Nigeria UMC Conflict Boils Over Again

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A group of United Methodists in Nigeria squared off against their episcopal leader, Bishop John Wesley Yohanna, over the past week, moving the venue of the 40th session of the Southern Nigeria Annual Conference to a different church after two-thirds of the clergy and lay members were barred from entrance.

According to reports from two conference leaders, the Rev. Samuel Ahmed and the Rev. Musa Lana, some 281 clergy and lay members were prevented from entering McBride UMC in Magami where the session was originally scheduled. When uniformed police checking a list of names prevented conference members from entering, the majority gathered outside McBride UMC and voted to move to nearby Abuja Haske UMC where nearly 300 clergy and laity conducted conference business. The majority session voted to declare any decisions made by the group assembled at McBride UMC to be “null and void.”

Southern Nigeria Conference members then adopted several resolutions aimed at limiting Bishop Yohanna’s administration and requesting investigations into financial transactions taken during his tenure (see accompanying article).

According to Rev. Lana, the latest conflict began about a month ago when Bishop Yohanna sent a letter saying that clergy and lay members whose churches hadn’t paid their apportionments wouldn’t be admitted to the annual conference. Since there’s no such requirement for conference participation in the Book of Discipline, Rev. Lana petitioned for an injunction to stop the 40th session (see accompanying photos). Bishop Yohanna reacted by obtaining an injunction to go ahead with the meeting.

The press release, issued over the signature of Rev. Lana, reads:

Press Release from Delegates of the Southern Nigeria Annual Conference Issued Today 12/11/2021  In Response To The Action Of Bishop Yohanna Barring Us From The 2021 Annual Conference Participation

[Editor’s note: Africans put the day of the month first when writing dates.]

Brothers and sisters in Christ we bring you greeting in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We are delegates of the Southern Nigeria Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church in Nigeria. Among us are both clergy and laity. As United Methodists we are governed by the Book of Discipline which is the constitution of our Church. Paragraph 32 article 1, Paragraph 334 and Paragraph 602.4 of our Church laws called the Book of Disciple provides for the rights, fair and just participation of delegates both lay and clergy in their Annual Conferences.

It is very unfortunate that Bishop John Wesley Yohanna openly violates those rights by denying elected delegates from lawfully executing their constitutional responsibilities and participation at the 2021 Annual Conference Session. Therefore, as delegates representing our respective charges and districts we resolved the following:

  1. That Bishop John Wesley Yohanna’s action to bar delegates from attending the Annual Conference has violated the provisions of our Church laws. His reasons for doing so which he said was based on the nonpayment of apportionments are not part of the Church laws. Behind the scenes, we understand that Bishop John Wesley Yohanna is doing all these to favor his desire to leave the United Methodist Church with its property to the new proposed denomination called Global Methodist Church (GMC).
  2. That 2021 Southern Nigeria Annual Conference which was scheduled to take place from November 10th -14th, 2021 was not held in accordance with the provisions of our Church law and Conference rules. Where out of the 392 Annual Conference delegates that supposed to attend the 2021 Session only 111 were allowed entrance into the venue of the Annual Conference meeting and some of them are not elected Conference delegates; about 281 delegates were denied entrance and access to the conference, which made the conference lacking in meeting the mandatory two-thirds majority needed to form a quorum.

Base[d] on the above we have resolved NOT to accept the decisions of the meeting held by Bishop Yohanna and a few delegates and will take actions as provided in Paragraph 413 of our Church law and the laws of our country.

We call on all our charges and districts to remain calm and focus as we explore every possible means to address these irregularities in our Church. Furthermore, our districts and local church should stand on their rights to ensure that the right thing is done.

We have filed several formal complaints against Bishop John Wesley Yohanna before the West Africa College of Bishops for disobedience to the law of our Church, undermining the ministry of other clergy, financial malpractices and harassment of clergy and laity in the Church. These complaints were filed in May, June, and September. We call on the West Africa College of Bishops to addressing these complaints now.

We want to call on the police and other security agencies to be neutral when it comes to issues of The United Methodist Church in Nigeria (UMCN), never to take sides with Bishop John Wesley Yohanna as previously seen during the 2021 pastor’s retreat held on the 9/09/2021 and 11/11/2021.

