Mounds View, Minnesota — At its 20th Anniversary Thanksgiving Service, Redeemed Life Church International in Mounds View, Minnesota, presented Eminent Emmanuel S. Wettee with the “Heart of Service Award” in recognition of his lifelong advocacy for Liberians on Temporary Protected Status (TPS), Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) in the US and Dual Citizenship in Liberia, for natural born Liberians and those born of Liberian parentage.
By Eminent Wettee receiving the Heart of Service Award from Pastor Alexander Collins
The church’s milestone celebration—held under the theme, “The Spirit-Fueled Church Lifting Jesus, Transforming Lives, Influencing Change”—brought together prominent religious, civic, and diaspora leaders. Reverend Dr. Emmett Lafayette Dunn, Executive Secretary-Treasurer/CEO of the Lott Carey Foreign Mission Convention, served as guest speaker. Also, in attendance were Hon. Erasmus Williams, Coordinator of the Diaspora Affairs Office at the Ministry of State for Presidential Affairs, and former Brooklyn Park City Council Member Wynfred Russell.
During the ceremony, church leaders lauded Wettee’s activism, especially his role in protecting Liberian TPS/DED beneficiaries from deportation. In 2007, while serving as the 23rd President of the Union of Liberian Associations in the Americas (ULAA), he pledged that no Liberian would be deported under his watch. True to his commitment, his administration is credited with preventing the deportation of nearly 10,000 Liberians whose TPS was due to expire. The advocacy effort also influenced U.S. policy, leading to the provision of DED and work authorization for eligible Liberians.
After his tenure at ULAA, Wettee continued to push for structural immigration reforms. He and others including ULAA, the Organization of Liberians in Minnesota (OLM), Liberian Community Association of DC Metro, Liberian organizations in the States of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Ohio etc., played a critical role in lobbying for Liberians on TPS/DED each year and the Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness (LRIF) Act, enacted December 20, 2019, which enabled eligible TPS/DED Liberians to apply for U.S. lawful permanent residency—and later qualified for U.S. citizenship.
At the church event, Pastor Alexander Collins highlighted another dimension of Wettee’s impact: the realization of dual citizenship rights for Liberians. Owing in part to Wettee’s advocacy, natural-born Liberians and those born of Liberian parentage can now obtain Liberian passports, secure national ID cards, vote in national elections, and engage in commerce and public service in Liberia.
“This recognition is richly deserved,” said the Pastor. “We see in Eminent Wettee a leader who’s woven faith, service, and justice. In real time, Liberians are benefiting from his leadership.”
National Honor Bestowed
In a testament to his standing in Liberia, Eminent Wettee was recently decorated by President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr., with Liberia’s highest honors. He was admitted into the Humane Order of African Redemption with the grade of Knight Commander in an investiture ceremony held on July 24, 2025.
In the presidential citation, Boakai cited Wettee’s unwavering role in diaspora advocacy, especially his leadership in ULAA, his dedicated push for dual citizenship reform, and his consistent efforts to unite and mobilize Liberians at home and abroad.
Legacy of Impact
Beyond awards and recognition, Wettee’s legacy is alive in the lives he’s helped transform. He is widely viewed as one of the foremost champions of Liberian dual citizenship and diaspora rights. In March 2025, he received a “Lifetime Achievement Award” from diaspora Liberian women groups (All Liberian Diaspora Women) and Liberians in Columbus, INC. (LICI) in 2021 — a further affirmation of his long-standing commitment to advocacy and community and was named the “Father of Dual Citizenship” by European Federation of Liberian Associations, (EFLA).
As the Church’s “Heart of Service Award” was conferred, attendees praised Wettee not just as a figure of ceremony, but as a hands-on leader whose advocacy has led to legislative changes, practical assistance for vulnerable Liberians abroad, and new pathways for integration between diaspora communities and the Liberian nation.
In closing, Redeemed Life Church urged its congregation and visitors alike to carry Wettee’s spirit forward—not merely in applause, but in action.
