Image courtesy of Pastor Booker
Prominent Pastor Spencer Lamar Booker, who is just steps away from becoming a Bishop, in his city of St. Louis, MO, wasted no time chronicling his travels. He and his lovely wife, First Lady Gail, took an inspiring trip to Monrovia.
Monrovia, the capital city of Liberia, a western country of Africa. And was the host destination for the Global Development Council, which included the Bookers, his church members and other religious leaders from all over the world.
Pastor Booker spoke with exuberance on how the warm spirits and hospitality greeted them upon arrival into the Motherland. He felt elated being treated as dignataries by their peers of the African Methodist Episcopal Church.
Arriving to Liberia, took some time, 16 hours to be exact. After leaving St. Louis, they headed to Georgia, JFK in New York, Accra Ghana and finally Monrovia.
They had to get a police escort toward their downtown hotel Monrovia Boulevard Palace Hotel. Due to the road being very dark, and to prevent the possibilty of being ambushed.
Pastor Booker also gave high praise to his young escorts, Reenill M. Reid and Sianeh Maryanne Dogba-Yassah.
They were in Monrovia, Liberia, to attend the Global Development Council of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. During the opening session, the history of the GDC was read.
The Global Development Council
In addition, the backstory of the Global Development Council (GDC) was previously known as the African Judicial Council (AJC). The AJC was formed and organized due to the inequality of services from the African-American counterparts. Once again, colonialization always divided people. The AJC only wanted the African Americans to recognize them not just as indigenous people, but as people of God and full members of the African Methodist Episcopal Church.
Subsequently, the General Conference of the African Methodist Episcopal Church established the Global Development Council to meet biennially in Africa. This meeting will include all Bishops, (especially those assigned to districts 14-20) General Officers, Pastors, and Episcopal Districts representatives from 14 through 20. Those persons who attended from districts 1 through 13 were observers only. The discussions were interesting enough to make you want to add to the conversation.
Districts representatives from 14 through 20. Those persons who attended from districts 1 through 13 were observers only. The discussions were interesting enough to make you want to add to the conversation.
The General Officers were in attendance in a big way and made their presence felt. Among them were: General Officer John Greene, General Officer Marcus Henderson, General Officer Marcellus Norris, General Officer Jeffrey Cooper, and General Officer Roderick Belin. Additional other candidates for the Episcopacy were in attendance, along with a total of 150 persons from all over America, Africa, and the Caribbeans. “We met in a conclave to share global visions for the African Methodist Episcopal Church.” Pastor Booker stated.
Pastor Booker also spoke of the young people that he and First Lady were embraced by. They loved the youths, and truly embraced them as well.
They also met a lady named Josephine George Frances, an agriculturist, during their time in Monrovia. She grew coffee, vegetables and cocoa, with farmland all over Liberia.
Honorable Frances is a member of the parliament of the government of Monrovia, Liberia. She is a loyal member of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Represents the Presiding Bishop of the 14th Episcopal District in governmental circles when absent. She sits on the trustee board of AME University.
Last, more from Pastor Booker:
Another indelible moment we can thank God for is our worship. Whatever you do, let your worship be for real. In the African Methodist Episcopal Church, we have a method of fervor and intent in our worship celebration experiences. One of the hallmarks of an African Methodist Episcopal worship experience is when we sing the doxology “Praise God from Whom all Blessings Flow.”
The second hallmark of worship is when we sing the “Gloria Patri” {Glory be to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost}. It was breathtaking to see the processional of the choir, the program participants, the General and Connectional officers, and The Bishops, and to hear the hundreds of AMEs singing This is the Day the Lord has made, we shall rejoice and be glad in it, at Historical Eliza Turner African Methodist Episcopal Church on the AME University campus. We witnessed souls saved, and some 35 persons accepted the call to the ministry.
After an exhilarating six days in Liberia, it was time to return to the United States. Moreover, the traffic was heavy and people were selling goods very close to it. After stopping and going, blowing horns, moving and weaving in and out of traffic, our driver took a sharp right turn. The driver navigated through the neighborhoods to escape the stop-and-go traffic. It allowed the attendees of the GDC to see the other side of contemporary Monrovia. We witness third-world poverty, shanties, cardboard houses, and communities without running water. We notice people bathing in wells under water well pumps.
Families were washing clothes in water buckets and hanging out their clothes to dry. I also witnessed people determined to live their lives to the fullest. Once again, entrepreneurs sold, bought, and traded for sustenance and survival.
Finally, we saw a crash between a motor scooter with three riders and a car collision. Thank God no one was hurt. Up until now, with the traffic, as crowded, horrific at best, horns blowing, no stop signs, no yield signs, nor traffic lights, we arrived safely at the Roberts International Airport in Margibi County, 35 miles outside Monrovia to return to America………..
The Cathedral at St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church
The Rev. Dr. Spencer Lamar Booker, D.Min., Pastor
1260 Hamilton Avenue, St. Louis MO, 63112
Images by Pastor Booker