[End of press release]

Conference documents resolutions

Subsequent to the press release, members of the Southern Nigeria Conference distributed meeting minutes, which can be read in this article. Several Nigerian United Methodists also forwarded to Insight copies of emails they sent to the Council of Bishops and West Africa College of Bishops pleading for their intervention in the dispute, which are reproduced here.

In addition, a partially unintelligible recorded message was left on this writer’s home telephone by a man identified by three Nigerian United Methodists as Rev. John Pena, reportedly a friend of the bishop. The caller alleged that the Rev. Ande Emmanuel and others in the dissident group are lying about Bishop Yohanna’s behavior.

The Rev. Bazel Yoila Yoyuba, assistant to Bishop Yohanna, sent the following statement in response to Insight’s invitation for comment. It has been edited only to correct typographical errors for clarity.

Rejoinder of Press Statement from Conference Administrative Assistant to the Bishop Rev. Bazel Yoila Yayuba (Caab) on the Occasion of the 40th Southern Nigerian Annual Conference Sessions on the 18th November, 2021

Grace and peace of the Lord be with you.

Gentlemen of the media our attention has been drawn to a press release by one Rev. Ande Emmanuel opining that the Bishop of the United Methodist Church in Nigeria Rev John Wesley Yohanna is organizing an illegal Annual Conference and host of other issues raised.

I want to categorically debunk this statement in it totality as the Bishop cannot be said to be organizing an illegal conference, based on the provision of our UMC Book of Discipline, paragraph 603, subsection 1,2,3, has given the Bishop of the United Methodist Church power and authority to appoint a date, time and place to hold an annual conference with the knowledge of his cabinet members which the Bishop has done and has set 10th -14th of November as the date for the 40th session of the Southern Nigeria Annual Conference which was conducted in the peaceful atmosphere without any chaos or rancor.

It may interest you to know that the same Rev. Ande Emmanuel and his group has asked the High Court in Taraba State to stop the conference from holding but after a complaint filed by our legal team to the Chief Registrar of the High Court of Justice Jalingo, the earlier restraining order was vacated.

It should be known to the general public and the United Methodist Church globally that upon the removal of Rev. Ande Emmanuel as the administrative assistant to the Bishop some months ago the same Rev. Ande Emmanuel has said he will make the Bishop’s Administration ungovernable in all annual conferences hence his deviance behaviors, since his removal he has embarked on the destructive mission going to the UMCN churches instigating members against the Bishops telling them not pay the church apportionment, special Sundays offerings and conefa which are the major sources of income of the church.

Rev. Ande Emmanuel also refused to honour his new posting by the Bishop after his removal, rather he has decided to go from one church to another causing confusion among members and clergies an action which has earned him a suspension from the Board of Ordained Ministry of the church.

On the issue of fake delegates to the 40th Southern Annual Conference, I want to also categorically say that there are no fake delegates to the Annual Conference as been portrayed by Rev Ande Emmanuel and his group as all those who participated were duly nominated by their various charges and districts and their names were printed on our Annual Journals.

In the United Methodist Church, delegates to the Annual Conference are elected from the charge conferences and districts level and these delegates must have participated in their various conferences which is a prerequisite for participating in the Annual Conference.

Based on the report available to us indicated that, Rev. Ande Emmanuel has instigated his led group not to accept the resolutions of the annual conference is a medicine after death or death on arrival phenomenon as Rev. Ande led group have for long disconnected themselves from the Southern Conference of the United Methodist Church when they decided NOT TO PAY their apportionment, CONEFA and special Sundays offerings. Moreso, Rev. Ande Emmanuel who used to be the Secretary of the Southern Nigeria Annual Conference has been removed after his tenure has elapsed and a new secretary has been elected in the person of Dr. Aliyu Mbiko to replace him. The said Rev Ande Emmanuel and his unrecognized group have no say on the outcome of the 40th Southern Nigeria Annual Conference since they were not part of the conference in the first place.

