of Full Gospel Ministers/Churches (LFFGM/C) and the Spiritual Stakeholders’ Prayer Initiative (SSPI). Bishop Dr. M. Wolo Belleh, Apostle Dr. Samuel Carr, and Bishop Robert Baimba were the chief organizers, with over 90 persons acting as support staff.

Delivering the thanksgiving message, Bishop Dr. M. Wolo Belleh, said “this gathering is our response to the Gracious and Powerful Hand of God that steered us peacefully through a challenging election, and now leads us into a historic transition of political power, as beseeched through fasting and prayers of many believers in and out of Liberia.”

His throughout Liberia’s history, God has always been to the rescue of the country every time he is called upon in times of trouble.

This service has been arranged because we are overtaken with conviction that we, are as a nation, we as a people owe it to God. This afternoon, we want to let you know that we feel obliged to say thank you Lord all because God requires from our nation, from a group of people. No one is able to pay the Lord back for the things he has done- whether big or small. I’ve come to let you know that there is nothing we can do, big or small to pay back. This is why all the Lord requires from Liberia, individual and families is thank you Lord,” he said.

Liberia, a country founded by freed African slaves from America, is deeply rooted in Christianity. The Declaration of Independence was signed in the Providence Baptist. In times of trouble such as the 14-yar civil war, Ebola and the COVID-19 pandemic. Liberians turned the God for intervention.  

In the days leading to Liberia’s 2023 presidential and legislative elections, the Christian Community of Liberia invited all major candidates in the elections to pray for peaceful polls.

Bishop Dr. Dr. M. Wolo Belleh said God answer their prayers and now that the elections are over, it was befitting to assemble again and thank the Lord.

He furthered: “We want to thank God because we all know, we all are aware that God, that Christ is the foundation of this country, and without him this nation would not have stood. Historically every time this nation is threatened, we run to God, he will hear us and answer us. even wen the election was closer, we realized that if not for God, we would have been shattered. We are witnesses to the fact that God gave peace to Liberia and we are free. Today we come to say thank you to the Lod for hearing us and for giving us peace. The people came, the president was represented by the VP, president elect (then candidate).  As we look back, we can take not forget the fact that Liberia was threatened. There were to many vices that we cannot control ourselves all because of politics.”

Bishop Robert Baimba, the organizing chairman thanked the Christian community for their collaboration to make the service a success. “We want to be grateful to God. It is good to give thanks to God. The Christian community, want to be grateful to God for what he has done under the leadership of Bishop Dr. Wolo Belle who gave us a strong message today. And we are taking it back home with the assurance that this country is blessed.”  

The service was attended by well top religious leaders including Arch Bishop Dr. Isaac Winker, Sr., Bishop Nathaniel Zarway and Bishop, J. Maxwell She, among others.