MONROVIA – The Liberia Council of Churches has shattered its credibility and forfeited its moral authority, critics say, after honoring House Speaker Richard Koon—one of the central figures in a months-long constitutional crisis that paralyzed the nation’s legislature.
The Council’s decision to induct Koon into its Bishop George D. Browne Hall of Fame during its 35th General Assembly on May 30 has triggered widespread condemnation from senior religious leaders, civil society advocates, and former diplomats. They argue the Council has chosen political expediency over prophetic integrity, at a time when Liberia desperately needs principled voices to challenge the abuse of public trust.
Koon, whose claim to the Speakership was nullified by the Supreme Court just weeks ago, was described by the Council as an “Astute Statesman for National Development.” The honor was conferred at the Liberia Baptist Theological Seminary along the Robertsfield Highway, during an event that some attendees walked out of—and others refused to attend altogether.
“The LCC has lost its bearing,” warned Bishop Andrew Jagaye Karnley in a sharply worded social media statement. “The internal wrangling and the bestowing of honor on a controversial political figure leave me wondering what this Council stands for anymore.”
Karnley’s criticism was echoed by Michael T. Biddle, who revealed he had privately pleaded with senior members of the LCC to reconsider the decision. None could provide a convincing justification, he said. “By moving ahead with this award, the Council has further alienated itself from the very people it claims to serve,” Biddle noted.
Biddle disclosed that it was his idea to include former Speaker J. Fonati Koffa as an honoree to strike a balance. But he anticipated—and was proven right—that Koffa would reject the honor, likely to avoid legitimizing a process that rewarded his political rival.
Koffa, a Grand Kru County Representative and a senior member of the opposition Coalition for Democratic Change, declined the LCC’s offer of the “Advocate for Justice and the Rule of Law” award. “I do not deem myself worthy of such an award,” he said tersely, without elaboration.
The strongest rebuke from the political class came in real time. Former Foreign Minister Olubanke King-Akerele, present at the ceremony, was seen agitating and vocally opposing the honor. “No! This is wrong!” she exclaimed during the event—moments that were captured on video and widely shared across social media platforms.
Cllr. Charlyne Brumskine, in a podcast posted to her Facebook account, said the LCC’s decision had inflicted long-term damage to the moral standing of Liberia’s leading Christian body.
“The Church should be preaching salvation and holding public officials accountable, not celebrating politicians who have deepened national divisions,” said Brumskine, a devout Christian, attorney, and former vice-presidential candidate. “This decision makes it harder for the Council to ever criticize wrongdoing in government again.”
She further warned that undue political alignment by the Council would weaken the public’s trust in religious institutions. “The Council of Churches should never become an award-giving body for politicians. That’s not its role. It was once the moral voice of the nation. Now it risks becoming just another political club.”
Brumskine stressed that individual churches have every right to honor their own parishioners, but that the national Council must rise above partisan preferences. “There are unsung heroes in our hospitals, classrooms, and communities who are far more deserving of national recognition than politicians who helped orchestrate legislative gridlock.”
The root of the outrage lies in a political saga that began in October 2024. While then-Speaker J. Fonati Koffa was on international travel, over 40 lawmakers led by Representative Samuel G. Kogar staged a controversial session at the RLJ Hotel, aiming to remove Koffa. Though they lacked the constitutionally required 49 votes, they installed Richard Koon—then a failed Speaker candidate—as the new presiding officer.
Koffa challenged the move at the Supreme Court and won a ruling in his favor, though the Court’s use of the term “ultra vires” created ambiguity. That ambiguity was exploited by the Executive Branch, with Justice Minister Oswald Tweh advising President Joseph Boakai to recognize Koon’s bloc. The result: two competing factions, legislative paralysis, and millions of dollars in public spending with little to no governance output.
In May 2025, the Supreme Court reaffirmed its position, finally compelling Koffa to resign. A fresh election was held in which Koon—who had impersonated the Speaker role for months—contested again and won, albeit without reaching the two-thirds threshold.
For critics, this sequence of unconstitutional maneuvers and the Executive’s alignment with an illegal majority made the LCC’s decision to celebrate Koon even more offensive.
“Why would the Church reward a man who presided over an illegitimate process that cost the nation time, money, and trust in its democratic institutions?” asked Moses Dorbor, former Director of Programs at the Liberia Broadcasting System. “This action by the LCC is disgraceful.”
Dorbor, who once served as President of the LBS Workers Union, called for an internal revolt. “Let individual churches condemn the Council’s decision. Let them demand accountability from the leadership.”
He added, “We know the Church needs funding, but this looks like selling out for peanuts. If the LCC cannot stand up to political power, it has no prophetic voice left.”
The Hall of Fame in which Koon was inducted is named after Bishop George D. Browne, the Council’s founding president, known for his defiance of the Samuel Doe dictatorship. Many say the decision to honor Koon betrays that legacy.
“This is not the LCC of Bishop Browne,” one disillusioned pastor said after walking out of the ceremony. “That Church fought for justice. This one claps for those who mock it.”
The event itself suffered from poor turnout. Several dignitaries stayed away, and even among delegates present at the Assembly, the mood was subdued.
To deflect from the controversy, the Council has scheduled a National Intercessory Prayer Service for May 31 at the same Seminary compound. The gathering, the LCC says, will be an opportunity to “reflect on Liberia’s leadership challenges and pray for the nation’s healing.”
“Honoring Speaker Koon is not reconciliation—it’s reward for impunity,” said Brumskine. “This was a chance for the Church to stand up for what’s right. Instead, it stood with power.”
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