What appears to be crisis has hit the Liberia Council of Churches (LCC) as some concerned member-churches of the LCC have called an emergency assembly on November 26, 2024 at the Lutheran Compound only for the election of new leadership and officers for 2024—2026.
A press statement issued during the weekend said all heads of LCC member churches, including the incumbent churches in leadership, are called to participate and send their delegates for the election process.
The concerned churches have decreed, resolved, affirmed, and covenant that they no longer consider Rev. Christopher W. Toe as SG of the LCC effective Friday, November 8, 2024 and will cease to do any and all business with him relating to the LCC in the capacity and position of SG.
The press release added that five delegates for full members, three delegates for associate members, and two delegates for fraternal members have been asked to attend the emergency assembly.
The release noted that, because the assembly is an emergency, all dues and registration for delegates will be suspended; but, however, there will be a fundraising led by the Ecumenical Women Organization to support emerging new officers elected for an immediate induction.
The concerned churches said, “The resolution from the concerned churches to the President of LCC July 18 2024, on counts of constitutional violations that we recommended to him that the new constitution that was adopted and still in a draft form should not be used and should be silenced.”
According to the concerned churches, LCC has ignored it and continued its implementation, setting up an executive board chatroom where decisions are made and circulated.
The concerned churches maintained that outcome meeting with Bishop Samuel Quire Jr. the 1st VP of the LCC, which was with the approval of President of LCC, to discuss the resolutions of these concerns were not addressed but a continued violation of the LCC constitution by not holding a General Assembly and holding unconstitutional executive board meetings.
The concerned churches claimed that if the new LCC constitution was adopted in May 2021 at an assembly held with them presiding, it is a “Conflict of Interest breach” and mediocre on the part of the incumbent leadership to insist on its implementation; secondly the intent is overshadowed prejudicially by an increment in LCC assessment dues by 400%, which is from $300 to $1,200 that made several churches to stay away from participation in the process.
“Again, some of the constitutional violations surround the expired tenure of the General Secretary, which has been ignored by the leadership because of the implementation of the new constitution that gives him a new indefinite tenure,” the statement said.
The concerned churches pointed out that Secretary General disrespected members and heads of churches of the Council (Concerned) by locking doors of the Council in an attempt to prevent them from meeting to find redress on these matters, thereby brewing continued disunity among the LCC members.
The concerned heads of institutions and churches called to attention all LCC members on these deliberate violations that threaten the smooth operation of the LCC, especially with the officers’ deliberate attempt not to hold assembly, which grossly violates the LCC constitution, and indirectly undermines the entire peace and democratic process of Liberia because of the role LCC plays in it.
November has been an alternative month for LCC Assembly for some years now. As a reminder, the immediate past leadership tenure was calculated with years of emergency of Covid-19 to indicate that an over-stay of any leadership must be justified with proper tangibility and approval.
Consequently, given the fact that the tenure of the present leadership expired with no assembly held in May 2024, the Constitutional month for LCC assembly; and the gross violations of the LCC constitution, we hereby evoke Article (V) 3.11 and Section 5 of the LCC Constitution to host an emergency General Assembly on November 26 2024, at the Lutheran Compound for the election of officers for 2024—2026.