| In
the words
of Father Donyen...
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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