Church in Liberia Takes Important Step Toward Stability with Bishop's Return
Episcopal News Service. January 23, 1997 [97-1676]
(ENS) Torn by the remnants of civil war between rival rebel groups, Liberia remains an unstable and dangerous country, but the return of Bishop Edward Neufville in January marked a significant step toward reestablishing normal life for the country's Anglican churches.
Neufville, consecrated bishop of the Diocese of Liberia a year ago, was forced to flee the country when religious leaders were targeted during a fresh outbreak of fighting in April. In an interview before he left the United States for his return, Neufville said that he was pleased with the resilience of the Liberian congregations during the past difficult year, but was excited to be taking up his interrupted role again.
Neufville said that he was looking forward to presiding at a diocesan convention in early February, and also that he had hopes of resuscitating the diocesan newspaper, The Liberian Churchman. At the time of the April fighting, "we were in the process of putting out our first edition," he said. "We should give it another try."
Despite the fact that electrical service still has not been restored to large sections of Liberia's capital, Monrovia, the diocese has a new web page, thanks to the Episcopal Church's electronic media department, announced Charles Clark, the diocesan treasurer.
Last fall, Neufville spent several months visiting refugee camps in western Africa. He praised the work of Liberian priests who have established congregations among the thousands of people displaced by the war. "I was quite encouraged by the resilience of the refugees," he said. "Even though they are deprived of all of their material possessions, they are very rich spiritually."
He also expressed deep thanks for support from the Presiding Bishop's Fund for World Relief. Assistance from the fund and other relief agencies "really put food on the table for so many who would have gone hungry," he said. "People were really starving."
The refugees, who are anxious to return to Liberia despite the continued danger, are encouraged by efforts of the West African peace keeping force (ECOMOG) to disarm the rebel groups, he said. "This is the first time since the war that we have had any attempt at disarmament," said Clark, who was also returning to Liberia. "Most of the refugees are willing to return as soon as they see some indication of stability. It is so harsh in the camps that most of them want to return."
The population of Monrovia has actually grown as a result of the upheaval, Clark said, as people flock to the relative security of the urban area where the peace-keeping force is fully deployed.
Still, Neufville and Clark said that they were dismayed at the widespread damage they witnessed in Monrovia during a short visit this fall.
"We discovered to our horror that the destruction in Liberia is quite massive," Neufville said. While Neufville found his office intact, most of the office equipment, including telephones and typewriters, as well as diocesan vehicles, had been looted. The diocesan cathedral also was damaged.
Clark, a businessman who owns gas stations, said that he found his office was occupied by an ECOMOG soldier and his family. "They were using my conference room as a kitchen," he said. "Of course the office was looted."
According to a delegation that visited Cuttington University College, an Episcopal four-year college closed since 1989, that campus has been extensively pillaged, Neufville said. "The museum has been looted, a good number of books in the library have been looted. That's not to even talk about the science lab," he said.
While local congregations have remained stable, "it is difficult for the church to move out as freely as we used to," Neufville said. Schools associated with parishes also have been unable to re-open because "they just don't have anything to work with."