Monrovia – At the official observance of Liberia’s 178th Independence Day held at the Centennial Memorial Pavilion, National Orator Dr. Emmett L. Dunn delivered a passionate and provocative call to the Christian community, urging the Church to take a more proactive role in combating poverty and underdevelopment.
By Emmanuel Weedee-Conway
Taking the podium, Dr. Dunn challenged the Church to move beyond sermons centered solely on prayer and miracles, and instead embrace its broader responsibility to drive economic empowerment and community transformation.
He urged the Liberian Church to awaken from what he described as “spiritual complacency” and to actively engage in addressing the nation’s socioeconomic challenges.
“There is no honor in poverty, and nothing righteous about economic suffering when solutions are within reach,” Dr. Dunn declared.
While acknowledging the importance of spiritual guidance, he emphasized that faith must be accompanied by tangible action. Citing James 2:26 — “Faith without works is dead” — he lamented that too many pulpits preach prayer without promoting practical economic solutions.
“We cannot keep telling people to fast and pray for breakthroughs while doing nothing practical to equip them economically,” he said. “We must stop expecting miracles while ignoring the work of our hands.”
Dr. Dunn called on churches to leverage their influence to create jobs, support entrepreneurship, and provide vocational and life skills training. He envisioned churches as centers not just of spiritual revival, but of “innovation and productivity.”
He urged religious leaders to invest in cooperatives, credit unions, vocational institutions, and sustainable local businesses. “Prayer is powerful,” he said, “but it must lead us to action. Let the Church arise as a force not only of hope, but of tangible transformation. Let us stop spiritualizing poverty and start dismantling it.”
Extending his message to the wider religious community, Dr. Dunn called on clerics to speak truth to power and serve as the moral compass of the nation—not just within the walls of the sanctuary, but in the corridors of political and economic power.
He commended President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s humility and commitment but challenged him to take bold action to address Liberia’s lingering issues.
“To you, Mr. President: My 26 is on YOU! What do I want? I’m glad you asked,” Dr. Dunn said to a cheering audience. “Your leadership—marked by humility, character, and commitment—has offered a new tone to our politics. So, I encourage you: Lead boldly, transparently, and justly. Challenge the old order. Empower the next generation. Fire and not suspend. Enforce the laws. Surround yourself with people of competence and conscience. Who knows—like Esther in the Biblical narrative—‘that you have come to this royal position for such a time as this?’”
He concluded with a direct appeal: “Now is your time. Tomorrow is not promised. A second term is not guaranteed. Act now. Clean up this mess now.”
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