1. The Consumed Baptist House In Place of a Fueling Station
…….Where Are We Heading As Baptists?
By: D. Edwin Clarke- Life Member, LBMEC
I’monce againperturbedtopenthisbrief onanotherpainstakingviolationof ourrightsas Baptists.
Since the controversial 2012 YekepaElectionof Dr. OluMenjay,the LiberiaBaptistMissionaryand
Educational Conventioncontinuestoremaininastate of confusionwithoutanytrace of solution.Crisis
continuestoshowitsuglytentaclesinthe LBMEC because reconciliationisyettotake itsroot amongst
brethrenof Christ.Fromthe veryinceptionof thisleadership,there have beengrossdefilementsof the
people’srightandthe complete annulmentof itsorganiclaw.All of these are happeningbecause
someone somewherewantstoexercisecloutthatdoesnotbelongtohim.In 2014, I wrote a memoirto
all Baptistsat the 100th Annual Sessionof the ConventionheldatWashingtonChapelonRicksInstitute.
In that article,Ihighlightedanumberof illsthatare and continue topervade the conventionwithout
any penitence bythe leadershiptohave themsolved.Inthatbrief,Ialertedconventioneersabouta plan
to lease ourBaptistHeadquarterstoa Lebanese forlittle ornothing.Ialsobroughtto theirattention
plansby the leadershiptosinglehandedlyturnoverthe Kwendi Projecttoone of its influential allies.Not
onlydidI raise them,Iinformeddelegatesthatdue tosaidplanto lease the headquarters,the officesof
the Conventionwere beingrunatan unknowndestination- whichlatersurfacedatthe BaptistSeminary
aftermountingpressure fromsome of us.
Since that touchyarticle thatledto the manhandlingof the boywhocarriesout the distributionbysome
conventioneersuponthe ordersof the Leadership-,I’magainbringingtothe attentionof delegates
whatwas once reportedbutwitha newdimension.I’mof the convictionthatwe asBaptists are aware
of the ongoingdemolitionof ournational headquartersbythe Rev.Dr.OluMenjayleadershipwithout
any clear- cut informationtothe people whoownthe LBMEC.It was ona sunnyafternoonwhile
enroute toPaynesvillewhenIcame acrossbulldozersvandalizingthe BaptistHouse withaninscription
“Future Home of NP”.WhenI saw that,I became concernand wonderasto whythe leadershipof the
conventiondecidedtobreakdownaprojectthat was once giventous by the formerfirstladyof Liberia,
Madam VictoriaTolbert,wife of ourformerPresident,Dr.WilliamR.Tolbert.Whatbeatsmy
imaginationisthe decisiontobreakdownanational headquartersinplace of agas station.What isthe
rationale behindsuchapoordecision?Isthe leadershiptellingusthatotherlandsownedbythe
Conventioncannotbe usedforsaidpurpose?I’magaingladto askDr. Menjayandhis corp of officers.
We have several propertiesinandacrossthe countrywhichI believedshouldbe usedtogenerate fund
for the conventioninsteadof destroyingaprojectwhere thousandsof dollarshave beencollectedover
the years. Yearsin and outto the bestof my knowledge,we collectthousandsof dollarsunderthe
“BaptistHouse RallyProject”,butup to date the headquartersisyettobe completed.
What I expectedof thisleadershipwastocontinue onwhatwas onhand insteadof breakingdownan
historicandtraditional shrine.We have ahuge parcel of landat the BaptistSeminary,landinBomi
County,Landat Ricksinstitute andthe Kwendi projectinNimbaCounty,butwhythe BaptistHouse.A
stone throwfromour vandalizedheadquartersisthe SeventhDayAdventistHeadquarters-seewhat

2. theyare doing,butas forus we took the contrary that hasno positive bearingonusas Baptists.The
BaptistHeadquartersisthe secondprojectbeingdestroyed;the firstwasthe BaptistCompoundin
CongoTown.Up to date we are yetto getfirst-handinformationonthe statusof saidbad and pitiable
decision.
My fellow Baptists,itistime thatwe speaktrue to power.Itisno more time for deceitandhypocrisybut
it’stime to engage the statusquo.Nomatter how close youare to the powerthat be,we mustmuster
the courage to correctthe wrongthat iseatingup the convention.We cannotsit supinelyandallowour
belovedconventiontobe ruinedbya groupof self- seekingindividualswhowanttoamasswealthasthe
expense of us.
As Baptists,will we continue tobe the leastindevelopment?Orare we justdeceitful toeachotherthat
we had refusedtolookat ourtransgressorsinthe face andtell themthe truth? Some mightargue that
theirdecisiontobreakdownthe headquarteristofundand carry out missionaryactivities,butIbegto
disagree.Idifferedbecause eachchurchunderthe LBMEC pays a yearlyassessmentof 10% of its annual
budgetto supportthe operationsandmissionaryactivitiesof the convention.
Secondly,letme againraise anotherimportantissuethatwe knowinglyknow butintentionallyrefused
to target.It has to do withthe runningof RicksInstitute.Thisboardingschool isownedbythe LBMEC,
but upto date,according to myknowledge,we are yettoreceive anyprogressreportonthe operations
of the school forthe past 10 years.Our President,Rev.Dr.OluMenjaybothservesasCEO/Principal of
the school and at the same time Presidentof the Convention.Isitnotconflictof interest?He’sboththe
referee andthe player- whoreportingtowhoand whoisaccountable to who.Are we not aware of this
bad governance?We thankDr. Menjayforhis efforttotransformthe school,especiallyinthe eyesof his
international partners,butwe mustalsobe encouragedtoengage himpositivelywhenitcomestothe
runningof the school.Thisinstitute isanotherpropertythatshouldbe generatingfundsforthe
Convention,butwe are justnotengagingourleaders.Theyare accountable tousand as such we must
exertthatemotional fortitude tocompel themtolive uptoour demandsandaspirations.
I, D. EdwinClarke,Life Memberof the LiberiaBaptistMissionaryandEducational Conventioncannotdo
all,itis incumbentuponus,especiallythe rational onesinthe Conventiontoengage the statusquoto
save our conventionfromthe handsof self- interestindividuals.