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A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE FATHER DONYEN MINISTRY, INC. |
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Through the grace of God I started founding the
Father Donyen Ministry in 1997. Originally, I had no intention of founding a
church. But God revealed the founding of this ministry gradually.
I was a catholic priest. When my day with the Catholic Church ended in 1997,
I was in the refugee camp in Tabou Ivory Coast. I left the refugee camp and
went back to Liberia to inform my mother that my Catholic history had come
to an end.
During this visit, which was my first time coming back to Maryland County
since I fled from the civil war in 1994, I saw some petit trade going on and
it seemed to me life was returning to the area after eight years of bloody
and deadly civil war.
 Then
Sunday came and the picture of the entire region was a concrete display of
the words of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in the Bible: "You have a
reputation of being alive but you are dead", (Revelation 3:1 ).
Before the Liberian civil war began in 1989, by 5:00 a.m. on Sundays church
bells rang from community to community as if the bells were in a
competition. But up to 8:00 a.m. that morning, no church bell rang.
The purpose of the church bell is to help people get to church on time. Most
people do not have watches. So the bell is rung at different times to help
the Christians prepare for service.There is the early morning bell at 5:00
a.m. which calls the most devout Christians to morning prayer at 6;00 a.m.
Then the First Bell for the entire people rang at 8:00 a.m. The Second Bell
rang at 9:00 a.m. Then what is called "The Half Bell" which was hit for a
short time was rung at 9:45 a.m. It meant that the service was beginning and
the choir was preparing to enter in a procession.
So people who went to the farm to fetch some food in the morning came back
to town an asked: "Is the First Bell gone?" Or "Is the Second Bell
gone?"During this visit I saw a different Maryland county. Up to 9:00 a.m.
that Sunday morning I did not hear a single church bell ranging. I thought
that the time for church had changed because of the civil war. but then
nothing changed up to noon.
So I asked a young man whether the time for church was no longer in the
morning. The young man told me that all the pastors were in refugee camps in
the Ivory Coast. Because of this
people do not go to church this time.
This was not so at the time I fled to the refugee camp. In the absence of
pastors members had services under the leadership of an outstanding member.
So I asked the young man why they could not have a
"Service-without-a-Pastor?" He told me that the rebel commanders did not
like to see people gathering and grouping anywhere even in a church.
As I moved inland, I continued to see the religious decline in the lives of
the people.
Witchdoctoring was not done in secret again. It was done openly. The senior
witchdoctors were call Zo's. At public meetings the Zo's sat on the podium
with the rebel commanders and the rebel commanders' appointed community
leaders.
The First Commandment of the Christian religion: "You shall not have other
gods beside me” was nonexistent in the minds of the people who used to try
to attend church when pastors were ministering in the area.
"WHAT CAN I DO?" was the question I asked myself.
After spending some three weeks with my mother and some family members who I
also visited at different towns and localities, I came back to Tabou in
March 1997.
I sold my bed, chairs, pots, dishes and other things to raise money to
transport myself to Monrovia, the only safe havens we had in Liberia at the
time.
I arrived in Monrovia on April 10, 1997. I stayed at a relative's house. I
was penniless and jobless and yet I had to feed myself. I became a literal
beggar for the first three weeks before a found a teaching job at a school
of theology. I got a job but I was finding it very difficult to get to job
since i could not transport myself. But God helped me with the strength to
walk the three hours journey to and from each school day.
At the end of May I got my first salary of L$2,500.00 ( two thousand five
hundred Liberian dollars ) an equivalent of $62.50. With this money on hand
I began to think about what to do about the decline of the Christian faith
in eastern Liberia.
I went to the central of the Liberia Communication Network in Conto Town and
appealed to them to allow me preach by radio on Sundays.
When I was told that a thirty minute air time on the FM radio was $120.00
(one hundred twenty American dollars) I almost gave up. Then I told the man
at the desk that I was just from the refugee camp and I had no money but I
feel called to preach by radio.
 Mr. Fred
Cooper, the Station Manager, took me to the Chief Executive Officer of the
Liberia Communication Network. I explained my story so well that the CEO
instructed the Station Manager to allot me a 30 minute air time free of
charge to preach by radio. But I was warn to limit my program to
evangelization and not get involved in politics. I promised them that I
would not get involved in anything political.
'WHAT IS THE NAME OF YOUR PROGRAM?" was the question put to me by the
Station Manager. Frankly speaking I did not prepare for such things when I
was going to the LCN central office. Because of the people I wanted to
preach to by radio knew me to be Father Donyen, I said "The program shall be
called the Father Donyen Ministry". This is how the ministry got its name.
On gratis I began this 30 minute radio evangelical program on this FM radio
in June l997. I used to read a bible passage and explain it in formal
English and the so-called Liberian English spoken by the illiterate
brethren. The program was so popular that the CEO told the Station Manager
to reply it in the evening at 8;00 p.m. So instead of once every Sunday
afternoon the program was replayed in the evening.
Frankly speaking when I began this radio evangelical program II had no
intention of founding a church.. Little did I know that this one man's radio
evangelical program would become a small Christian church.
Later on some of those who heard me on the radio began to look for me and we
formed a small prayer band. At this stage I developed an Order of Worship;
Opening Song, Opening Prayer, Scripture Reading, Homily Song, Homily by me,
Supplications, Song, Concluding prayer, Closing Song, Benediction.
But all this could not go on the radio. We had only thirty minutes. So only
the opening song, the scripture reading, the homily and the benediction were
recorded on a cassette and brought to the radio station.
On August 28, 1997 we got our articles of incorporation from the Liberian
Government. In October 1997 we were allowed to go on the short wave radio of
the Liberia Communication
Network. We were heard not only in Liberia, but in neighboring countries
like Guinea, Ivory Coast and Sierra Leone.
Today we have four small and poor local churches. We are at Behtu, Clay
Ashland, New Georgia Township and Pipeline. We attach a school for poor kids
to each of our local churches. The schools are also our means of
evangelization. Evangelization through schools is an age-old missionary
methodology in Africa. (Click here for a photo
journal.)
For the support of the pastors, church personnel and school staff we depend
on financial support we receive from people of good will. That we are
getting some support is a clear proof that God approves what we are doing.
Our prayers for a man of God called Bill Moore will remain in this ministry.
Though he does not see his role as an important one, we continue to praise
God for what he is doing for this ministry. Had God not made us to meet, it
seems the ministry would have ceased to exist long since.
May God bless all who are helping us and have helped us.
Rev. Nimely JarboKly Donyen
NATIONAL SENIOR PASTOR |
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