wfn.org | Liberian bishop says church remains

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July 17, 1997
Episcopal News Service
Jim Solheim, Director
212-922-5385
ens@ecunet.org

ENSGC-02-05

Liberian bishop says church remains strong despite civil war

By Genie Carr

PHILADELPHIA (July 17, 1997) - After eight years of civil war, the country of Liberia has lost more than 200,000 people to violent death, and more than 1 million people have been displaced from their homes - most of them becoming refugees to other countries.

But the Anglican Church of Liberia has remained strong, Bishop Edward W. Neufville of Liberia told the House of Bishops today.

Neufville and Bishop Barnabas Dwijen Mondal of Bangladesh were invited to speak to the bishops, and both brought greetings from their churches, which are part of the worldwide Anglican Communion.

Neufville thanked Presiding Bishop Edmond Browning and the Episcopal Church for its support, both prayerful and material, as Liberia has "been plagued" by the civil war. Schools were closed, and children have not been educated in the country for more than seven years. "They are now crying out for education," Neufville said. "This is the time for the church to respond."

He expressed appreciation for the Presiding Bishop's Fund for World Relief, "which has generously responded to the needs of our people, the hunger needs and the medical needs."

More than 800,000 Liberians have been forced out of their country to become refugees. Neufville said he was threatened several times and had to be "whisked out by the peacekeeping force." Once, he said, he was taken to Sierra Leone for safety, and finally was able to get in touch with Browning to let him know he was all right. 

"Many dioceses in (the U.S.) opened their hearts and homes" to fleeing Liberians, Neufville said. He thanked the Diocese of South Carolina for caring for his own family five years ago.

He said his country is "resuscitating" educational institutions and has already begun tutorial and counseling programs for children as well as "aggressively embarking on evangelism" and rebuilding health programs.  "We need doctors, teachers, nurses," he said.

Bangladesh Christians 'lonely and alone'

"Many of you may not know where Bangladesh is," Bishop Mondal said, "but you may have read about the cyclones and floods" that periodically devastate the tiny country. With 120 million people in 55,000 square miles (smaller than Pennsylvania), "there are people everywhere, overflowing in everything," Mondal said. 

Less than one-half of 1 percent of the population is Christian. "We make an effort to be witnesses to the love of Jesus Christ and work toward the healing of ethnic and religious divisions," he said. "We are grateful for the bond we have with the Episcopal Church in the United States."

Comparing his synod meeting of only 60 people and two bishops with the General Convention, Mondal expressed appreciation for the opportunity to participate with 3,600 other Anglicans during Wednesday's opening Eucharist. "That meant so much to us. We are cut off from our community, and one feels very lonely and alone" in a country with so few Christians. "But we rejoice in the Lord and in the fellowship of Christians," Mondal said.

The bishops  voted on several resolutions dealing with international issues, and:

*  concurred with the House of Deputies approving a resolution (D023,) accepting "Greetings from the Diocese of Cuba," and responding "with gratitude the greetings of peace and love from our brothers and sisters in the more than 50 churches and missionary stations throughout Cuba." Bishop Leopoldo Frade of Honduras told the bishops he met in June with seven of the nine Cuban bishops and heard that as changes take place in Cuba, the Christian church is growing.

* concurred with the House of Deputies on a resolution (A129) supporting outreach to migrant workers, urging the church to give greater responsibility to the dioceses and provinces to sustain and develop ministries among migrant and seasonal farm workers.

* adopted a resolution (B012) congratulating and supporting Carlos Felipe Ximenes Belo, the bishop of the Roman Catholic diocese of East Timor, "in recognition of his receipt of the Nobel Prize for 1996 ... (and in support of) the work of Bishop Belo toward a just and peaceful solution to the conflict in East Timor."

* concurred with the House of Deputies approving a resolution (A143) supporting Hispanic stewardship and training manuals that have been developed over the past several years.