Pride and ego above Church’s interest?

By Winston W. Parley

Supporters of the suspended leader of the Presbyterian Church in Monrovia, believe that their rivals allegedly put pride and ego above the interest of the Church.

To contradict claims that Rev. C. Wellington Morgan was not a pastor proper at the First Presbyterian Church in Monrovia, the suspended clergy and his supporters displayed a series of documents Thursday, 5 January 2022, including a letter granting him one year service commencing November 2022.

Elder Othello Mason, fighting on the side of suspended Rev. Morgan, alleged in an interview with this paper that there had been a witch hunt against those who did not support the election bid of the current Moderator of the Church, Sanjee A. Stepter.

He claimed that everything started from the 164th Annual Session of the Church when Elder Boima Freeman beat Rev. Stepter in an election and became the Moderator at the time.

Since he alleged, Moderator Stepter has allegedly been responsible for bits and pieces of tension going on because of result of the alleged witch hunt in the Church.

“She is witch-hunting her perceived enemies because these were the people that opposed her election,” he alleged.

Elder Mason insisted that there are those who believe that an outright breakaway is the only condition now to reform Presbyterianism in Liberia.

“That’s why I said they are allowing their pride, and their ego above the interest of the Church,” said Elder Mason.

“So, there are those who continue to use methods of persuasion, and there are others who just believe that an outright breakaway is the only condition now to reform Presbyterianism in Liberia,” he added.

He claimed that those who were removed from office were supporters of Rev. Boima Freeman because he had won Rev. Stepter in a previous election.

In countering Elder Maurice Gayflor’s claim that the suspended clergy was not a pastor proper, Rev. Cl Wellington Morgan displayed a program sheet with inscription: “Induction Ceremony” during the Church’s 189th anniversary.

The program was held Sunday, 27 February 2022 at the First Presbyterian Church, Monrovia under the theme “Going Forward With Faith In God.”

According to the program sheet, Elder Maurice Gayflor, Church Clerk, was designated to present the gavel to the then-newly inducted Moderator, Rev. Morgan.

Gayflor did not deny playing this role when quizzed by this paper, but he also downplayed the significance of the ceremony.

Besides, there’s a communication from November 2022 under the signatures of the Church Clerk, Elder Gayflor, and the Elder Circle President, Ruling Elder David B. Gibson, Jr.

That communication informed Rev. Morgan that during a meeting “of our Session,” it was resolved that Reverend C. Wellington Morgan, Sr., serves as pastor of the First Presbyterian Church – Monrovia.

The communication indicated that Rev. Morgan was to serve for the term of one year, commencing the date of the letter from November 2022.

The communication detailed that a term of reference was in place to ensure the pastor adhered to all of the roles and regulations governing his pastoral duties.

Should there be flagrant violations in contrast to his term of reference, it said, they would revert to him recommending another course of action.

Additionally, Rev. Morgan displayed what he described as a “professional service agreement” that he claimed he signed with the Church, represented then by Elder Maurice Gayflor, Church Clerk; and Elder Zack Sharpe, Designate Elder’s Circle.

The professional service agreement contained his term of reference and job description.

Regarding his departure from the Yekepa session last year which prompted his suspension, Rev. Morgan also displayed a communication he wrote to Moderator Sanjee A. Stepter, Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Liberia on 28 November 2022, expressing his apology for leaving the session.

“I am very sorry for leaving the session on the afternoon of Saturday, November 26, 2022, without officially informing you and the session about my leaving and not returning,” he wrote. 

“It was really not my intention to leave and not return. My plan was to go and get some rest because I had been experiencing fever and pain in my body. While in the room, the situation got worse, so I decided to seek medical attention,” he added.

The clergyman said when he went to the Mittal Steel medical center, he could not afford the bills there, so he decided to find other means. 

“I then decided to see if I could make it back to Monrovia to do some tests and get treatment.”

He explained that before the Yekepa session, he had been involved in an accident that left pains in his body.

