LIBERTY, Mo. — At 6:45 on Sunday mornings, in a church right across the street from Historic Liberty Jail, Latter-day Saint Rodger Dean Duncan leads a group of Christian men in prayer. They share testimonies of faith, plan service projects, tend to the needs of the poor and enjoy the brotherhood and unity that come from common purpose.
It sounds like a priesthood quorum. But the venue is a Presbyterian church founded in 1828 and it's a meeting of the Fellowship of the Concerned. Most of the men are Baptist, Methodist or Presbyterian. Brother Duncan, the first Latter-day Saint member of the group, is now its president.
The Fellowship of the Concerned was established more than 40 years ago by black and white Christian men who were determined to foster racial harmony in Liberty. Several of the original members are still active. The group includes Liberty's chief of police, a city councilman, a member of the school board and many others who contribute to the quality of life in Liberty.
As president of the fellowship, Brother Duncan recently accepted an award from the Missouri Municipal League as the Outstanding Leader in Liberty. He has lived in Liberty only four years and joined the Fellowship two years ago.
"In addition to the obvious Church history elements, my wife, Rean, and I love Liberty as a community," Brother Duncan said. "When we first arrived, people said that you can't have much of an impact in Liberty until you've lived here for 50 years or so. We didn't accept that. We've lived in large metropolitan areas like Washington, New York and Philadelphia, and we were attracted by the sense of community in Liberty. We wanted to contribute."
Sister Duncan had an idea. She decided to teach the people of Liberty about the law of the fast. She arranged a meeting with the pastor of the largest Baptist church in town. She described the idea of inviting members of the community to fast for two meals and donate to charity the money saved. The minister liked the plan and helped Sister Duncan network to the local ministerial alliance and other local organizations. One of those organizations was the Fellowship of the Concerned.
"I accompanied Rean when she first met with the fellowship," Brother Duncan said. "I was impressed by the spirit of the group and the quality of the individuals. The mayor of Liberty told me that members of the Fellowship were the cream of the crop. He was right."
Brother Duncan said he finds the Fellowship to be a perfect way to be involved in the community. The group raises scholarship money for graduating high school students, performs home repairs and other services for the elderly and has sponsored such outreaches as a Christian ministry for inmates at the county jail.
The fellowship also provides emergency funds for people who need help with rent or utility bills. "The way we operate is similar to the way a bishop manages welfare in his ward," said Brother Duncan, himself a former bishop and stake president. "We seek out the poor and the needy, provide short-term assistance, then work to help them become more self-sufficient. We know that everyone, regardless of color, creed or circumstance, is a child of God. We try to pattern our behavior after the Savior. After all, His kingdom is the greatest fellowship of all."
Brother Duncan said he finds it interesting that the fellowship meets directly across the street from Historic Liberty Jail and next door to the homesite of Alexander W. Doniphan, a prominent 19th Century Baptist who defended the Prophet Joseph Smith.
"Much of what we learned from Joseph's time in Liberty Jail had to do with courage of conviction, steadfastness, forgiveness, love unfeigned and righteous leadership," said Brother Duncan. "And an important part of Alexander Doniphan's legacy is the way he championed the Constitutional rights of oppressed people. Those very characteristics are what the Fellowship of the Concerned is all about. Meeting where we do is like coming to a sacred neighborhood."
Brother Duncan is the inter-faith specialist on the Church's multi-stake public affairs council in the Kansas City area. But he's quick to say that his involvement with the Fellowship of the Concerned is a matter of choice, not assignment.
"Part of our covenant as Latter-day Saints is to reach out to others wherever we are," he said. "That's what the Savior would have us do. It's a promise we've made and a promise we must keep."
