NATIONAL NEWS
MARGIBI COUNTY – The President of the Liberia Council of Churches, Rev. Dr. Samuel Reeves, has called for stronger cooperation among Christian denominations across Africa, saying the church must move beyond dialogue and translate unity into practical action.
By: Trokon S. Wrepue – trokon1992seokin@gmil.com
Rev. Reeves, who is also Senior Pastor of the Providence Baptist Church, made the call while delivering the keynote address at the ongoing Africa College of Bishops Meeting, organized by the Liberia Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church.
He said ecumenism should not be limited to cordial relations between denominations, but should recognize the shared responsibility of Christians to address problems affecting society.
Quoting Jesus’ prayer in John 17 that “they all may be one”, Rev. Reeves said Christian unity must produce tangible results.
“Poverty does not ask which church you attend, violence does not ask which theology you affirm, migration does not respect borders, climate vulnerability does not recognise denominational boundaries,” he said. He urged churches to combine their knowledge and resources to address education, humanitarian needs, climate resilience, youth development, reconciliation and ethical governance.
Rev. Reeves said the effectiveness of Christian influence should be measured by the transformation it brings to people’s lives.
The Baptist preacher challenged church leaders to ask whether communities are better because of their presence, including whether young people gain access to education, families receive support during hardship and conflicts are resolved through Christian leadership.
He also called for greater investment in Africa’s young people, saying the continent’s rising generation is already contributing to technology, business, science, culture, politics, media and civil society.
The vocal clergyman urged the church to prepare young people not only for worship but also for leadership and professional life.
Rev. Reeves further called for greater opportunities for women to take leadership positions and for lay professionals to play a stronger role in ministry and mission.
He said theological education should respond to the real questions facing Africans and challenged the church to develop leaders capable of combining strong faith with competent governance and responsible innovation.
“Conversation must lead to collaboration, collaboration must lead to coordination, coordination must lead to collective action,” he said, stressing that the future of the church would depend on whether current leaders successfully prepare the next generation to continue the work.
