As one might expect from a woman holding a master's degree in public administration from Harvard University, she backed up her targeted priorities with abundant data. Among them:
- 400 million Liberians have no safe water
- 75 percent of its schools are destroyed or unusable
-  85 percent unemployment

But she turned to the other side of the ledger by declaring that the Methodist Church of Liberia has "worked assiduously" for more than 75 years to develop and stabilize a democracy for the people of Liberia. She particularly thanked the church for its "critical ministry" leadership in conflict resolution.

She also thanked the church for its leadership to reduce illiteracy and her country's council of churches' leadership "in the old fashioned virtues of hard work and honesty."

Africa University, the United Methodist Church's 20-year old first venture into higher education in Africa, received the Liberian president's commendation, and she hinted that a second such United Methodist-related university might be developed in western Africa as a counterpart to the one in Zimbabwe (eastern Africa).

Six months ago another United Methodist head of state, George W. Bush, presented this country's highest civilian award, the Medal of Freedom, to President Sirleaf.

The prolonged standing applause on April 29 conveyed the church's highest governing body's own rewards to this daughter of the church.

At the Bridges of Unity Empowerment Fund Banquet later in the evening, The General Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns of the UMC presented President
Sirleaf with the first Bishop James K. and Eunice Matthews Bridge Builder Award.