-Rising Sun Lodge No. 5 Senior Warden Dies in Ghana as Brethren Remember Former Grand Bassa Superintendent for Service, Leadership and Brotherhood
MONROVIA, Liberia — The Grand Masonic Jurisdiction of the Republic of Liberia is mourning the death of Brother Janjay Baikpeh, Senior Warden of Rising Sun Lodge No. 5 in Edina City, Grand Bassa County, whose sudden passing in Ghana has triggered an outpouring of tributes from lodges and brethren across the Liberian Masonic fraternity.
Rising Sun Lodge No. 5 announced Baikpeh’s death with “profound sorrow,” describing him as a devoted Mason whose brotherly love, service and commitment to the principles of Freemasonry left a lasting mark on the Lodge.
His death has also been felt beyond the fraternity. Baikpeh was a former Superintendent of Grand Bassa County, a political figure and community leader whose public life included service in local government, political advocacy and participation in national affairs.
The circumstances surrounding his death in Ghana had not been publicly established as of Sunday.
A Brother Remembered for His Masonic Service
For Rising Sun Lodge No. 5, however, Baikpeh’s most immediate legacy is the one he built inside the Craft.
In announcing his death, the Lodge said his passing represents a profound loss to his family, Rising Sun Lodge, the wider Masonic fraternity and everyone who had the opportunity to know and work with him.
“Your labor has ended, but your Masonic legacy lives on,” the Lodge said in its tribute.
Other lodges echoed the sentiment.
Oriental Lodge No. 1 describes Baikpeh a “faithful servant, a committed officer, and a true brother whose light shone brightly in the quarries of Masonry. His dedication, diligence, and unwavering love for the Fraternity will forever remain an inspiration to us all.”
“Though death has called him from our earthly labor, we take comfort in the promise that his soul has returned to the Great Architect of the Universe, in whose eternal care he now rests.”
Harmony Lodge No. 16 described Baikpeh’s passing as a loss to Rising Sun Lodge and remembered him for his service and the bonds of brotherly love he shared.
Cedar Lodge No. 14 said his dedication to the Craft, service to his Lodge and commitment to the principles of Freemasonry would remain part of his legacy.
Blazing Star Lodge No. 17, St. John Lodge No. 3, Corinthian Lodge No. 18, Hiram No. 11, Widow’s Son Lodge No. 7, Evening Star No. 9, King Solomon Lodge No. 20, Amos Lodge No. 10, St. Paul Lodge No. 2 and Mount Moriah Lodge No. 13 also extended condolences to Rising Sun Lodge No. 5 and Baikpeh’s bereaved family.
Across the tributes, one theme was repeated: his earthly labor had ended, but his example would remain.
From Grand Bassa Superintendent to Community Leader
Baikpeh’s public record extended well beyond the Lodge.
He served as Superintendent of Grand Bassa County during the administration of former President George Manneh Weah. Government records identify him as Grand Bassa Superintendent, and official records from his tenure show him participating in county development initiatives and representing the county in national programs.
As superintendent, Baikpeh was involved in initiatives ranging from youth empowerment and environmental programs to agriculture, land governance and county development.
In December 2022, he officially launched a Youth Eco-brigade program in Buchanan, where he encouraged young people to use the opportunity to develop businesses and contribute to keeping Buchanan and surrounding communities clean. The United Nations Development Programme recorded his call for the young people to become “ambassadors for positive change.”
He also participated in discussions surrounding land governance and reconciliation in Grand Bassa. The county’s 2019–2024 reconciliation action plan carried his name and position as superintendent and reflected his support for efforts aimed at strengthening reconciliation and peacebuilding in the county.
Political Career and Grand Bassa Contest
Baikpeh was also a prominent figure in the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC).
In the 2023 senatorial elections, he contested the Grand Bassa County seat on the CDC ticket. Official National Elections Commission results show that he finished second with 25,384 votes, or 23.84 percent, behind independent candidate Gbehzohngar Findley, who won with 55,629 votes.
