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New Pastor From Liberia Using His Past To Help Others

July 14, 2014 - Stephanie Jones - The Journal Times

Racine, Wisconsin: When the Rev. Jakes Sei Voker moved to America in 2000, his native Liberia was in the midst of a civil war.

He had previously worked in a hospital and he had witnessed families torn apart and children who were enlisted into the forces. He saw the trauma it caused.

Even without a war, Voker said trauma can occur in people’s lives and, as the new pastor at First United Methodist Church, 745 Main St., he plans to help people through that trauma.

His first official day preaching in Racine was on Sunday, following a four-year appointment in Oshkosh.

Describing what trauma is, Voker, 55, who has five children aged 17 to 28, said, “It’s any emotional event that affects a person’s life.”

That can be relocation, divorce, death of a loved one or a sickness, he said.

Part of his mission, he said, will be encouraging his congregation to reach out beyond the walls of the church and to help people in the community going through hard times.

At the same time, Voker said, he is also hoping to bring awareness to some of the issues continuing in Liberia. The war has since ended, but he said there is still lots of rebuilding that needs to happen.

He and his wife, Esther, have helped establish a school back in Ganta, Liberia, for children ages 4 to 15. He is also hoping to eventually add trauma counseling services to help the many people affected by trauma during the civil war, he said.

He personally didn’t realize how affected he had been until he was in America and someone threw a firecracker near him, he said.

He started running and screaming, he said, because he thought he had been shot.

He was able to talk to someone and get through it, but he said if people go through trauma and their emotional concerns are not taken care of, it can result in problems.

By working with the community, he is hoping to help address those issues before they become problems..