-IRCL Rejects Strengthening Families event
Monrovia, Liberia, June 4, 2026 – The Inter-Religious Council of Liberia (IRCL) has raised concerns about the planned “Strengthening Families” Conference, distancing itself from the event and cautioning against initiatives that seek to define family and societal values without adequately reflecting Liberia’s diverse realities and lived experiences.
The Strengthening Families Conference (SFC) is an annual West African forum that promotes family stability, youth development, and community well-being. It brings together government officials, religious leaders, educators, civil society actors, and development partners to discuss challenges affecting families and identify practical solutions.
The 2026 edition, scheduled to take place in Monrovia, is expected to focus on strengthening family values, inspiring young people, and building resilient communities through collaborative action.
However, the IRCL maintains that meaningful discussions on strengthening families must reflect the lived realities of Liberians and be informed by community experiences.
According to the Council, family well-being is closely linked to challenges such as poverty, unemployment, gender-based violence, maternal mortality, teenage pregnancy, substance abuse, and limited access to healthcare and education.
Speaking at a major press conference held at the Lutheran Compound in Monrovia on June 3, 2026, the Council emphasized that effective family strengthening requires open and respectful dialogue on issues affecting women, girls, young people, and vulnerable populations.
“It is essential to provide access to accurate health information and healthcare services to safeguard the dignity, health, and future of families in Liberia,” the Council said in a statement.
Reading the statement on behalf of the IRCL, the General Secretary of the Liberia Council of Churches (LCC), Rev. Christopher Wleh Toe, said that while the Council supports initiatives genuinely aimed at strengthening families and communities, it cannot endorse approaches that promote narrow definitions of family, fail to recognize the diversity of Liberian households, or overlook urgent health and social challenges facing women, girls, young people, and vulnerable groups.
Rev. Toe further noted that the Council is particularly concerned that discussions on family well-being are taking place without adequate attention to critical issues such as maternal mortality, teenage pregnancy, gender-based violence, unsafe abortion, and limited access to accurate health information and essential healthcare services.
The Council also expressed concern over what it described as a lack of meaningful engagement and consultation in the planning of the conference by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The Council urged faith leaders, community leaders, civil society organizations, women’s groups, youth organizations, and all Liberians to carefully examine the objectives, messages, and long-term implications of initiatives that seek to define family, morality, and social values without fully reflecting Liberia’s realities and diverse family experiences.
The IRCL reaffirmed its commitment to promoting peace, social cohesion, human dignity, and the well-being of all families in Liberia, emphasizing that strong family units remain essential to building a stable and prosperous nation.
The Council further pledged to continue serving as a moral voice in Liberia, advocating for a vision of family and community that reflects the country’s values, resilience, diversity, and collective aspirations.
It also encouraged citizens to remain vigilant regarding conferences, campaigns, and external initiatives that may promote narrow definitions of family or undermine inclusion and human dignity.
