Published: March 17, 2025
MONROVIA – The annual Joseph Jenkins Roberts’ Birthday Celebration, a historic national holiday in Liberia, faced a significant setback this year due to poor attendance.
The event, marking the 216th birth anniversary of Liberia’s first president, was held on Saturday, March 15, 2025, at the First United Methodist Church on Ashmun Street, Monrovia.
Born on March 15, 1809, in Norfolk, Virginia, USA, Roberts became Liberia’s first president after winning the October 5, 1847, election. He was inaugurated on January 3, 1848, following the country’s independence on July 26, 1847.
An Americo-Liberian, Roberts is honored for his significant contributions, including founding the Joseph Jenkins Roberts Educational Foundation and co-founding Liberia College (now the University of Liberia) in 1862, where he served as its first president until 1876.
Considered the “Father of Liberia” for his service to the nation, Roberts was appointed High Sheriff of the Colony in 1833. In 1839, the American Colonization Society (ACS) named him Vice Governor. Two years later, following the death of Governor Thomas Buchanan, he became the first American-descended governor of Liberia.
Beyond his presidency, Roberts served for 15 years as a Major General in the Liberian Army and as Liberia’s diplomatic representative to France and Great Britain.
Since his passing, the Liberian government has consistently observed his birthday as a national holiday. This year, President Joseph Nyuma Boakai formally proclaimed its observance, in line with an Act of the 42nd Legislature.
However, despite its national significance, this year’s celebration saw a notably low turnout, particularly among United Methodist Church members and government officials. Many seats, including those reserved for high-profile guests, remained empty.
Among the few dignitaries present were Finance and Development Planning Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan, who served as keynote speaker, former Central Bank Governor Dr. Joseph Mills Jones, and former Mano River Union Representative Madam Madina Wesseh.
The low attendance may have been influenced by ongoing divisions within the United Methodist Church (UMC) in Liberia, which has been embroiled in controversies, internal rifts, and conflicts among members.
Tensions escalated following the 192nd Annual Conference of the UMC in Gbarnga, Bong County. A breakaway faction, led by Bishop Jerry Kulah, severed ties with the Unity Methodist Church and aligned with the Global Methodist Church (GMC), an international denomination based in the United States.
At the heart of the dispute are allegations from Bishop Kulah and his supporters that the UMC, under Bishop Samuel Quire’s leadership, has deviated from traditional biblical teachings by endorsing same-sex marriage. Critics have labeled the UMC a “gay church,” leading to widespread division among Liberian Methodists.
Bishop Quire has strongly denied these claims, calling them false, misleading, and part of a smear campaign. “The United Methodist Church in Liberia is not a gay church and will never practice same-sex marriage, contrary to the Holy Bible,” he stated.
Further complicating matters, both the UMC, led by Bishop Quire, and the GMC, under Rev. Kulah, are locked in disputes over church property ownership across Liberia. The breakaway faction has renamed several UMC churches under the Global Methodist Church banner. In response, the UMC has restored the original names, calling the renaming act “criminal” and “spiritual gangsterism.”
Discussion about this post