He said his health condition got worse in Yekepa after the Church lodged him and his colleague, the former Moderator G. Boima Freeman in a place with no electricity, no inside toilet, secured door and window, and decent bedding.

“When we got there we were disappointed because they put us in a place that maybe your animal from Monrovia will not want to stay,” he said.

After they expressed their concern the next day, Rev. Morgan said he and Rev. Freeman were then taken to another place which was no better than the first one, except for a light bulb that had hung in the second place.

“And the place they took us was no better because the inside toilet was damaged, and [we] were still sleeping on the same kind of very thin mattress,” he said.

“But we tried to bear it, but that inflicted pains in my body,” he noted.

Regarding his removal from his position, Rev. Morgan said he has been at two places for legal advice, which includes his team of lawyers, and the Ministry of Labor.

According to Rev. Morgan, the Presbyterian Church has banned him from all his pastoral activities for about a month plus now.

“Action two, they’ve refused to pay me for about a month now. Action three, they evicted me from my office and cleared my office unknown to me,” he added.

He also said they got a new female pastor in his position.

“I see this as being illegal, unlawful, ungodly, unspiritual, unconstitutional, un-doctrinal. They have violated all of these things,” said Rev. Morgan.

He claimed that they have violated the scriptures, the constitution of the Church, and the labor law.

“Because I see this as a Church matter that includes a Church worker and [an] employer,” he said.

“I want to say to you now that I am the legally elected, and inducted pastor,” he added.

When contacted Thursday evening, Elder Gayflor argued that there was no formal contract that was signed with Rev. Morgan and that it was Rev. Morgan and his supporters that arranged his induction ceremony.

Earlier this week, Elder Gayflor alleged that Rev. Morgan was not the pastor proper for the Church, challenging him to provide a copy of the contract he signed with the Church if he has any.

He said Rev. Morgan did not convince the Board of Elders that he could run the Church properly while serving on probation.

He alleged that Rev. Morgan “was more of a social person than a spiritual person.”

According to Gayflor, out of 21 members of the Board of Elders of the Church, about three are against the decision not to renew Rev. Morgan’s contract.

He contended that Rev. Morgan left all the Church leaders in Yekepa without giving any excuse.

“You know, it was a gross disrespect to those people, so they decided to suspend him,” said Gayflor.

“He was not sick, he only told me he had an issue in Monrovia, and that he had to attend to it,” said Gayflor.

Additionally, Gayflor said the local Church in Monrovia decided not to renew Rev. Morgan’s contract because he had allegedly made the leadership shame in Yekepa.

Through an alleged voting process, Gayflor said an overwhelming majority of 17 members of the Board of Elders agreed not to renew Rev. Morgan’s probation.

In place of Rev. Morgan, he said the Church has selected Rev. Cornelia Green Wesley to be in charge while it searches for another pastor, or to even retain her.

For her part, Rev. Judy Stryker, based in the United States, has messaged this writer saying, “Maurice Gayflor is covering up for the Moderator and the wrongdoing in our Presbyterian Denomination.”

She stated that Rev. Morgan was suspended in Yekepa by the Presbyterian Church head Rev. Stepter through the Ministry Board when he left for Medical Reasons abruptly

“Good morning fellow, Presbyters. Today my heart is filled, and I have not been on this site for months for fear of rejection, Removal etc. This denomination that I was born in 69 years almost has spiritually, literally crumbled because of lack of knowledge of our Universal Presbyterian Book of Doctrine, lack of Spiritual Leadership, Insensitivity, etc.”

“How can a church of God, suspend Ministers, that were called and had an assigned Church but unceremoniously replaced with Stated Supplies to be Happy and Content? No letters from the leadership of our Denomination. Who led this coup on their own ministers? Yes, I said, Coup De Tat!!!” writes Rev. Stryker.https://thenewdawnliberia.com/imminent-split-in-presbyterian-church/