Richard Wilson, president of the Liberia Baptist Theological Seminary

Also in March, Richard Wilson, a professor at Mercer University in the state of Georgia in the United States, who was seconded to serve in Liberia, was installed as the sixth president of LBTS. Baptists have, historically, been among the most influential religious groups in the West African country. Lott Carey, one of the first black American missionaries as well as the first Baptist missionary to Africa from the US, was instrumental in the founding of the Colony of Liberia. The colony officially became the Republic of Liberia in 1847.

Facing page, top: Good Hope Baptist Church in Marshall City, one of the historic locations of Baptist work in Liberia

Facing page, far left: A celebratory gathering at the Baptist youth camp after the Freedom Walk

Facing page, lower right: Olu Menjay, Liberia Baptist Missionary and Educational Convention president, at the Baptist youth camp with Ottolee, his wife

Joseph Cheeseman, a founder of the LBMEC and who served as its president for 16 years, was president of Liberia from 1892 until his death in 1896. William Tolbert, president of Liberia from 1971 until his assassination in 1980, was president of the Baptist World Alliance from 1965-1970, the first African to hold that position. He was previously elected LBMEC president in 1958. Other Baptists have held senior government and elected positions in the country.

Above: Liberia Baptist Missionary and Educational Convention President Olu Menjay laying a wreath at the tomb of convention founder, Joseph Cheeseman

Left & below: Worshippers and participants at the Centennial Celebration of the Annual Session of the Liberian convention

founded in the 1880s, is a Baptist school from kindergarten to grade 12, with a coeducational residential campus. He also served as a member of the Board of Trustees of LBTS from 2009-2012. Dunn was born in Monrovia, Liberia’s capital. After earning

a Bachelor of Theology degree from LBTS, he was ordained to the Christian ministry in 1987 at Providence Baptist Church, his home church, and was appointed education director and assistant minister.

He received a World Council of Churches scholarship and studied at the Virginia Theological Seminary and the Howard University School of Divinity, in the United States. He has done

additional studies in sustainable community development at Colorado State University. Dunn became director of the BWA Youth Department in 1994 and, as of 2006, helps to coordinate planning for the Baptist World Congress, conferences and meetings. Others conferred with the honorary Doctor of Divinity degree by LBTS were Liberians Anthony Jonah and Mydea White, as well as Americans John Mark Carpenter, second president of LBTS, philanthropist Earl Stafford and advocate for Liberia, Esther Worthington.

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