MONROVIA – As Liberia marked its 178th Independence Day on Saturday, July 26, 2025, the honor of delivering the national oration was bestowed upon Ambassador Emmett Lafayette Dunn, a distinguished global leader whose life and work span faith, diplomacy, and national development.
Ambassador Dunn, a native of Liberia, currently serves pro bono as Presidential Special Envoy for Partnership and Philanthropy. Appointed by President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, he plays a pivotal role in mobilizing international partnerships, philanthropic resources, and diaspora support to advance the government’s ARREST Agenda, which targets progress in health, education, infrastructure, entrepreneurship, reconciliation, and diaspora engagement.
Beyond his service to Liberia, Ambassador Dunn holds the position of Executive Secretary and CEO of the Lott Carey Baptist Foreign Mission Convention. Since his appointment in 2019, he has become the first non-U.S.-born individual to lead the 127-year-old African-American rooted Christian mission organization. Under his leadership, Lott Carey operates in 14 countries with a multimillion-dollar budget supporting global evangelism, compassion, empowerment, and advocacy.
Ambassador Dunn’s three-decade-long career in international leadership includes 22 years with the Baptist World Alliance, where he served as Director of the Youth Department and Director of the Baptist World Congress. In those capacities, he traveled to over 100 countries, championing youth leadership, peacebuilding, and global mission work.
His leadership journey began at Monrovia’s Providence Baptist Church, where he was ordained in 1987 and served as Director of Christian Education. After relocating to the United States, he pastored the West Hyattsville Baptist Church in Maryland before transitioning into international leadership roles that bridged faith with global service.
Ambassador Dunn also contributes to a number of national efforts in Liberia. He is a member of the Presidential Committee on the Reburial of former Presidents William R. Tolbert, Jr. and Samuel K. Doe, and chairs the Liberia Diaspora Annual Conference Planning Committee. He is also deeply involved with Empowerment Squared–Liberia, which is spearheading the construction of the Liberian Learning Center, a modern educational hub offering library services, digital literacy, and academic resources to underserved communities.
His reach extends through multiple boards and civic organizations. He is a board member of the American Red Cross of Southern Maryland, the General Board of Ministries of the American Baptist Churches (USA), Churches for Middle Eastern Peace, and the District of Columbia Baptist Foundation. He also serves on the Honorary Board of Governors of the Liberia Community Association in Washington, D.C., and is the current President of the North American Baptist Fellowship.
Dunn’s civil society contributions include his involvement as a Rotarian with the Rotary Club of Monrovia and past roles such as Chair of the Board of Advisors at Ricks Institute, Trustee of the Liberia Baptist Theological Seminary, and President of the Providence Baptist Fellowship in the United States. He is also a member of the NAACP’s International Affairs Committee.
A recognized figure in global conference and event leadership, Dunn is affiliated with the Professional Conference Managers Association, the National Coalition of Black Meeting Planners, and the Religious Conference Management Association.
Academically, Ambassador Dunn holds a Bachelor of Theology from the Liberia Baptist Theological Seminary (1986), a Graduate Certificate from Virginia Theological Seminary (1989), and a Master of Divinity from Howard University (1991). In 2014, he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Divinity by the Liberia Baptist Theological Seminary for his lifetime contributions to faith and service.
He is married to Suan J. Dunn, and together they have three children: LeAnn Amal, Emmett Lafayette Jr., and Annette Olivia.
Standing at the podium on July 26, 2025, Ambassador Emmett Dunn will not only deliver the nation’s oration but also embody it, offering Liberians at home and abroad a vision of unity, service, and hope drawn from a life rooted in faith and global impact.
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