We Should Reject the Power Tactics of the Neocolonial Group Leaving the United Methodist Church

by

Special to United Methodist Insight

Some say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, and unsurprisingly you can’t teach Neocolonialists being different. For decades many United Methodists have denounced neocolonialist tendencies in the actions of some caucuses as they relate to Central Conferences. The discussions towards the postponed 2020 General Conference has revealed some of the worst or hidden demons that we would have least imagined. Neocolonialists who are ready to do anything to achieve their desired goals as they consider lives of central conference delegates to be expendable. 

As events unfolded, and it was becoming clear that most African delegates were never going to get visas to travel to the USA in time for the then 2022 scheduled General Conference. The  Reform and Renewal Coalition abandoned the deceptive song they had sung in the past that they would do anything for Africa to be treated fairly. Since they assumed that they had managed to gather enough support across the divides in the USA and having certainty that the Americans on their own could pass the Protocol of Reconciliation and Grace through Separation, the WCA, knowing they won’t need the African votes as a means to an end, abandoned their allies of African Initiative and started to push the narrative that General Conference should go ahead even without the majority of African delegates. This made it clear that for the neocolonialists’ Reform and Renewal Coalition the African Initiative were simply expendable servants of western neocolonialism. It is my hope that our brothers in the African Initiative have come to the realization as to the true nature of their allies and will abandon an idea that was initiated by Good News. However, it looks like the African Initiative hasn’t caught up to this reality or is blinded by sweet words and promises. 

A few weeks ago we read a letter that was signed by over 170 General Conference delegates of which more than 30 were African delegates, a good number from the Philippines Central Conference and a few from European Central Conferences (Europe now is focused on the war in Ukraine) who stated that holding General Conference as scheduled would have disenfranchised Central Conferences delegates in decision-making. The letter stated several facts and called on the commission to investigate some of the neocolonial conduct of the Reform and Renewal Coalition on the money they have been sending to Central Conferences delegates (the previously announced vaccination drive) that would possibly influence votes in their favor to split the denomination.

"Given that travel to the USA proved to be difficult if not impossible for General Conference to happen, the alternative idea of hosting General Conference in Africa seems not to have emerged out of concrete understanding of the logistical work required for GC to take place."

The Reform and Renewal Coalition used their usual tactics of sowing confusion through dragging those in the African Initiative to present disjointed information, most of which was unfounded such as stating that Africans were ready for the General Conference in the United States of America. The survey they purport to have conducted with a claim that 90% of African delegates were vaccinated and ready to pass all hurdles to get visas for travel to the USA doesn’t stand the test of veracity.  Given that travel to the USA proved to be difficult, if not impossible for General Conference to happen, the alternative idea of hosting General Conference in Africa seems not to have emerged out of concrete understanding of the logistical work required for GC to take place. One of the places they mentioned as ready and able to host GC was Harare in Zimbabwe. I have lived in Zimbabwe all my life having been to the General Conference and witnessed the amount of work needed to host the General Conference, I can tell that Harare would not be able to host the General Conference by August 2022. There is no way that can happen without heavy involvement of the government and negotiating with the Zimbabwean government can't happen in less than a year let alone trying to do that in four months' time.

It is important to come back to the purported survey on the vaccination status of African delegates to understand how inaccurate information has been used to mislead some. In seeking to understand the issue, I consulted with several African delegates if they participated in the survey conducted by Africa Initiative; none of them saw the survey. I followed this up with one of the leaders in the WCA and he told me that the survey was only done through asking the heads of delegations. I then called some heads of delegations in some of the conferences across Africa who said they were never consulted by Africa Initiative.

At that point the narrative was again changed to say only heads of delegations who are part of the African Initiative were surveyed making the whole statement by Africa Initiative a charade of WCA neocolonial agenda in Africa. However, another group of Africans named Africa Voice of Unity who are advocating for the unity of the United Methodist Church in Africa made a statement that was signed by several African delegates stating that it was not possible to get visas to travel to USA in time for the 2022 General Conference. These delegates provided evidence of their visa interviews that were scheduled towards the end of 2023.

