Africa-Press – Liberia. Amid joyous hymns that soared like birds over the savanna, rhythmic African drumming that pulsed through the earth and waves of applause rippling across a sun-drenched EFCWA facility in Ganta, Rev. Eleazar Deizii Gbengan was formally installed as the fifth president of the Evangelical Free Church of West Africa (EFCWA).
The event unfolded under a vast canopy draped in vibrant Liberian fabrics—deep crimsons, sunny yellows and forest greens interwoven with fresh palm fronds that swayed gently in the warm breeze.
Hundreds gathered from Nimba County’s rolling hills and beyond, their faces alight with anticipation: elders in crisp traditional robes, youth in colorful EFCWA T-shirts, and families clutching woven mats and Bibles.
This ceremony marked a pivotal milestone for the church, born decades ago amid Liberia’s turbulent civil wars, now standing resilient across Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.
Rev. Gbengan, a seasoned pastor whose roots trace back to Ganta’s dusty Sunday school classrooms where he first memorized verses amid the scent of chalk and rain-soaked earth delivered an impassioned inaugural address blending heartfelt gratitude, scriptural fire, and a bold roadmap for the future.
“Peace and grace be multiplied to you all,” he opened, his voice resonant and steady over the crackling loudspeakers, invoking God’s unwavering faithfulness that has sustained EFCWA through civil wars, epidemics like Ebola, and the quiet trials of rural life.
Accepting the “sacred mantle” of leadership with profound humility, he declared, “Not in my own strength, but in dependence upon the grace of God and the prayers of His people.”
Rooting his vision in Matthew 28:19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations” Rev. Gbengan reframed EFCWA not as “a brand to be admired” but as “a dynamic movement of mission.”
He urged the church to proclaim the gospel with passion, nurture disciples through truth, and transform communities via practical service, like youth education programs in bustling Ganta markets and health outreaches in remote Nimba villages shadowed by rubber plantations.
Thunderous cheers erupted as he paused, the crowd’s energy electric under the midday sun.
He honored the church’s pillars with deep emotion. First, his spiritual father, Rev. Eleazar Deizii Gbengan no relation, but a profound mentor who led him to Christ on April 14, 1985, and discipled him from a wide-eyed Sunday school student to a fiery preacher.
“He saw things inside of me that I never saw,” Rev. Gbengan shared, voice cracking, as he invited the elder to stand.
The crowd surged to its feet in prolonged applause, many wiping tears amid shouts of “Amen Tributes flowed to founding member Justina Yormie, a steadfast widow whose weathered hands have anchored the church since its earliest days, even as she cared for her husband through years of debilitating illness.
“I want to believe that God will heal your husband in Jesus’ name,” he prayed, drawing a chorus of fervent “amens” that echoed like rolling thunder.
He saluted Bishop Jackson Weir, a longtime mentor whose wise counsel forged EFCWA’s resilience during dark times; and his own family, especially his wife, a “pillar of strength.”
She has mothered their five biological children, 12 war orphans rescued from Liberia’s brutal conflicts sheltering them through gunfire and famine and countless community youth via Bible studies and skills training in sewing, farming, and literacy.
Deep thanks extended to past presidents, elders, pastors, district superintendents, board members, and every quiet contributor from market women donating palm oil to youth volunteers repairing church roofs.
“EFCWA is a mission, not a monument a living movement that refuses to stand still,” he insisted.Outlining a transformative three-year agenda, Rev. Gbengan rallied the church with crystal-clear priorities:
Spiritual Renewal: Igniting hearts through fervent prayer vigils under starlit skies, a renewed hunger for God’s Word in home fellowships, and fresh encounters with Jesus from Ganta’s bustling markets to remote villages where roosters crow at dawn.Mission Expansion:
Planting vibrant new churches amid cocoa farms, intensifying evangelism drives with motorcycle outreaches, and embedding EFCWA in communities via borehole water projects, literacy classes under mango trees, and anti-poverty initiatives reaching into neighboring West African nations.
Leadership Development: Equipping pastors, youth leaders, and lay members with hands-on training for Christ-like service, emphasizing integrity amid modern temptations like digital distractions and cultural shifts.
Fortifying systems for accountability and transparency, including modernized finances tracked via mobile apps and youth-led tech for global livestreams of sermons.
Unity: Bridging districts in fellowship, collaboration, and harmony to dismantle old divisions, fostering a family-like bond under the Holy Spirit’s fire.
“These are not mere goals; they are sacred callings,” he proclaimed, eyes scanning the diverse crowd: elders in embroidered attires, energetic youth choirs swaying to gospel beats with tambourines flashing, and families clutching well-worn Bibles.
He pledged to lead with “integrity, humility, and faithfulness,” embodying servant-hearted stewardship, genuine love for people, unwavering gospel devotion, and a rejection of power for purpose.In a stirring close, he charged the church’s vibrant youth many waving flags emblazoned with EFCWA’s logo, their voices rising in unified song—to “remain steadfast” amid Liberia’s evolving landscape of progress and challenges.
Leading a unified prayer, he lifted his hands skyward: “Almighty God, we dedicate this moment and this church to You. Strengthen us for the road ahead. Unite us in Your love.”
The ceremony culminated in a procession of elders laying hands on the new president, their calloused palms symbolizing a generational handover of faith’s torch.
Attendees then spilled into Ganta’s dusty streets for communal feasting on steaming plates of rice, spicy pepper soup fragrant with egusi seeds, and rich cassava leaves, celebrating EFCWA’s enduring commitment to reaching the lost, raising disciples, and serving communities under divine guidance.
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