Monrovia – The President of the Liberia Baptist Missionary and Educational Convention, Dr. Olu Q. Menjay has distanced the Church’s Convention from the selection of Rev. Dr. Samuel P. Reeves as the running mate of Dr. J. Mills Jones of the Movement for Economic Empowerment (MOVEE).

Report by Edwin G. Genoway, Jr – edwin.genoway@frontpageafricaonline.com

“I repeat, the Baptist Convention does not support any political activity and we are not in support of any political decision made by Rev. Reeves. Rev Reeves is on his own, we are not in support of such political decision he has come out” – Rev. Olu Menjay, President, Baptist Convention

In a telephone interview with FrontPageAfrica Thursday evening, Dr. Menjay said Baptist Convention does not endorse the decision of Rev. Reeves as it was up to him and his congregation.

“The Baptist Convention is non-political and does not support any political party or politician,” he said.

Dr. Menjay added, “he did not consult with us and we respect his independent decision if he wants to be Vice President of Liberia, but the Baptist Convention does not support any politician because the church is a conglomeration of people from different political parties, so we are in the business of endorsing any politician or party.

“I repeat, the Baptist Convention does not support any political activity and we are not in support of any political decision made by Rev. Reeves. Rev Reeves is on his own, we are not in support of such political decision he has come out,” he reiterated.

Dr. Menjay and Rev. Reeves who pastors Liberia’s oldest church – the Providence Baptist Church –both contested for the position of the president of the Baptist Convention in an election that turned out controversial in 2012.

However, the Executive Committee of the Convention termed Dr. Menjay’s victory in the election as free and fair.

Dr. Reeves’ Church has also drawn a line between his own ambition and the Church’s position.

The Chairman of the Board of Trustee Church Thomas Major said Rev. Reeves as human created by God has the right to his personal decisions and he’s entitled to freedom of association.

“We are aware that our membership is a conglomeration of political ideologies and with our Pastor, serving as vice standard bearer of a political party will indeed create an environment of divergent views for members who have different political ideologies.”

“However, we pray that we remain committed to our respective individual political affiliations,” he noted.

He disclosed that the Executive Committee of the church will call a special call conference in the soonest possible time to work out all modalities to determine a course of action for the church.

Rev. Reeves, during the campaign season for the pending national elections, will not be serving as pastor of the Providence Baptist Church as he is currently embarking on his annual pre-planned working vacation which is expected to last for three months.

Mr. Major disclosed that in the absence of Rev. Reeves, the associate pastor of the church, Rev. Joseph J. Roberts, Sr. will serve as acting pastor until Rev. Reeves returns to duty.

The head pastor of the Mount Nebo Baptist Church, Pastor Garlison said his colleague’s decision needs to be respected, though it does not represent the position of the church.

He said it is time for Liberians to make a sound decision in the coming elections as to who to lead the country in the midst of all of the cries for development and change by Liberians.

“I respect his view because when I look at our country in terms of where it is going and the past, the present, and there has always been a cry out there with people wanting a change; they want development, they want a better country to live in, they want everything to be better, so with all of these cries, I think it is good for all of us to think about leadership and how we find somebody to lead our country in the coming elections,” he said.  

He said Rev. Reeves has served Liberia in many different capacities at the church level, saying, the Reverend has been a church leader and humanitarian catering to homeless kids and family members.

“He has been a humanitarian and continues to be.”

He puts clothes on the backs of children in the streets on a daily basis and if he can be a good Pastor at the Providence Baptist Church who built a hospital in Bo Water and built schools that students are attending, why people can’t think he can be a good vice president to change our country,” he told a FrontPageAfrica interview.

The former Chairman of the National Baptist Men and Political leader of the Liberia National Union (LINU), Nathaniel Blama said the selection of Rev. Reeves as running mate to Dr. Jones is shocking but welcoming.

“The more levelheaded people get into politics the safer the political process is and we also believe that he, having served as Pastor for the oldest church in the country for more than 15 years, he comes with an understanding of national issues in our political landscape.”

Monrovia – Former Central Bank of Liberia Governor Dr. J. Mills Jones late Tuesday named the pastor of the Providence Baptist Church as his running mate in the upcoming presidential elections in Liberia.

Report by Augustine Tweh, augustine.tweh@frontpageafricaonline.com

FrontPageAfrica first reported Monday that Rev. Dr. Reeves had been asked by Dr. Jones to be his running mate.

Sources have said that the clergyman has reportedly asked the church’s deacon board for a leave of absence although it is unclear whether it has been granted or whether he plans to step down permanently from the church.

In making his choice public Tuesday, the Movement for Economic Empowerment (MOVEE) standard bearer told scores of supporters at the party’s headquarters that the Rev. Dr. Samuel B. Reeves was the perfect partner for the journey ahead.

“It is my pleasure to announce that I have selected Dr. Samuel Reeves to serve as Vice Standard bearer of the Movement for Economic Empowerment, because he is a Liberian whose stands for social justice, a Liberian who stand for peace and a Liberian who stand for development,” Dr. Jones said.

Dr. Jones added: “Dr. Samuel Reeves has the ability to be a partner in progress so that at the end of the day we will be able to say that he was part of the administration not just the Vice President”

Dr. Jones, stepped down from his position after serving two terms as Governor of CBL in March 2016 has come under fire over possible violation of the Code of Conduct but has remained defiant in his quest for the presidency.

Rev. Dr. Reeves who has been Providence’s Pastor since 2006, served as Co-Pastor of the Madison Square Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States of America prior to returning home.

In May, President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf appointed Dr. Reeves as Co-Chairman to the Board of Trustees of the Grand Bassa Community College (GBCC).

Accepting the challenge Tuesday, Rev. Dr. Reeves said a new day is about to dawn for Liberia. “The future is now, it is time for meaningful change, a new day has come for Liberia.”