However, all the delegates and members have agreed to abide by the resolution of the 40th Southern Nigeria Annual conference. We want to use this medium to also call on our lovely, obedient and respected members who have been misled by Rev. Ande Emmanuel to retrieve their steps as the Rev. Ande Emmanuel is working for his personal interest and gains of becoming a Bishop of United Methodist Church by all means possible, hence he is not fighting for the interest of the church.

On the issue of promoting a new denomination called GMC by Bishop John Wesley, we want to emphatically say that Bishop John Wesley has not adopted any new denomination as claimed and spread by Rev. Ande Emmanuel led group. In this direction, UMC in Nigeria are still bearing the name and logo of the United Methodist Church and Bishop John Wesley is still the Bishop of the United Methodist Church so how can they accuse him of promoting a new denomination?

It is no longer news that the United Methodist Church at the Global level is battling with the issue of same-sex marriage which the church plans to address it at the next general conference which may eventually lead to the separation of the church between those who support same sex marriage and those who do not, until that decision is taken, the church in Nigeria still remains the United Methodist Church and that is the position of Bishop John Wesley Yohanna.

Succinctly, as one United Methodist members of the UMC Nigeria, we humbly wish to call on the general public more especially members of the global UMC to disregard any cooked falsehood information emanating from Rev. Ande Emmanuel concerning the United Methodist Church in Nigeria as potrayed and speculated by the same Rev. Ande Emmanuel who has been under suspension by the Board of ordained Ministry for refusing a transfer to Sabon Gari Serti charge, Taraba South District.

I wish to bring to your notice that Rev. Ande Emmanuel has been bragging that Cynthia B. Astle and Bishop [Eben] Nhiwatiwa of Zimbabwe are strongly supporting their surge as members of the progressive hence creating anomaly within the body of Christ in the United Methodist Church Nigeria Episcopal Area.

Rev. Ande Emmanuel in this regard is paving ways for his political and religious absolute for him to travel abroad for selfish and Personal gains, saying that he cannot provide any useful information about the church other than the leadership of the United Methodist Church in Nigeria.

I wish to also bring to your notice that during the just concluded 40th Annual Conference delegates numbering 317 out of 393 attended the Southern Annual Conference successfully as presided by Bishop Johnwesley Yohanna of UMC-Nigeria Episcopal Area.

The resolutions of delegates at the just concluded Southern Nigeria Annual Conference of UMC-Nigeria has clearly stated as enshrined in our Book of Discipline and doctrines of the Church.

Bishop Johnwesley Yohanna has never for once bragged of his leadership for the church rather indulged for peaceful coexistence.

Rev. Ande Emmanuel is a young man who should have used his age to his advantage by respecting those in leadership urging him to desist from fabricating lies on elders of the Church that their characters and behaviour are worth emulating.

Meanwhile Bishop Johnwesley Yohanna has not caused any pains to the body of Christ rather a truthful leader who is always bent on bringing all members together for the UMC-Nigeria to thrive.

We enjoin Rev. Ande Emmanuel to distance himself from fermenting troubles in the body of Christ and eschew all forms of bitterness and embrace unity of purpose in earnest.

Bishop Yohanna did not barred any of the delegates from participating in Annual Conference but were rather misled by Rev. Ande Emmanuel authorizing them not to PAY APPORTIONMENT CONEFA, SPECIAL SUNDAYS AND OTHER FORMS OF LEVY FOR THE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE CHURCH. In the same vein, Rev. Ande Emmanuel and other part time-pastors instigated some charges and districts to not conduct their charge conference and district conference for his personal reasons by this resulted them barring and disconnecting themselves from attending Annual conference.

The Bishop did not barred them but their actions barred them.

In response to whether the Bishop Johnwesley Yohanna will allow Nigeria [to] align with the Global Methodist Church, this is clearly incorrect because Bishop Johnwesley Yohanna is the leader of UMC-Nigeria and remains Bishop of the Church in Nigeria.

Furthermore, as we await the outcome of the general conference, as far as the book of discipline is concerned, Bishop Johnwesley Yohanna has followed due process that governs the processes of our Annual Conference, Proceedings that are spelled out in our book of discipline and doctrines.

