Rev. Emmett Lafayette Dunn has been named as the Orator for Liberia’s 178th Independence Day celebrations, scheduled for July 26.
The announcement was made by the Executive Mansion, confirming the selection of Rev. Dunn, a respected Liberian-born pastor and international Baptist leader, to deliver the national address.
His appointment reflects both his decades of spiritual leadership and a deep-rooted commitment to community development and national progress.
Born in Monrovia, Rev. Dunn was ordained in 1987 at Providence Baptist Church—one of the country’s oldest and most historic congregations.
He previously served there as Assistant Minister and Director of Christian Education. In 1988, he departed for the United States on a scholarship awarded by the World Council of Churches.
Rev. Dunn is academically grounded, holding a Bachelor of Theology from the Liberia Baptist Theological Seminary (1986), a Graduate Certificate from the Protestant Episcopal Seminary of Virginia (1989), and a Master of Divinity from Howard University School of Divinity (1991).
He also pursued studies in Sustainable Community Development at Colorado State University.
His international ministry began in earnest in 1994 with the Baptist World Alliance (BWA), where he was appointed Director of the Youth Department. He later served as Director of Congress and Conferences, organizing global Christian gatherings that attracted thousands of church leaders and young people from across the world.
From 2014 to 2021, Rev. Dunn served as Senior Pastor of West Hyattsville Baptist Church in Maryland. Throughout his career, he has combined faith and service—advocating for justice, unity, and moral renewal, both in Liberia and the global Christian community.
His selection as this year’s Independence Orator highlights Liberia’s acknowledgment of its diaspora and the pivotal role of religious leaders in promoting national unity and ethical leadership.
