Internal conflict is said to blowing within the Liberia Council of Churches (LCC) as a faction of aggrieved member churches and leaders, under the banner “Concerned Heads of Churches and Organizations of the LCC,” have issued a Declaration of No Confidence in the Council’s current leadership. The group is threatening to take the matter to court, accusing Rev. Dr. Samuel B. Reeves, President of the Council, of violating the organization’s constitution and unilaterally seeking to extend his term in office.
At a press conference held on Wednesday, May 28, 2025, on Bushrod Island, the group, led by Bishop Torgbor E. Dixon of Don Stewart Christ Pentecostal Church, condemned what it called “constitutional manipulation and political overreach” by Rev. Reeves and his executive team. Bishop Dixon alleged that the leadership has consistently ignored mediation efforts and has proceeded with actions that could permanently fracture the Council’s unity.
“This process started since last year,” Bishop Dixon said. “We have been negotiating behind closed doors to resolve the matter, but Rev. Reeves and his leadership have refused to sit with us and past leaders of the LCC over the past eleven months.”
Central to the dispute is an allegation that Rev. Reeves, who ascended to the presidency of the LCC in 2022, unilaterally amended the LCC constitution to extend his tenure from the original expiration in 2026 to 2028—without full consultation or consensus from the General Assembly or member churches.
Bishop Dixon noted that this move was not only unauthorized but also undermined the very foundation of the Council’s democratic processes.
“We are religious leaders—not politicians,” he said. “So rather than disrupting the General Assembly, which is now ongoing in Paynesville, we believe the best course of action is through the courts. We are confident that the judiciary will nullify this unconstitutional assembly.”
The LCC is currently holding its 35th General Assembly in Paynesville, but the concerned group says the event is illegitimate and convened without proper authority or adherence to the LCC’s governing documents.
In a formal communication dated May 28, 2025, addressed to Rev. Reeves, the aggrieved leaders questioned the legality of the convention, describing it as a “predetermined process tailored to entrench a single leadership.”
The letter cited the hasty redrafting and adoption of a new constitution favorable to Rev. Reeves, terming it inconsistent with the established LCC constitution and values.
“Holding a convention and conducting elections under these disputed terms is not only illegal—it undermines every effort aimed at peaceful reconciliation within the LCC,” the communication read.
“Should you proceed with this convention despite our objections, we will be compelled to seek legal redress.”
In response, the current leadership under Rev. Dr. Samuel B. Reeves has rejected the accusations, asserting that all decisions taken—including constitutional amendments and the convening of the General Assembly—were endorsed by the Executive Council and supported by LCC chapters across all 15 counties.
The leadership maintains that the Council is operating under a revised constitution adopted in 2023, which emphasizes transparency, accountability, and institutional renewal.
However, the dissenting faction argues that the process lacked transparency and inclusion, pointing out that decisions were made without wider consultation from the Council’s full body of stakeholders, including grassroots church leaders and ecumenical partners.
Further intensifying the row, Bishop Dixon accused Rev. Reeves of politicizing the LCC and silencing the Council on critical national issues, including corruption, governance failures, and social justice.
“The LCC should be a moral voice for the nation,” Bishop Dixon lamented. “But under the current leadership, the Council has remained mute on the very issues that affect the spiritual and social well-being of our people.”
With legal documents being prepared and the threat of a lawsuit looming, Liberia’s religious community faces one of its most serious internal rifts in recent memory. Analysts fear that unless swift mediation occurs, the crisis could damage the credibility of the LCC—a historically influential body that has helped steer Liberia through civil war, elections, and peacebuilding.
For now, the aggrieved parties are holding firm to their demand: “We urge Rev. Reeves to halt the ongoing convention. If he does not, we will have no choice but to allow the court to restore order and constitutional respect within the Council,” Bishop Dixon concluded.
