Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf is in Fort Worth, Texas to address the United Methodist General Conference on Tuesday. The General Conference is the denomination’s top legislative body now sitting in that city.

	• Pres. Johnson-Sirleaf Photo: Executive Mansion

According to the United Methodist website – The People of the United Methodist Church - Mrs. Sirleaf, a United Methodist, will also accept the Bishop James K. and Eunice Mathews Bridge-Building Award from the United Methodist Commission on Christian Unity and Inter-religious Concerns at a dinner on Tuesday night.

The award is connected with the agency’s Bridges of Unity Endowment, which was created as a way of developing future generations of ecumenical and interfaith leaders.

According to Rev. Larry Pickens, the Commission’s Chief Executive, Mrs. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf has worked to heal her war-ravaged nation through dialogue and community-building, modeling "the commitment to peace and community building" that symbolizes the Mathews and their lives.

In accepting the invitation, Mrs Johnson-Sirleaf wrote “as a strong and proud Methodist and in recognition of the of the work that the United Methodist Church has done in Liberia, particularly in providing education and medical services to our rural population, I am pleased to accept and look forward to joining you in Fort Worth on that day."

This is President Johnson-Sirleaf visit to the city which has a sizeable Liberian population since she became President in 2006. Tuesday will be a busy day for the President as she is expected to meet with members of the Liberian community residing in the area.

Writes: Patrick Manjoe - Fort Worth, Texas