Misinformation by caucuses seeking to defend a particular cause should not be tolerated. Given this situation I would like to point out that it is in the best interest of the denomination for the Judicial Council to release a ruling soon about the standing of the 2024 General Conference so that African delegates can begin the process of visa applications now. Otherwise we may face the same problem come 2024. However, the good news is the Commission on General Conference is working on mitigating some of the factors using the experiences they gained in the past two years.

Now that the die has been cast, General Conference is not happening until 2024. This development was first leaked by Good News magazine who then announced that their patience had finally snapped, and they are launching the breakaway denomination on May 1, 2022. The leadership of the Renewal and Reform Coalition also leaked the so-called comity agreement on the day the Council of Bishops met to discuss how to provide leadership to the church during these times when we have some breakaway groups. Leaking information is a strategy these groups use as a form of intimidation to the leaders of the church.

"We thank most of our African bishops who have stood firm and withstood WCA attacks for years but managed to keep cool and provide unwavering leadership to the church in Africa. We Africans are proud of our bishops."

As some have opted to break away, they have launched some mean-spirited attack on all the bishops, of which our African bishops have been receiving these attacks since the formation of the African initiative. We thank most of our African bishops who have stood firm and withstood WCA attacks for years but managed to keep cool and provide unwavering leadership to the church in Africa. We Africans are proud of our bishops. Neocolonialists think bullying can give them results. As they attempt to insult the bishops’ integrity, they hope that bashing their heads with clubs will instill fear in the bishops so that they can get it their way to evade the trust clause and disciplinary procedures. They have called our bishops names like dictators, corrupt and tyrants to intimidate them to submit to the will of the breaking away group who feel they can no longer fit in a denomination they are not being allowed to bully other people and get away with it. 

We in Africa will continue to stand with our bishops whom we urge not to sign any of these leaked documents like the comity agreement. In fact, there is no need for a comity agreement in Africa. We have had people in the past, who based on their conscience or other reasons left the United Methodist Church, and they did so without claims on property of the UMC or seeking to disrupt the ministries of the church. There is an established precedent that the Africa Initiative or others seeking to join the GMC are called to follow in Africa. Does the nascent Global Methodist Church (GMC) qualify as a denomination that could be a party to a comity agreement with the UMC on the matter of disaffiliation of local churches? We don’t think so, mainly because the Global Methodist Church is not yet a denomination. Even after launching on May 1, 2022, no one knows how this denomination is going to turn out. Judging by their current Book of Doctrine and Discipline they appear more like congregationalists with a titular episcopacy. There can’t be a comity agreement simply because they name themselves as Methodists; it has to be proven in their conduct and ministry. 

A shocking twist on the disaffiliation debate is that the African Initiative was told clearly by membeers of the Renewal and Reform Coaliation they may have no place in the GMC and were told to stay in the United Methodist Church until General Conference 2024. Some of them have been told that they will need to become autonomous Methodist churches. The Global Methodist Church is a congregationalist kind of a denomination. They are only Global in name but not a connectional denomination. The decisions are being made by a small group of people and others have simply to find a way to abide by and justify. If it is not clear yet, some need to realize that If WCA is not in need of votes, the African Initiative is of no value and a clear demonstration that they have no place in the GMC. 

I think it is time to end this unholy neo-colonial relationship and stand up for the unity of The United Methodist Church in Africa. It is valuable to be part of a globally connected denomination. For The United Methodist Church in Africa and across the connection our best days are yet to come. The best of all is God is with us. The winds may blow from multiple sides, but we are called to be still and know that God is with us. May God bless the people called United Methodists across the world.

The Rev Lloyd Nyarota is a clergy member of the Zimbabwe East Annual Conference serving a congregation in Canada.