West African Writers

Category: The Circuit Rider

  • Training for Bible Teachers Launched in Liberia

    Bible Teacher’s Training in Monrovia, Liberia. March 16, 2013

    Bible Textbook Teacher’s Training has begun in Liberia. “We must improve the way religious education is taught in the school system of the United Methodist Church,” said Rev. Joseph T. Garkpee, Director of the Department of Christian Education of the Liberia Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church.

    Speaking during the launch of the program Rev. Garkpee said the purpose of the training was to refresh the minds of Bible instructors and Sunday School teachers throughout Liberia. He said the church was not satisfied with the decline in the morals and values of Christian Education. Attributing the decline of the state of teaching to the number of unprepared and unqualified Bible Textbook teachers, Rev. Garkpee noted the long history of education in the Methodist tradition.

    Reflecting on the years of the Liberian civil wars, Rev. Garkpee hailed the Vacation Bible School (VBS) program of the United Methodist Church as one of the educational opportunities offered by churches to build up the Christian faith and moral standards of many Methodists and Liberians in general.

    The Publishing Team of United Methodist Church in Liberia through its Department of Christian Education launched this first in the series of Teacher Training on March 16, 2013. Also speaking at the launch, the chair of the Planning Committee of the Publishing Team, S. Edward Harmon said this was the beginning of a training series the team will undertake. He said plans are under way to decentralize the training process. The local area judicatory agencies will be involved in basic training and this will “rejuvenate the church’s moral and ethical standards through the school system.”

    Mr. Harmon further called on all United Methodists across the country to embrace the training exercises saying, “This will help widen the scope of understanding and knowledge of individuals who are teaching the Bible Textbooks in our schools.”

    The Facilitator, Rev. Momoh S. Kpaan also called on the Department of General Education and Ministries to ensure that Methodists who graduate from the Gbarnga School of Theology (GST) be employed within the Methodist School System. The GST professor said, this is the only way the UMC School System will have prepared and qualified teachers.

    The training is sponsored by the General Board of Discipleship and Discipleship Resources International based in Nashville, Tennessee, USA.

    By: Esau J. Farr

  • Liberia United Methodists Train Young People

         The Rev. Dr. John G. Innis, Resident Bishop of the Liberia Area of the United Methodist Church is challenging adult leaders of the church to see young people as an important part of the church. “Let us value young people in all that we do in this church and state,” Bishop Innis declared. The Bishop’s declaration was contained in his keynote address delivered at the United Methodist Church Young People’s Development Seminar on March 20, 2013, at the S. T. Nagbe Retreat Center in White Plains, Montserrado County, Liberia.

    Bishop Innis, center, with delegation from Monrovia.
         Bishop Innis said that for too long the young people of the church have been despised and regarded as troublemakers by the adult population of the United Methodist Church of Liberia. “It is now time that we start loving them and teaching them about the church we intend to leave with them,” the Bishop asserted. Speaking on the theme, “Know the Church You Will Lead Tomorrow,” the Episcopal Leader of UMC Liberia urged clergy of the church to work collaboratively with the young people in order to move the church forward in a positive way. He reiterated that the training has been his long-held vision for the young people of the church.
         Bishop Innis also called on the young people to learn to understand the church that they will lead tomorrow. He emphasized that it is time that young people reflect inwardly to deal with those vices that will impede their involvement in the development and growth of the United Methodist Church of Liberia. In an apparent reference to the young people attending the training, Bishop Innis added,  “We want this nation (Liberia) to be built on this rock.”
         The head of UMC Liberia further urged leaders of the young people’s ministry to provide the time and space for learning in order to enhance the understanding of their members. “We recognize the impact of the war on our young people, so we need to stand with them as we move this church forward,” the Bishop concluded.
         The Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministries, S. Edward Harmon, said that the church and the state need to make good their promise to the young people by making available resources that will enhance learning. “If we need effective and efficient leaders for this church and nation tomorrow, the time to act on our desire in now,” Director Harmon said.

    The training is sponsored by the General Board of Church and Society (GBCS) based in the United States and other philanthropic Liberians. The workshop will last for four days (March 20-24, 2013).