Abstract
Churches in Liberia play multifaceted roles in influencing the criminal justice system, from moral advocacy and public policy engagement to rehabilitation of offenders and support for victims. This article examines the mechanisms, achievements, and challenges of church involvement, evidencing how faith-based institutions operate both as moral actors and practical partners in justice delivery. Using recent examples and organizational activities, the article shows that while churches have strong potential to improve the justice system, their impact is constrained by institutional, financial, and systemic weaknesses. Finally, the article outlines recommendations to enhance church-justice collaboration in Liberia.
Introduction
Liberia’s history has been marked by civil wars, social upheaval, and efforts at national reconciliation. These experiences have left legacies in the criminal justice system: fragile rule of law, overcrowded prisons, delays in legal proceedings, and challenges in offender reintegration, among others. Amidst these challenges, churches have often stepped forward as moral authorities and social agents, providing spiritual, moral, and practical support to individuals, communities, and the state. Churches in Liberia are not only places of worship but also actors in peacebuilding, social welfare, advocacy, restoration, and public ethics.
This article analyses how churches influence Liberia’s criminal justice system, exploring their roles in moral leadership, prison ministry and rehabilitation, advocacy, and structural reform. It draws upon recent actions by major church bodies, faith-based organizations (FBOs), and case studies to show both strengths and limitations. It also presents recommendations for how churches and justice institutions might better collaborate to create a more restorative, fair, and effective justice system in Liberia.
Moral and Ethical Leadership
One of the clearest ways that churches affect the criminal justice system is through moral leadership. Churches in Liberia, particularly through the Liberia Council of Churches (LCC), have repeatedly framed public debates around justice, rule of law, governance, transparency, and human dignity.
The Liberia Council of Churches (LCC) is an ecumenical body founded in 1982, consisting of mainline, Pentecostal, and other Christian denominations. Its missions include advocacy, social action, moral witness, and mediation.
At its 35th General Assembly in May 2025, the LCC re-elected Rev. Dr. Samuel B. Reeves Jr. as President and adopted resolutions promoting peace, reconciliation, community development, human rights, and equitable governance. These resolutions reflect direct engagement with public policy, particularly about governance, accountability, and corruption.
For example, the LCC has called on government actors and legislators to adhere to Supreme Court rulings, benchmarking the importance of constitutional order and rule of law.
Through these activities, churches set moral expectations for government and society. This moral voice influences how laws are interpreted, how public officials are held accountable, and often shapes public opinion. In a country where formal institutions can be weak, corruption endemic, and legality sometimes overshadowed by politics, church moral witness helps maintain normative pressure on justice actors to uphold fairness, dignity, and human rights.
Advocacy, Policy, and Public Accountability
Beyond moral exhortation, churches and Christian-based networks in Liberia engage in concrete advocacy for justice reforms and public accountability. Their involvement stretches from debates over economic justice and court rulings, to supporting new legal mechanisms for wartime atrocities, and speaking out against abuses.
The Faith and Justice Network (FJN), chaired by Bishop Samuel Jerome Quire Jr., is an example of such involvement. In 2025 the FJN helped launch a regional campaign for tax justice under the theme “Reshaping Financial and Economic Ethics.” This reflects an understanding that justice isn’t only about courts and prisons but also economic systems, transparency, and fair fiscal policy.
Also, church leaders have publicly stood with the War and Economic Crimes Court of Liberia, engaging with that institution as a symbol of truth-telling, accountability, and reconciliation. The engagement indicates that churches see justice for wartime abuses as integral to national healing.
In addition, through LCC resolutions and public statements, the church presses for adherence to constitutional rulings, urging government branches to respect the principle of checks and balances and the supremacy of law.
These advocacy actions help bring attention to systemic issues, support victims, and create dialogues among government, civil society, and faith communities about improving policy, judicial integrity, and justice delivery.
Rehabilitation, Reintegration, and Prison Ministry
Another major sphere of influence is in direct engagement with the penal and corrections system—through prison ministries, reintegration programs, rehabilitation efforts, and alternative systems.
Churches routinely perform prison outreaches: The St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Monrovia, for instance, has made contributions of goods—as food, hygiene items, and other necessities—to inmates and prison staff at the Gbarnga Central Prison. Such acts of service address material deprivation among prisoners and staff, helping humanize an often neglected population.
