From Bishop Miller: May 2025

On April 26 and 27, I attended the Lutheran Church in Liberia Founders Day events held in Gbarnga, Liberia. The four-day event met with the theme “Honoring our Legacy, Renewing our Commitment to Christ’s Mission.” I was the preacher for the final worship. This visit helped me to understand a little more about the church in Liberia, its challenges and its hopes.

The Lutheran Church in Liberia began in 1865 when the Rev. Morris Officer traveled up the St Paul River and began a Lutheran mission at Millsburg. In 1965, the Lutheran Church in Liberia (LCL) officially gained autonomous status and elected its first bishop from among the local population. Nearly twenty-five years later, a companion church relationship began with the Upper Susquehanna Synod, just in time for this synod to support the church through two brutal civil wars and their aftermath. Today, the LCL has set its sights on self-sustainability as it continues to grow. A new university, started in 2024, will train pastors, teachers, and other leaders for the church.

I was interested to hear the leaders speak of their need to find ways to keep youth connected to the church. It reminded me that we have much in common with each other.

In my sermon, I spoke about the legacy of faith that we share. Our churches, although different in many ways, have been called together by the Holy Spirit to witness to the love of God in Christ Jesus. Renewing our commitment to Christ’s mission means all we do should point not to our own glory but to the glory of our crucified Lord. I reminded those gathered that we do not need to work to save our churches because Jesus has already saved us. Instead, we need to proclaim that salvation into the world.

Beloved, let us too renew our commitment to Christ’s mission in the Upper Susquehanna Synod. Let all we do bear witness to the love, mercy, and grace of God.