Bishop Wilmot T. Merchant II returns to lead LoBoNi Archdeaconry

Suffragan Bishop Wilmot T. Merchant II has returned to Liberia to lead the LoBoNi Archdeaconry of the Episcopal Church of Liberia. Based at the Bolahun Holy Cross Mission in Lofa County, Merchant will oversee the Lofa, Bong, and Nimba regions.

His appointment is part of a historic decentralization plan by the Episcopal Church of Liberia. For over 150 years, the church has operated as a single diocese covering the entire country. The new initiative aims to divide the existing structure into three distinct dioceses: a north-central LoBoNi diocese, a southeastern diocese, and the remaining national structure.

Merchant, who spent much of his career in the United States, stated that the goal is to bring leadership closer to local congregations and strengthen the church's presence. The church hopes to complete this transition to three dioceses within the next four years.