Regionalization Support
By a standing vote, members of the Liberia Annual Conference endorsed constitutional amendments to enact regionalization of the worldwide United Methodist Church. The exact vote total will be withheld until all annual conferences have voted this year. (Photo Courtesy of Bishop Ande Emmanuel/Facebook)
Feb. 20, 2025
After months of pressuring United Methodists in Liberia to reject regionalization and the denomination's definition of marriage, dissident church members and clergy formed a separatist organization that joined the Global Methodist Church as of Feb. 14, 2025.
Multiple secular news accounts have documented the turmoil among United Methodists that coincided with the 192nd session of the Liberia Annual Conference Feb. 13-16 in Gbarnga, Liberia. Dissidents led by the Rev. Dr. Jerry Kulah walked out of the session on its first day and announced the formation of a separatist group, Liberia United Methodists for Biblical Christianity (LUMBC).
Liberia Bishop Samuel J. Quire denounced the group for calling itself "United Methodist" when it was supportive of and responsible for the establishment of the Global Methodist Church in Liberia.
"We condemn those working for the Global Methodist Church while still claiming to be members of the United Methodist Church, and we urge them to withdraw," he was quoted by The Liberian Investigator of Monrovia.
The breakaway group has promoted the idea that the UMC is now "a gay church" because of actions by the 2020/2024 General Conference held April 23-May 3, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. Delegates to that conference took two actions:
- Approved a new set of Social Principles, guidelines for Christian living, that define marriage as a covenantal union between a man and a woman or between two adults of consenting age. The new Social Principles eliminated a 52-year-old stance that declared "homosexual practice is incompatible with Christian teaching."
- Approved constitutional amendments that would allow geographical regions more autonomy in governance, including the authority to set their own standards on marriage and clergy ordination.
In a separate action, General Conference delegates removed a prohibition against ordaining LGBTQ+ persons as clergy, upholding longstanding authority for annual conferences' boards of ordained ministry to determine candidates' fitness for ordination.
Global Methodist Church Launched
Former United Methodists launch a Liberian branch of the Global Methodist Church on Feb. 14. Dissident United Methodists formed a breakaway group that joined the GMC. (Photo Courtesy of Liberian Daily Observer)
Dissident forces in Liberia have rejected General Conference's actions, contending that the UMC will compel pastors to perform same-sex marriage and require conferences to ordain LGBTQ+ clergy.
"We cannot endorse regionalization because we cannot regionalize the church; we cannot regionalize sin, and we cannot regionalize the Bible," Dr. Kulah told Patrick S. Tokpah of the Liberian Daily Observer Feb. 14.
Neither contention by Dr. Kulah and the breakaway group is accurate, as Bishop Quire explained in a report by New Dawn Liberia. Homosexuality, including same-sex marriage, is illegal in Liberia. Bishop Quire has reiterated that no Liberian pastor would be forced to perform same-sex marriages in violation of the country's law. The bishop told The Liberian Investigator that he would consider bringing a lawsuit for defamation against anyone who continued to spread the falsehood that the UMC is "a gay church."
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court of Liberia has intervened in an ongoing legal dispute over the governance of the Liberia Annual Conference, according to a Feb. 15 report by Gerald C Koinyeneh of Front Page Africa.
"The case has attracted attention due to the internal struggles within the United Methodist Church in Liberia and its implications for religious and legal governance. With the Supreme Court now actively involved, the outcome of the conference could set a significant precedent for church-related legal disputes in the country," Koinyeneh wrote.
The UMC's position on regionalization drew support Feb. 20 from an Episcopal Church of Liberia colleague, the Rev. Dr. Slewion P. Lewis, on educational leave in the United States from his post as dean for the Emmanuel W. Johnson College of Theology in Gbarnga. Dr. Lewis stressed that the General Conference actions at the heart of the Liberia UMC conflict rest on the issue of context.
"According to research and the teachings of the United Methodist Church (UMC), Regionalization is the process of giving more autonomy and decision-making to Regional Conferences with the aim of making the Regional Conferences more effective in reaching out to the people of God entrusted to their care," Dr. Lewis wrote.
"... Under our laws, marriage is defined as a union between a male and female and not a union between male and male or female and female. More besides, it’s the state that grants marriage licenses and certificates to couples and not the church. Therefore, the LAC, UMC can in no way institute such a practice within Liberia and there is no bishop or pastor within the borders of Liberia who can carry out such a practice," he continued.
"This brings us again to the point of context as outlined above as same-sex marriage is not permissible within our context and the leadership of the LAC, UMC can in no way embrace this practice within our context," Dr. Lewis wrote. "Hence, members of the LAC, UMC should not worry about this issue or allow their beautiful and great church (that) has accomplished so many over the years and which has contributed enormously to the growth and development of our country, to be divided because of an issue that is in no way possible under our laws as a nation."
Information from the following sources was used in this article:
Methodist Church in Turmoil by Patrick S. Tokpah Feb 14, 2025 Daily Observer Liberia
Cynthia B. Astle serves as Editor of United Methodist Insight, which she founded in 2011 as a media channel to amplify news and views of, by and for marginalized and under-served United Methodists.