The following is a text with pictures presentation of the Liberian Radio Interview Segment
Reporter: This is KISS FM. Today we are talking with some dignitaries
from the United Methodist Church. Of course they are mostly in their workshops. Welcome!
Bishop Arthur Kulah, Rev. James Labala, Jeanie Blankenbaker: Thank you. Thank you very much. We are glad to be here.
Reporter: Let us begin by introducing yourselves.
Guests: I am Jeanie Blankenbaker, Executive Secretary of Mission Volunteers for Training and Leadership Development. I work with the General Board of Global Ministries in New York.
I am Rev. James Z. Labala. I’m responsible for the Volunteers In Mission program of the Liberia Annual Conference.
I’m Bishop Arthur Kulah, of the Liberia United Methodist Church.
Rev. Labala: This Volunteers In Mission is a new program in our church in Liberia. So the impulse this first training is wanting to build awareness among our District Coordinators as to importance of volunteerism in the church to volunteer their services towards the reconstruction of our church in church related facilities.
Jeanie Blankenbaker: Well, we’re learning together what it means to
work together as a team..how to learn to work together to make ourselves better and then
when people come from outside of Liberia to work with us, we will be better prepared to
work together rather than to have someone come and do all the work for us. We want to help
ourselves to become much better and to build our own selves up. So we’re learning to
work together as a team. I took the group through several exercises this morning where
they got to know each other. We had people from districts that didn’t know each other
and so that’s an important part of being a team. In order to work together, you have
to know each other. We’ve talked about what a good leader does, what skills a leader
must have and what skills good team members must possess to be a strong team.
Reporter: Ok Bishop, you’re the head of the Methodist Church in
Liberia. What is your own support towards this important workshop being held here?
Bishop Kulah: Well, the idea of this workshop really originated from me
and others who are interested in the reconstruction of our country and our church. You
know we have peace now in our country and we are now in the area, the time of
reconstruction. We have been having our friends from America to help us build our schools,
hospitals, and clinics so we decided that the same way they’ve come to help us to
build, we should learn to help ourselves, so their coming here is a good indication from
me and the United Methodist Church for Sister Jeanie to come and help us to build. We are
very delighted. And we pray and hope that those who are learning to be partners in mission
with us and with brothers and sisters in America, will really learn so that we can teach
others to help themselves.
Rev. Labala: Those people taking part in the training were recommended by the District Superintendents and the guidelines included someone who is willing to serve the church; somebody who has the qualities to work with other people; somebody who has leadership abilities. In short, somebody who is willing to share their gifts and graces with which God has blessed them.
Reporter: You spoke of restructuring the United Methodist Church
buildings damaged during the war and you say your teams are going to do that. Are you
going to teach them some technical subjects?
Rev. Labala: Well, the whole Volunteers In Mission ministry is a sharing ministry. There are some aspects of construction that some of those who are undergoing the training have and if you put all together, you’ll be having a team, a construction team, that will be so, so perfect. So more than that, those who do not have building skills who are willing to learn, can learn from those who have, so that when we come together and share our work will be done. The program has been supported by the Mission Volunteers Program Area of the General Board of Global Ministries. I’m thinking that in the training process, we will be taught how to do fund raising, how to encourage our members to support this program so that we ourselves will put in more than just human resource.
Jeanie Blankenbaker: I want to have inspired the people that are here so
much that they are ready to go back and do the same type of training with their own
committees. What we have here this week in Monrovia, are the District leaders and
Conference leaders. When they get back to their Districts, they have a committee with
which they will work. So everything we’ve done today from the devotionals, to the
activities, to the lectures, have all been tied together so that they can go back and
replicate this in their own district. One thing that we’re doing this afternoon that
I wanted to add to what Rev. Labala said, is coming together as a team, we found out that
among ourselves the skills and gifts that God has given us and we have two people in our
team today who are gifted in the area of working in construction–as leaders! So, they
will be our construction leaders this afternoon. We went around the table, talking about
what other skills different members of the group have to offer. Each person has a
different skill they can offer, so we’re ready now this afternoon to put into action
what we’ve learned this morning and to begin working as a construction team. We are
well on the road to knowing what it is to be a good Volunteers In Mission team.
Rev. Labala: To add a little to what she said, specifically, we will be molding some blocks this afternoon-hopefully if we can get some cement. We have people in our group who are professional block molders to add to that, we have others who will be bringing water, some people will bringing sand, some bringing Kool-aid and drinking water, so that by the time we put all of those together, we have a perfect team and the work will be done effectively. That’s what we call team building and sharing our gifts and graces, and that is exactly what the Volunteers In Mission program is all about.
Reporter: Bishop, we have some Liberians around who do not have a
specific church to belong to. Are you doing anything to make sure these people will be a
part of your church?
Bishop Kulah: Yes. The program such as what we have going on today is one way of encouraging those who are not members of our church to join our church so that they’ll be able to share their gifts and talents with other people. We have a strong and viable youth program where every year we invite boys and girls not only from the United Methodist Church, but from all denominations-even those who are not members of any specific church. We have an evangelism department that carries on evangelism with all. So, there are several avenues of ministry that we have within our church and we are trying to get others to come and in this way, I want to send out an invitation to all those who are not members of a church to join the Methodist Church. We are the most viable church, the more active church in Liberia, and we are one of the largest churches in Liberia. Also we like action! So when you come to the United Methodist Church, you’ll see action here. There are other people who are not members of any church but those who are members of churches but don’t go to those churches. You are welcome as well! Come, and participate with us so that we will be able to free you and so that you’ll be able to help yourselves and others who need to be helped.
Jeanie Blankenbaker: Just to let everyone know that it is a pleasure and
an honor to be here in Liberia. This is my first visit. I have found the Liberians to be
extremely warm and welcoming to me. It is a pleasure to work with the Methodist Church, to
work with the people. I told them this morning when I see the Methodist symbol, I know I
am at home. No matter where in the world I am when I see that symbol, I know I am among
friends, so it is a pleasure to be here. I would echo what Bishop Kulah said, if
you’re not a member of a church, come to the Methodist Church. We’ll take you
in!
Reporter: Do you believe this is an excitement that will set the whole annual conference into motion towards the reconstruction of our country?
Bishop Kulah: Yes! This is an invitation for us to help ourselves. You know, here in Liberia, we always like to look up somewhere, to get help. This is a moment where we prepare ourselves, motivate ourselves, to help ourselves. So, the invitation is ours to come and to be praying and be prepared so we can be able to help ourselves...not only for ourselves, but for the church in name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