The Liberty Christian Center includes among its many ministries a Prison Ministry that reaches inmates with the gospel and provides material and spiritual support. It is also involved in relief services and rehabilitation efforts.
The Liberation Center Liberia also plays a role in vocational training, discipleship, and rehabilitation, particularly among drug-addicted populations and disadvantaged youth who might otherwise enter the criminal justice system. The organization runs “Thunder Houses” for adults and plans diversionary homes for juvenile boys, so as to avoid them being swept into adult prisons.
These programs are significant because they intervene in different points of the justice continuum: before incarceration (prevention), during imprisonment (rehabilitation and moral/spiritual support), and after release (reintegration). They help reduce recidivism, improve dignity for prisoners, and offer pathways for formerly incarcerated persons to rejoin society. However, many of these programs are limited in scale, depend heavily on church and donor resources, and sometimes lack formal partnerships with correctional services.
Examples from Recent Years
To illustrate church influence in practice, here are a few recent, concrete examples:
LCC’s public stance in legislative and constitutional matters: In December 2024, the Liberia Council of Churches urged the House Speaker and Majority Bloc to respect a Supreme Court ruling, thereby defending constitutional governance.
Ecumenical engagement with the War and Economic Crimes Court: Church leaders met with officials from this court, facilitated by the FJN, to emphasize that justice is essential for peace and truth-telling, not revenge. This represents a public affirmation of institutional justice for mass atrocity.
Income and tax justice campaigns: Bishop Quire opened a regional tax justice conference in Monrovia, stressing that faith communities should speak out on fiscal ethics, budget priorities, and how economic inequality interacts with justice.
Prison outreach by local congregations: Churches such as St. Thomas Episcopal have made in-kind contributions to prisons, addressing immediate needs. Liberty Christian Center has regular ministries and visits to prisoners.
Challenges and Constraints
Despite their contributions, churches face a number of important challenges in influencing Liberia’s criminal justice system meaningfully.
Resource limitations: Many church programs are dependent on volunteer work, donor funding, or informal giving. This constrains the scale of ministries, their reach (especially in rural areas or overcrowded prison facilities), and their ability to sustain long-term rehabilitation and reintegration.
Lack of formal institutional partnerships: While some collaboration exists (e.g. church leaders meeting with courts or advocating on legal issues), there is often no formal framework for church–government cooperation in correctional services, rehabilitation, or parole/reentry programs. Without formal recognition or policy structures, church contributions remain supplementary rather than integrated.
Theological and denominational diversity: Churches differ in doctrine, practice, and priority. Some emphasize punishment and retributive justice; others stress forgiveness, reconciliation, and rehabilitation. This diversity, while healthy in many ways, sometimes results in inconsistent messages to the public or makes unified action difficult.
Political pressure and risk of co-optation: Churches may be pressured for political neutrality, be accused of bias, or find themselves tempted to align with political actors. Maintaining prophetic independence—critically speaking truth to power—can be difficult, especially when funding or relationships with government officials are involved.
Practical constraints within prisons: Overcrowding, poor infrastructure, limited access for visitors, health concerns, and restrictions imposed by prison authorities can hinder church ministries from reaching their full potential inside correctional facilities.
Legal and policy obstacles: Gaps in law, weak enforcement, delays in judicial processes, and
sometimes lack of clarity in roles between public correctional institutions and non-governmental actors (including churches) can limit church engagement. For example, the absence of robust diversion programs or legal provisions for church chaplaincy limits the possibilities for alternatives to incarceration.
Recommendations
To enhance the positive influence of churches in Liberia’s criminal justice system, several strategies and reforms can be pursued.
Formalize partnerships between churches and state justice institutions
Establish chaplaincy services in prisons, where churches officially provide spiritual and moral care to inmates as recognized partners.
Create memorandums of understanding (MoUs) between correctional services (and/or ministries of justice) and church bodies to set out roles, responsibilities, standards, and support.
Support capacity building for church ministries
Provide training for church leaders, pastors, and volunteers in areas such as trauma healing, counselling, legal literacy, human rights, and restorative justice techniques.
Encourage churches to develop monitoring and evaluation frameworks to track outcomes of their rehabilitation, reintegration, and forgiveness programs.
