Bishop Brown urged leaders to embrace truth, prioritize the economic needs of ordinary citizens, and reject governance for personal or political gain.
Monrovia-Former President of the Liberia Council of Churches, Bishop Kortu K. Brown has welcomed the government’s recent reburial of former national leaders and civil war victims as a meaningful gesture toward reconciliation but cautioned that genuine national healing requires far more than symbolic acts.
By Willie N. Tokpah/0777039231
Speaking during a special Thanksgiving and Intercessory Prayer Service held on Sunday, June 30, at the New Water in the Desert Assembly Apostolic Pentecostal Church in Brewerville, Bishop Brown described the reburials as “an appreciable first step.”
The ceremony involved the dignified reinternment of individuals who were previously buried in mass or unmarked graves during years of armed conflict.
“Reburial of the dead is both symbolic and restorative,” Bishop Brown told the congregation.
“It identifies with the agonies many families have suffered over the past five decades and provides a sense of closure.”
He however stressed that the road to reconciliation must go beyond ceremonial events, pointing to Liberia’s enduring political and social challenges, ranging from polarization and corruption to mistrust in public institutions, as urgent barriers to unity.
“It’s no secret that the 2023 presidential and legislative elections were tightly contested,” Brown noted.
“A win is a win, yes, but we must now win the peace, not just the power.”
He warned that marginalizing opposition voices, ignoring transparency, or failing to govern inclusively could undo any progress made.
“This is a moment that demands humility, fiscal discipline, and institution-building, not triumphalism.”
Bishop Brown outlined a third and critical step for Liberia’s reconciliation process: safeguarding the country’s future by breaking free from the destructive behaviors that led to past unrest.
He warned that if Liberians continued to behave and govern the same way it was done, that led to death and destruction, citizens would undermine whatever little gains were being made.
Bishop Brown urged leaders to embrace truth, prioritize the economic needs of ordinary citizens, and reject governance for personal or political gain.
“We should be able to say sorry when we are wrong,” he said. “We must reach out to each other to build a stronger peace and a better society. We must not mortgage the economic future of our country.”
Grounding his message in Christian principles, Bishop Brown quoted Hebrews 13:8: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” He argued that Liberia must adopt a consistent moral compass, rooted in truth, justice, and compassion.
“In Christ, we find consistency, reliability, and truth,” Brown said. “If Liberia is to rebuild, it must embrace these values—not just in words, but in action.”
As Liberia continues efforts to reckon with its troubled past, Bishop Brown’s remarks stand as both a commendation of recent government actions and a call to action for deeper reform.
While the reburials offer emotional closure to grieving families, he maintained that sustainable peace will only come through deliberate efforts to address inequality, corruption, and exclusion.
“The bones may be buried,” he concluded, “but we must also bury the hate, the corruption, and the division, so that peace may rise, and with it, a renewed Liberia.”