As Christians as some of them are claiming, the UMC-Nigeria is not bleeding and can never bleed, looking at the fact that most of them are rebelling simply because they were replaced in their various positions including Ande Emmanuel that resulted to the rebellion against the Bishop. Rev. Ande Emmanuel was campaigning from one charge to another in all our districts polluting the minds of innocent members concerning the leadership of Bishop Johnwesley Yohanna because he was removed from office for some dubious questionable activities. On the issues of court cases and police detention, Rev. Ande Emmanuel and his limited followers were the ones whose activities were openly to cause disaffections among members.

They first went to the Police telling them to prevent the just concluded conference presided over by Bishop Johnwesley Yohanna and went ahead to bring court order to restrain the Southern Nigeria Annual 40th session from holding. Rev. Ande Emmanuel from reliable source has promised to cause disunity in the Church simply because he wants to be a Bishop.

The church, our lovely great church “the United Methodist Church in Nigeria is not drowning and can never drown because of some few individuals’ personal gains above the majority and general interest of followers.

Rev. Ande Emmanuel contrary act and that of his followers are geared toward indecentness. There was no any brutality mated on any calm members of United Methodist Church in Nigeria. A child is expected to respect his parents as the word of God teaches.

Bishop Johnwesley Yohanna and other elders in the church have drawn the attention of this mean factional aggrieved members whom are fighting for selfish personal gains in the church, to learn to live in peace with one another but they turned deaf ears to most of the calls leading to the election of a kangaroo Bishop and other Executives of their so called unreliable purported meeting and they are not recognized in our Church for failure to obey the leadership of the church in Nigeria.

In addition, all information and mails disseminated from Rev. Ande Emmanuel are not acceptable and are not part of the decision of the UMC Southern Nigeria Annual Conference as well as the leadership in Nigeria.

Rev. Ande Emmanuel has rained disrespectful insult on the leadership of the Bishop Johnwesley Yohanna in Nigeria and some prominence in the church and actions were not instituted against him, detrimental to peace building. Ande’s contrary acts were inimical to the church doctrines because of the way he has stationed his thoughts on worldly things than the teaching of God.

Bishop Johnwesley Yohanna is not a dictator rather a truthful leader of UMC-Nigeria, he is not ruling the church as his personal company, he has not brought the police to any of these aggrieved persons, he moves around without even his personal security and aide, Bishop Johnwesley Yohanna never harasses the peaceful loving members of the UMC-Nigeria.

Rev. Ande Emmanuel has vowed to fight Bishop Johnwesley Yohanna with the last drop of his blood saying that the church shall never know peace in Nigeria.

We sincerely wish to refer you the copies of our resolutions and communiqué made by the majority of our delegates at the just concluded Southern Nigeria Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church presided over by Bishop Johnwesley Yohanna. In the spirit of love and oneness in the body of Christ, our conferences in Nigeria are satisfied with the leadership of His Lord Bishop Johnwesley Yohanna, calling on all our members, partners to disregard any misinformation circulating the globe from inhumble Rev. Ande Emmanuel and his faction.

Every effective elder in full connection who is in good standing shall be continued under appointment by the Bishop.

Rev. Ande Emmanuel already has several complaints that is written on him and signed statement defining his misconduct in Par 2702 1e, f.h, and g of 2016 UMC BoD and he was served in written and through his email.

Therefore, we wish to implore the West African College of Bishops, African College of Bishops and President Council of Bishops to disregard any false information coming from Rev. Ande Emmanuel.

As enshrined in our Book of Discipline Bishop Johnwesley Yohanna is discharging his responsibilities of Bishop as specified in pgr 414,1- 11,415 1-8, 416 1-7 of 2016 UMC BoD.

Now, Bishop Yohanna is in Northern Nigeria Annual Conference to discharge such other duties as the discipline may direct. To lead and oversee the spiritual and temporal affairs of the United Methodist Church which confesses Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, and particularly to lead the Church in its mission of witness and service in the world.

God bless you all.

God bless the United Methodist Church.

Rev. Yayuba Bazel Yoila

Conference Administrative Assistant to the Bishop (CAAB)

Southern Nigeria Annual Conference (SNAC)