“I Will Not Disappoint You”

-A. Richard Dorley Promises Not To Disappoint St. Peter’s Lutheran Church Leaders; Honored Father of the Year

By Esau J. Farr

Mr. A. Richard Dorley, Sr., a seasoned Liberian banker, has been honored as Father of the Year 2019/2020 by the St. Peter’s Lutheran Church on 14^th Street in Monrovia. The ceremony took place on Sunday June 16, 2019 by the St. Peter’s Lutheran Church.

Mr. Dorley won the respect and honor from his colleagues of the Men’s Department based on what the church described as his uncountable contributions to the church and the Liberian society at large.

Making the pronouncement and presentation of the Father of the Year 2019/2020, the outgoing Father of the Year 2018/2019, Mr. Morris Dukuly (former International Affairs Minister), lauded his successor, Mr. Dorley, for his election as the Father of the Year 2019/2020 saying, it was no mistake because Mr. Dorley has greatly contributed to the works of God in Liberia and possesses the requisite characteristics of a Christian father. For his part, the Pastor-In-Charge of the St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, Rev. Isaac S. Dowah, speaking through one of the leaders of the church, thanked the Men’s Department of the church adding that their decision was in the right direction. Rev. Dowah recounted the contributions of Mr. Dorley, especially the construction of a branch of the Lutheran Church in Liberia (LCL) in Gbonota with a one thousand persons congregation capacity and a church in Subah Town (his wife’s home) in Todee District, Montserrado County.

Mr. Dorley was also honored for his contribution to the human resource development of the Liberian society through the educational empowerment of youths amongst others with over three decades of classroom experience at secondary and university levels.

Making a brief remark, Mr. Dorley, the honoree, expressed appreciation to the Men’s Department of the church and the entire St. Peter’s Lutheran Church family for his preferment saying, he was glad to be given his flowers in the church of the Lord while he is still alive.

“I am glad today that I can be honored by this church while I am still alive,” he intoned.

He promised not to disappoint the Men’s Department of the church saying, he will maintain the integrity, values and characteristics of a father during and after his one year stair of the church as father of the church and not only the Men’s Department.

“Today, I am greatly happy for the honor and I promised that I will not disappoint you and it is my prayer that we will all work together for the improvement of the works of God,” he said.

“I feel honored by the honor bestowed upon me today,” the father of year 2019/2020 told the church as the crown of the Men’s Department shone on his head matching the occasion of the day.

According to him, for him to have been chosen and placed amongst fathers of the church, one of the joyous occasions he has experienced since he began laboring in the Lord’s Vine yard.

“We will try to do those things that are doable conveniently,” he vowed amidst cheers from parishioners of the church and well wishers who have gone to grace the occasion as the church was parked to its full capacity. At the end of his expressed appreciation to the church, Mr. Dorley promised to meet with the leadership of the Men’s Department on the possible undertaking of needed projects for the church in the soonest possible time.

Serving as the Guest Preacher of the program, the head of the Great Commission Movement of Liberia, Rev. Amos Harris of the Episcopal Church in Liberia, described the occasion as a joyous day for the St. Peter’s Lutheran Church family while referring to Mr. Dorley as his friend and a former school mate in the 1970s.

He used the occasion to urge fathers across the world to observe several characteristics of a Godly father, a theme given him by the organizing committee of the Men’s Department, with text taken from the Old Testament book of Job 1:1-8.

Pastor Harris listed some of the characteristics of a Godly father as the one whom God can boast of through his deeds and words, one who is without faults, free from quilts, has sense of innocence, one who keeps his integrity, rebukes evil and ungodly thoughts, resists temptations and any acts that go contrary to the words of God.

The Episcopalian cleric challenged believers the world over to be people who God can easily boast of, adding that people will always make allegations against God’s people, but challenged them to prove all allegations against them wrong as a real mark of a Godly father and a true believer.

He added that Godly fathers are men who fear God likened it the life of job saying, fearing God means to have great respect for Him (God), people who tremble for the satisfaction of God and His glorification. “No one can be compared to God. God knows our thoughts, one who turns away from evil,” the preacher-man emphasized.

According to him, Mankind is faced with two choices-good or evil, between which one chooses either of them.
“There is a need for true and Godly fathers to sacrifice and offer prayers for their children assuming they (children) have sinned along the way. Our children need us and are in an exposed environment and society; there are some fathers who are physically present, but functionally absent,” Rev. Harris disclosed.

The religious leader urged parents to teach and change things in the homes to save the children.

“In closing, let me ask all fathers to be people who ably manage their homes well and let not the leaders of the church downplay these characteristics of God’s people for the purpose of the Great Commission of Jesus Christ,” the clergyman concluded.

Summary Credentials of the Honoree (A. Richard Dorley, Sr.

Educational Background

The father of the year did his elementary school at the John P. Mitchell Elementary School in Gbondoi, Bong County and graduated in 1970. He went on to the St. Martin’s Junior High School and the Dolokelen Gboveh High School in Gbarnga, Bong County, where he graduated in 1972 and 1976, respectively.

Not being satisfied with the acquired level of education, the father of the year enrolled at the University of Liberia in 1977 and graduated with a BSc. in Economics (honors) in 1981. In 1985, he earned a Master of Art (MA) Degree in Economics from Williams College in Massachusetts, United States of America.

The father of the year also holds a number of certificates and diplomas in foreign exchange and monetary operation, Financial Programming and macroeconomic policy management, Energy management economics, Government budgetary analysis and microfinance from the Kenya School of Monetary Studies, Nairobi, Kenya, International Training Center of the ILO, Turin, Italy, Economics Institute, University of Colorado, USA, West African Institute for Financial and Economic Management, Lagos, Nigeria, University of New York at Stony Brook, Long Island, USA, Joint African/IMF Institute, Abidjan, Ivory Coast, respectively.

Work Experience

He has been working for several years, contributing his quota to the social and economic development of Liberia. Between 1982 and 1987, he worked at the then Ministry of Planning and Economic Affairs as Director for the project Monitoring and Evaluation Unit and Assistant Minister and Special Assistant to the Minister, respectively.

In1988, he joined the then National Bank of Liberia, now Central Bank of Liberia, where he worked for 28 unbroken years up to 2016. At the Central Bank of Liberia, he served in various positions including Research Analyst, Manager, Foreign Exchange and Trade Department, Manager/Senior Economist, Executive Director Department of Research, Planning and Policy, Acting Executive Governor and Senior Advisor to the Governor on Multilateral Relations.

The father of the year is currently an Assistant Professor of economics at the University of Liberia where he teaches International economics and Finance. He has also taught at the Cuttington University Graduate School, the University of Liberia Graduate School, the Ministry of Finance Graduate Program, the AME University, Stella Maris Polytechnic, United Methodist University and the AME Zion University. He has published a number of professional papers and articles including:

1. Monetary Policy Framework for Liberia (2005)
2. Prospects of the Liberian Banking System (1997) and
3. Parallel Market: New household words in Liberia (1995) among others.

The father of the year has traveled to thirty one (31) countries to participate in training programs, negotiations, conferences, meetings, workshops, etc. on behalf of the then Ministry of Planning and Economic Affairs, the then National Bank of Liberia and now Central Bank of Liberia, respectively. Among the countries travelled to are, the United States of America, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Singapore, Switzerland, Republic of South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, Guinea, Sierra Leone and Democratic Republic of Congo, etc.

He is married to Madam Grace V. Dorley and has four children.