History of the Lott Carey Baptist Mission School

Lott Carey Baptist Mission School is located nine miles east of Monrovia, in the City of Brewerville, Liberia, West Africa. This K through 12 institution of learning is named to honor the first African-American Baptist missionary from the United States, Rev. Lott Carey. Rev. Carey purchased his freedom in 1813, moved to Liberia in 1821, and established Liberia’s first Baptist church, the Providence Baptist Church.

The Lott Carey Foreign Mission Convention, USA, through the efforts of African-American pastors and church leaders committed to the support of foreign missions in Africa; established Lott Carey Mission School in 1908. The foreign Mission Convention, USA has been its major source of support and has sponsored over 25 foreign missionaries, including Superintendents, Principals, Teachers and Nurses.

Reverend William Henry Thomas and wife Cora Thomas (a native of Raleigh, North Carolina, USA) were the first missionaries sent to Brewerville by the Foreign Mission Convention to establish the Lott Carey Baptist Mission School to provide a Christian based education built on the foundation of: Character, Industry and Scholarship. With the assistance of Rev. J. Oliver Hayes, Sr., a native of North Carolina and pastor of Zion Grove Baptist Church, in Brewerville; Lott Carey Mission began as a day school for boys in the Zion Grove Baptist Church. Classes were held from the First through Eighth grades. The first graduates were the late Harmon Carey Thomas, Jesse Hayes and Isaac Woods. Zion Grove and Salem Baptist Churches in Brewerville purchased the present site that Lott Carey Baptist Mission occupies. The first building erected on Campus was “The Chapel” in 1914. The upstairs was used as the girls’ dormitory while downstairs was used for classes and vesper services.

Prior to the 1990 civil war in Liberia, Lott Carey Baptist Mission was a co-educational day and boarding school accepting girls and boys from all geographic areas of Liberia. In the 1960’s, students from other countries in West, Southwest, and South Africa came to Lott Carey. Many of these students, including Liberian boys and girls were accepted in the school’s Beneficiary Program. The Program provides their tuition, room and board and covered fees. The Lott Carey Foreign Mission Convention extended to a few of these students, the opportunity to attend college in the United States. Many of the students returned and made meaningful contributions to both Lott Carey and to the economic and educational development of Liberia.

In all, graduates of Lott Carey are doctors, lawyers and scientists and they continue to hold prominent positions in corporations, commerce, industry, government and in the religious sector in Liberia and throughout the world. The school remains dedicated to its professional and educational commitments to its students. It is this tradition that the alumni association pledges to uphold and support.