His candidacy had generated considerable interest in Grand Bassa, with residents publicly advocating for him during the 2023 electoral season.
His political involvement continued after the 2023 election.
In 2024, Baikpeh emerged as chairman of Cry for Justice, an advocacy group that called for accountability and challenged aspects of the newly inaugurated Boakai administration. The group announced nationwide demonstrations and cited concerns including rule of law, accountability and governance.
That chapter of his public life further established him as a vocal political actor after leaving the superintendent’s office.
A Voice in Grand Bassa
During his years in public service, Baikpeh maintained a visible presence in Grand Bassa’s political and development affairs.
In April 2023, when President Weah held a special Cabinet meeting in Buchanan, Baikpeh formally welcomed the President and his delegation and surrendered the county’s ceremonial gavel of authority to the President. He used the occasion to highlight development initiatives undertaken in the county under the Weah administration.
He also served as an advocate for county development and participated in engagements with national and international partners on agriculture, environmental programs and local development.
Those activities now form part of the broader public record of a man whose career moved between government service, politics, community advocacy and Freemasonry.
‘You Fought a Good Fight’
Within Rising Sun Lodge No. 5, the grief is particularly personal.
Right Worshipful Brother Reginald Goodridge, in a tribute to Baikpeh, described him as a brother who had “fought a good fight” and credited him with helping raise the Lodge to a new level.
“May the GAOTU cushion you in the bosom of his loving care,” Goodridge wrote, asking for comfort for Baikpeh’s family.
Another brother, Alaskai Moore Johnson, captured the sense of loss in a brief tribute:
“Gone from our sight, but never from our hearts. Your service, wisdom, and presence will forever remain with us.”
Right Worshipful Brother Wilson Tarpeh described Baikpeh as an “active and faithful laborer” who had been summoned without notice, while expressing sympathy to Rising Sun Lodge No. 5 and his family.
For K. Edward Norman, Jr., Baikpeh’s pass is a solemn call that humans cannot ignore.
He added: “The working tools have now been laid, and a brother has answered the call that was made. Bro. Baikpeh, our Brother, our friend, your earthly labors have come to an end, from the Terrestrial Lodge, you have journeyed on, to the Celestial Lodge, beyond the setting sun.”
The language of the tributes reflects the deep significance of his passing within the fraternity—not simply as the death of a Lodge officer, but as the loss of a brother whose service had become intertwined with the Lodge’s institutional life.
Brethren Called to Emergency Meeting
The Worshipful Master of Rising Sun Lodge No. 5, Worshipful Brother Dennis Smith, has called an Emergency Call Meeting for Tuesday, August 25, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. at the grounds of the Grand Lodge Temple on West Benson Street in Monrovia.
According to the notice circulated to brethren, the meeting will address Baikpeh’s death and deliberate on necessary arrangements.
The Lodge has urged all brethren to attend and stand together in brotherhood, unity and support during the period of mourning.
A Legacy Across Two Worlds
Baikpeh’s death closes a chapter that connected several spheres of Liberian public life.
He was a county superintendent who represented Grand Bassa during a significant period of national development; a CDC political figure who contested for the Senate; an advocate who later became involved in political activism; and, perhaps most importantly to those mourning him now, a Mason who served as Senior Warden of Rising Sun Lodge No. 5.
The official Grand Lodge website has previously listed Baikpeh among the leadership of Rising Sun Lodge No. 5, underscoring his longstanding involvement in the Lodge.
For the brethren now preparing to gather in Monrovia, the loss is therefore more than the passing of an officer.
It is the departure of a brother whose work, leadership and presence have left an imprint on the Lodge and on the wider community he served.
As Rising Sun Lodge No. 5 put it in its final tribute:
“Your labor has ended, but your Masonic legacy lives on.”
And across the Liberian Craft, the final prayer is being repeated in different words but with the same sentiment: that the Great Architect of the Universe receive Brother Janjay Baikpeh into eternal care and grant strength and comfort to his family, his Lodge and all who mourn his passing.
Rest in Peace, Brother Senior Warden.
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