Promote legislation and policy recognizing faith-based contributions
Integrate diversion, probation, and alternative sentencing policies that allow church or community programs to serve as options.
Enact or enforce laws ensuring prisoners have rights to spiritual care, fair treatment, and access to rehabilitation opportunities.
Strengthen church advocacy with coherence and strategic focus
Denominations and networks (like LCC, FJN, etc.) could coordinate more to raise unified voices on issues such as prison reform, judicial delays, youth justice, war crimes, and economic justice. A unified approach can offer stronger leverage.
Faith-based organizations and churches should use public platforms (media, forums, church gatherings) to educate citizens about justice issues so that public opinion supports systemic reform.
Address resource and logistical barriers
Seek partnerships with international donors, NGOs, and government for funding, infrastructure support, training, and materials for prison ministries.
Make use of local community resources and volunteers; churches could develop income-generating programmes tied to their rehabilitation work to support sustainability.
Ensure theological grounding with justice and reconciliation theology
Ground church ministries in biblical teaching and theological reflection that emphasize justice, reconciliation, human dignity, and restoration—not only punishment or retribution.
Encourage theological education and seminary programs in Liberia to include courses on restorative justice, criminology, trauma, and penal theology.
Conclusion
Churches in Liberia are significant moral, social, and practical actors in the criminal justice
system. Their influence is felt in advocacy (for rule of law, constitutional governance, economic justice), in direct rehabilitation and reintegration programs, and in shaping public ethics. Yet, for all their contributions, their impact is often limited by resource constraints, lack of formal institutional recognition, diverse theological approaches, and structural weaknesses in justice sector governance.
If Liberia is to build a more humane, efficient, and restorative justice system, churches must partner more formally with state institutions; their ministries and advocacy must be supported and strengthened; and legal frameworks must allow for faith-based contributions to be integrated rather than marginal. Through such collaboration, Liberia can move closer to a criminal justice system that not only punishes wrongdoing but fosters healing, restoration, and dignity for all persons—including victims, offenders, and the society at large.
About the Author
Professional Profile Summary
Tarpeh L. U-sayee, Jr. is a seasoned Liberian law enforcement professional, criminal justice professor, and police training expert with a solid foundation in international relations, theology, and public service. With over a decade of experience in both law enforcement and criminal justice education, he currently serves as a trainer of the Executive Protection Service (EPS), the Liberia National Police Training Academy and lecture at various private universities in Liberia.
He holds a Master’s Degree in Foreign Service Leadership (International Relations), a Master of Divinity, dual Bachelor’s Degrees in Sociology and Criminal Justice, and an Associate Degree in Management. He is also a prospective doctoral graduate in Church Growth and Ministry.
Mr. U-sayee is a graduate of the Liberia Police Academy, the Louisiana State Police Academy (USA), and the Lagos State Police Academy (Nigeria). As an Apostle and spiritual leader, he brings a unique combination of ethical leadership, academic excellence, and practical field experience. His lifelong mission is centered on peacebuilding, unity, and the advancement of the rule of law in Liberia.
References
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Liberia Council of Churches Reaffirms Moral Leadership and Vision for National Transformation.” Liberia Council of Churches, 31 May 2025.
Liberia Council of Churches Re-Elects Rev. Reeves, Adopts Resolution On Peace and Reconciliation.” AllAfrica, The Liberian Investigator, 3 June 2025.
LCC Calls For Adherence To Supreme Court’s Ruling.” Inquirer Newspaper, 12 December 2024.
Liberia: LCC Urges Majority Bloc, Speaker Koffa to Uphold Supreme Court’s Ruling.” AllAfrica.com, 11 December 2024.
Bishop Quire Opens Landmark Regional Tax Justice Conference in Monrovia.” Global News Network Liberia, 3 July 2025.
Church Leaders Stand with the War and Economic Crimes Court of Liberia Not Only in Words, But in Purpose – Faith and Justice Network.” FJN, 15 June 2025.
Church Identifies Gbarnga Central Prison.” New Republic Liberia News, 20 May 2022.
Liberty Christian Center ___” various arms: “Prison Ministry”, “Liberty Relief Services” etc.
Liberation Center Liberia — drug rehabilitation & discipleship homes.”
