Monrovia – The overseer of the Maryland County branch of Saint Assembly, Samuel David, claims that that the church is a member of the Liberia Council of Churches (LCC), a Christian umbrella organization in the country.
Saint Assembly has come in the spotlight in recent weeks following allegations by parents that their children are being brainwashed by the church. Some parents alleged that their children are abandoning school and family values due to doctrine practice by the church.
Despite these claims, one of its top members says the church is recognized in the country.
“If you look at this church it is a registered church with the Liberia Council of Churches. Check them, they are aware of us, they know about our faith, if they have not accepted they wouldn’t have allowed this church to be registered,” David said.
He spoke at a peaceful march held on Friday at the Liberia National Police where several members of the church were demanding the release of three pastors that were in the custody of the police.
David told journalists that the church is being misconstrued, adding “We are not in a cult; our faith is to defend righteousness.”
On Wednesday of last week, police took into custody three pastors of the Saint Assembly church after a complaint was filed by parents claiming that the church was brainwashing their children.
But David described the police and parents as “persecutors” who have no idea of the church.
“This church believes in the Bible, Holy Baptism; we preach righteousness, these pastors have not done anything that they should hold in custody,” he said, adding that the children were only evangelized to by pastors and were not brainwashed as stated by “persecutors”.
“We share the words of God and the child of Jackie Perry was only evangelized to and I am surprised that they arrested our pastors for common evangelism,” he said, suggesting that the police should send them to court.
“We don’t believe in cult, we speak against cult because in the Bible there is nothing like a cult. The police arrested the pastor because they don’t understand the church doctrine.”
Responding to allegations of children abandoning school due to the church’s doctrine, Pastor David said: “They are going to school; some have said that the church is depriving children from attending school, we only allow them to preach the gospel through the week.”
“You find some parents from different denomination and they don’t want their children in our denomination but all said about our church are false. We have nowhere to keep these children.”
He continued, “If you hear from landlord that he is evicting us from his land, that man is a persecutor, he has not visited the church since we have been in his yard, he does not know anything because he hasn’t visited us.”
“The police are against us because from the days of old if persecution was held against the apostles we remembered that we are not greater than the master. There are churches in Monrovia that are still committing sin but for us we do not commit sin.”
The Maryland County overseer confirmed that the original name of the church is Saint Assembly and said that there are 72 branches of the church in the 15 counties.
He alleged that the LCC has attended several of the church’s national assembly.
David said the church doesn’t have international connection but was founded in Liberia by Robert Dossen as its General Overseer (G.O).
On allegation of members of the church not using sweet bath soap to shower or deodorants, David replied: “It is my business to keep my hair and to stay away from cream and deodorant but that is not the doctrine of the church.”
