African Church Issues Dominate General Conference's Sixth Day

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The sixth day of the postponed 2020 General Conferencenow was Africa Day – not by official theme, but by calendar items related to United Methodists on the continent and the delegates who spoke to the issues.

Although delegates tussled over church administration, there was celebration also in the report from United Methodist-related Africa University in Mutare, Zimbabwe, which has become a key force for higher education on the continent.

By the end of April 29, delegates completed voting on two calendar items from the Standing Committee on Central Conference Matters. The first, increasing the number of bishops for the continent, drew the most contention while the second, adding another central (regional) conference passed with no objections.

The 2016 General Conference recommended five bishops be added to church administration in Africa. Now eight years later, however, The United Methodist Church's financial resources can't sustain such a large increase.

There are two financial reasons for the pullback on more African bishops. First, African United Methodists contribute only around $600,000 to the Episcopal Fund that pays bishops' salaries, office expenses and travel costs. Second, the Episcopal Fund has become financially unstable over the past eight years, partly due to increased costs but also to an overall decline in funding. The latter situation has been worsened by the departure of some 7,600 churches that have exited the denomination since 2019.

There are currently 53 active bishops in the United States and another 25 bishops in international regions known as Central Conferences. Membership, which is a determining factor in creating episcopal areas served by bishops, has been declining in the United States while it has increased substantially in Africa. U.S. United Methodists currently number around 6.5 million, while African United Methodists total around 6 million members.

African delegates lobbied hard to have the increase in bishops restored to the 2016 recommendation of five new bishops.

The Rev. Jerry Kulah, a clergy delegate from the Liberia Annual Conference, insisted that African United Methodists could raise enough funds to cover the expenses of five new bishops. He gave the Liberia Conference's repayment of a $5 million loan from the General Board of Global Ministries in two-and-a-half years instead of five as an example of Africans' ability to raise funds.

The Rev. Ande Emmanuel, a clergy delegate from the Southern Nigeria Annual Conference, also asserted that Africans deserved the additional bishops for missional priority reasons. He cited the rapid membership growth in all African Central Conferences and proposed an amendment to restore the number of bishops to five.

However, both Moses Kumar, top executive of the General Council on Finance and Administration, and Bishop Gregory V. Palmer (Ohio West Area) reiterated earlier reports that the church didn't have sufficient funds to cover five bishops' expenses. Kumar said that African United Methodists weren't contributing enough to churchwide funds to pay the expenses of the continent's current 20 bishops. To fund 25 bishops, African United Methodists would have to raise their churchwide giving by 150 percent, Kumar said.

After a long series of comments, Rev. Emmanuel's amendment was defeated. The debate over the item wasn't finished by the lunch recess and was carried forward into the afternoon plenary.

Rev. Emmanuel again tried to have the number of bishops increased by moving to refer the item back to the Standing Committee on Central Conference Matters for further consideration. The referral also was defeated by the narrowest vote margin yet 391 against and 331 for.

Finally, by mid-afternoon the increase of two bishops was adopted 645 to 95.

The next item, adding a fourth episcopal area to Africa, garnered no objections from delegates and was approved 692 to 43.

Delegate Emmanuel Sinzohagera from Burundi Annual Conference spoke in favor of the proposal to create a new Central Conference for East Africa, where United Methodism has spread to Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya and South Sudan. He referred to Burundi as the "mother church" of East Africa United Methodism. He cited logistical difficulties of those in the region attending meetings of the Central Africa Central Conference to which the area is now attached.

Ann Kiome-Gatobu of Great Plains Conference moved to amend the legislation to change the name of the Central Africa Central Conference to the Mid-Africa Central Conference.

"Having the name 'central' twice is confusing," she said.

Delegates agreed with Kiome-Gatobu's amendment 519 to 193.

Africa University a 32-year success

The conflicts over church administration were subsumed later by celebrations over the success of United Methodist-supported Africa University, which longtime development officer Jim Salley called "the School of Dreams in the Valley of Hope."

Africa University was founded by The United Methodist Church in 1992 after an intensive campaign by Bishop Emilio de Carvalho, then bishop of Angola and now retired. The enabling legislation was passed in 1988 and the school, the first non-governmental college to receive a charter in Zimbabwe, opened its doors in 1992 with Bishop de Carvalho as its first president.

Since that time, Africa University has been supported both by churchwide giving and by conference and individual donations.

The university's newest vice chancellor, the Rev. Dr. Peter Mageto, told the assembly that Africa U. is thriving because of the UMC's "faithful engagement." More than 12,000 AU alumni of 30-plus nationalities now serve in professional positions across the continent, he said.

Dr. Mageto said AU opened a college of applied sciences and engineering in 2023. The university offers 65 "challenging and rewarding programs" with a graduation success rate of 95 percent.

"Interacting with each other, students gain maturity, empathy and integrity," Dr. Mageto said. "The cross and flame displayed on campus declares we are a United Methodist Christian university."

Dr. Salley then invited delegates, pages, marshals and volunteers who are Africa University graduates to stand. Dozens of people rose to their feet in assembly to hearty applause and shouts of approval and ululation (the African vocal trill of celebration).

"Africa University invested in me as a female, a woman and a mother," said the Rev. Betty Kazadi, a delegate from Tanzania. "I am what I am because of Africa University.

Bishop Tracy Smith Malone, incoming president of the Council of Bishops, declared that Africa University is "a gift from God."

"Education is a passport to freedom," said Bishop Malone, for whom a women's hostel at the university was named recently. "Education is a passport to sustainability. Education is a passport to hope.

"To God be the glory for what has been done and for what is yet to come," she said.

United Methodist Insight Editor Cynthia B. Astle has covered The United Methodist Church at all its levels since 1988. This is her 10th General Conference. Please email United Methodist Insight for permission to reproduce this content elsewhere.