By: Julius Konton
Liberia’s 179th Independence Thanksgiving Service concluded with a compelling call for national renewal, unity, and spiritual transformation as American evangelist Pastor Paula White-Cain, Senior Advisor to U.S. President Donald Trump for the White House Faith Office, urged Liberians to rediscover the strength embedded in their national identity.
Addressing a congregation of government officials, religious leaders, diplomats, and worshippers at the First United Methodist Church in Buchanan, White-Cain declared that Liberia’s greatest resource is not found beneath its soil but within the character, faith, and resilience of its people.
“Your identity is your greatest strength,” she emphasized. “A people who forget their history risk losing their destiny.”
Drawing her message from the biblical account of Nehemiah, she encouraged Liberians to rebuild not only physical infrastructure but also the moral and spiritual foundations of the nation.
She described Liberia’s endurance through civil conflict, the Ebola epidemic, economic hardship, and other national crises as evidence of God’s enduring purpose for the country.
Founded in 1847, Liberia remains Africa’s first independent republic and one of the continent’s oldest sovereign states.
Despite experiencing two devastating civil wars between 1989 and 2003, which claimed an estimated 250,000 lives and displaced nearly half the population, the country has made significant strides toward democratic governance, peacebuilding, and post-war reconstruction.
Liberia also gained international recognition for its successful recovery from the 2014–2016 Ebola outbreak, one of the deadliest public health emergencies in modern African history.
President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr., accompanied by First Lady Kartumu Y. Boakai, joined hundreds of worshippers in commemorating the annual national Thanksgiving observance, a longstanding tradition that forms part of Liberia’s Independence Day celebrations.
The President thanked the Methodist Church for hosting this year’s service and reflected on Liberia’s remarkable journey through decades of adversity.
“Our nation’s continued existence is a testimony to God’s grace,” President Boakai said. “From years of conflict to the Ebola epidemic and numerous national challenges, Liberia continues to stand because of God’s unfailing mercy.”
He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to leading with integrity, accountability, and service to the Liberian people while calling for continued national unity and reconciliation.
President Boakai also expressed profound appreciation to Pastor White-Cain for her longstanding friendship with Liberia and for delivering what he described as an inspiring message of hope during a significant moment in the country’s history.
In her sermon, White-Cain challenged both public officials and ordinary citizens to embrace humility, accountability, and servant leadership.
She stressed that sustainable national development depends on investing in the country’s young people, whom she described as the architects of Liberia’s future prosperity.
She urged Liberians to move beyond the divisions of the past and unite around shared values of faith, justice, patriotism, and national purpose.
Concluding her address with prayers for peace, reconciliation, and divine guidance, White-Cain declared that Liberia’s brightest chapter still lies ahead.
“The greatest days of Liberia are not behind you,” she proclaimed.
“They are before you.”
The 179th Independence Thanksgiving Service was held under the theme:
“Strengthening National Identity Through Liberian-Led Historical Leadership.”
The annual service remains one of Liberia’s most significant national religious observances, bringing together government leaders, clergy, civil society, and citizens to seek God’s guidance while reaffirming the country’s commitment to unity, democratic governance, and national development as it approaches nearly two centuries of statehood.
