Liberia

The Republic of Liberia adjoins the Atlantic Ocean on the west coast of Africa and shares borders with Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast). Liberia was founded in 1841 by freed American slaves as a refuge from the racism and discrimination they faced in the United States, and in 2005, the country elected an American-educated woman as the first female African head of state. Since the first American Christians arrived in 1822, the history of this country has been shaped by American influences.

The slaves who immigrated to Liberia were primarily born and raised in the culture of the antebellum American South. As such, they brought with them Christianity as well as the belief that anything natively African was necessarily primitive and inferior to what the West had to offer. This disposition would lead to recurring tensions between the Americo-Liberian settlers and the native African population, some of which still exist. Despite their minority status (2%–3% of the population), the former slaves who immigrated to Liberia became that society's elite, and their descendants held all the highest government posts until 1980. The churches they started are some of the most prestigious in the nation, none more so than the Providence Baptist Church, dubbed “The Cornerstone of the Nation.” Located in the capital city of Monrovia, it was established in 1822 by free Blacks sent as missionaries by the Richmond African Baptist Missionary Society of Richmond, Virginia. The signing of the declaration of independence and the meeting of the first legislative assembly for the new nation of Liberia were held inside the church. This and other settler churches continue to have strong ties with the United States through cross-cultural partnerships and pastor exchanges.

According to the 2008 national census, 85.5% of Liberians self-identify as Christians. However, there is some controversy among Christian groups as to whether the percentage is that high since some of the more conservative groups do not consider the syncretic incorporation of African traditional religion or secret societies (such as the Freemasons) into Christian practices to be legitimate forms of Christianity. In terms of non-Christian religions, the census reported that 0.5% of Liberians practice indigenous religions, 1.5% have no religion, and very small percentages (0.1%) practice other religions such as Baha'i, Hinduism, and Buddhism.

Practicing Muslims compose 12.2% of the population, most of whom are a part of the Vai and Mandingo ethnic groups. The 22nd president of Liberia, Charles Taylor, was an ally of Muammar Gaddafi, had trained in Libya, and was favorably disposed toward Muslims during his term. However, recently some Muslims have expressed frustration that the government does not officially recognize Muslim holy days in the same way that it does Christian ones. They are petitioning the current president, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, to make the end of Ramadan a national holiday.