Monrovia, Liberia — May 31, 2025
The 35th General Assembly of the Liberia Council of Churches (LCC) concluded on Saturday, May 31, 2025, after four days of powerful dialogue and spiritual reflection under the theme: “Reconciliation: Acknowledging the Past, Accepting the Present, and Adjusting for the Future with True Healing,” grounded in the biblical text of Ephesians 5:14–16.
Delivering the keynote address was Rev. Dr. Fidon Mwombeki, General Secretary of the All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC), who began his speech with heartfelt gratitude to the LCC for the honor of serving as keynote speaker.
Reconciliation Requires Action
Rev. Dr. Mwombeki reminded delegates that reconciliation is more than a theme. it is a call to action. “Reconciliation is not just a word we speak; it is a lifestyle we must live,” he declared. Drawing from Ephesians 5:14–16, he emphasized the biblical call to “wake up from our sleep,” challenging the church and the continent not to remain in spiritual and moral slumber.
“Sleepers do not build nations. Sleepers do not stand for justice. Sleepers do not shape the future,” he proclaimed. “It is time to live wisely. Redeem the time, for time is the only thing you cannot keep, save. When you have it, use it wisely”
Honoring the Past, Without Dwelling in It
In acknowledging the past, Rev. Dr. Mwombeki lauded Liberia for its peaceful 2023 general elections. “You have made Africa proud by your elections” he said. “You have shown that even a fiercely contested political competition, but when the decision are made, we all accept.”
He cautioned, however, against being trapped by painful memories. “We are often blind and asleep by refusing to remember the positive past,” he noted. “Liberia gave Africa its first elected female president, not once—but twice. That is history worth celebrating.” He also paid homage to Liberia’s legacy within the All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC), recognizing its leadership in the continental church body, notably through the appointment of Reverend Canon Burgess Carr as the fourth General Secretary. A distinguished Liberian religious leader and professor, Rev. Carr served in this role from 1971 to 1978. Born on July 8, 1935, in Crozerville, Liberia, he played a pivotal role in mediating the 1972 Addis Ababa Agreement, which effectively ended the First Sudanese Civil War, and a strong advocate against apartheid. His outstanding contributions to peace and reconciliation across Africa earned him prestigious honors, including the Grand Cordón in the Order of the Two Niles from Sudan and the Commander in the Order of the Star of Africa from Liberia and naming a hall in his honor at the AACC headquarters in Nairobi.
Accepting a Complex Present
Turning to the present, Rev. Dr. Mwombeki issued a sobering assessment. “Let us be honest—the present is full of contradictions,” he said. “There are millionaires and beggars in the same neighborhood, even in our churches. A few get richer while many suffer.
He lamented the corruption that has become normalized across Africa, calling out electoral decisions based on tribalism. He said Africans bad mouth political leaders who diligently serve public offices and retire poor but hail the corrupt ones who embezzle public funds and retire as a wealthy person. He urged Africans to wake up
He also reflected on the desperation driving young people to leave the continent. “Our youth no longer believe they have a future in Africa. That is why they risk everything, even their lives, to cross oceans in search of greener pastures.”
Adjusting for the Future: Africa Is Our Home, and Our Future
Looking ahead, Rev. Dr. Mwombeki stressed the importance of claiming Africa as both home and future. “The Apostle Paul calls us not to be foolish, but to understand what the will of the Lord is,” he said. “Africa is our home, and no one will fix it for us.”
He referenced the continued marginalization of Black communities in the West—even after centuries—saying, “Even in America, 400 years after slavery, Black people are still treated as strangers.
He pointed to discrimination faced by Africans during the COVID-19 pandemic, even from countries where the virus originated. “Chinese people discriminated against Africans over COVID, and yet COVID started there. We must not run from our continent—we must confront its challenges.”
He concluded with a powerful metaphor: “Africa is a leaking roof, full of corruption and poverty. But the solution is not to seek shelter under our neighbor’s better roof. The solution is to fix ours. This is our home.”
