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PROFILE OF
REV. DR. JOHN INNIS
RESIDENT BISHOP
OF THE UNITED
METHODIST
CHURCH
IN
LIBERIA
The
Rev. Dr. John G. Innis was born on
September 18, 1948
in
Grand Bassa County
,
Liberia. He obtained his
elementary and secondary education at
Camphor
United
Methodist
Mission
School
and the
Bassa
High School
, respectively, in
Grand
Bassa
County
between 1964 and 1970. He
later enrolled at the
University
of
Liberia
in 1977 and entered the
W.
V.
S.
Tubman
Teachers’ College.
Upon
his graduation from the
University
of
Liberia
, Dr. Innis again returned to Camphor Mission as Principal and
served for an additional eight years.
In 1985, Rev. Dr. Innis was awarded a Crusade
Scholarship for post-graduate work at the Saint Paul School of
Theology in
Kansas City
,
Missouri
, the
United States of America
where he obtained a Master of Divinity Degree (M.Div.) in
1988.
Rev.
Innis returned to
Liberia
in June of the same year and again resumed work at Camphor,
this time as Director of the Mission Station.
During the height of the Liberian Civil War which
started in December 1989, the
Mission
became a place of refuge for thousands of displaced persons.
The campus remained opened until 1993 when it was
raided by rebels. Rev. Innis was severely beaten and almost
got killed in the process.
He was in 1994, appointed as Administrative Assistant
to Bishop Arthur F, Kulah.
Rev. Innis served in this position until 1996 when he
was employed as Executive Secretary of the General Board of
Global Ministries, the
United
Methodist
Church
, headquartered in
New York
,
USA
.
Rev.
Innis was ordained a Deacon in The United Methodist Church in
1989 in
Greenville
,
Sinoe
County
, and an Elder in 1991, in Ganta,
Nimba
County
.
While
working in the States, Rev, Innis was opportune to further his
academic status. He
received a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Christian
Leadership at
Columbus
University
in
Metairie
,
Louisiana
, and a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Church Administration
from the
institute
of
Christian Works
,
Burlington
,
Washington
Besides
his work at Camphor, in the Episcopal Office of The United
Methodist Church and the General Board of Global Ministries.
Dr. Innis held the following key positions:
· Lecturer, Gbarnga
School
of
Theology
,
Monrovia
· Acting District Superintendent,
St.
John river District, LAC/UMC, grand Bassa County,
· Senior Pastor,
Garfield
Memorial UMC,
Grand Bassa County
,
Liberia
· Director, Christian Extension Ministries,
Grand
Bassa
County
, Liberia
· Secretary, Department of General Education, LAC/UMC,
Monrovia
· Secretary, Youth Department, LAC/UMC
· Secretary, Board of Ordained Ministries, LAC/UMC
· Secretary and
Chaplain
,
Liberia
Association of Greater
Kansas City
,
Missouri
,
USA
· Field Staff, Disaster Assessment for
West Africa
, United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR)
· Interim Director and Chaplain,
UMCOR
Sager-Brown
Center
,
Baldwin
,
Louisiana
,
USA
.
In
December 200, Dr. John G. Innis was elected on the first
ballot at the West Africa Central Conference (WACC) of The
United Methodist Church held in
Monrovia
; He was
subsequently consecrated and assigned to the Liberia Annual
Conference of The United Methodist Church by the Council of
Bishops to the honor and glory of God.
Recently, Bishop Innis was assigned to The United
Methodist Church in
Cote d’Ivoire
by the Council of Bishops as its Presiding Bishop.
The Church in
Cote
d’Ivore has a membership 1.4 million.
Bishop
Innis has traveled extensively throughout
Africa
.
Europe
and the
USA
. Recently,
the United Methodist Publishing House, Abington Press in
Nashville
,
Tennessee
,
USA
, published Bishop Innis’ first book, His autobiography
entitled, “By the Goodness of God”
Bishop
Innis is married to Irene Jan-jay Zeon.
God has blessed their union with beautiful children.
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