By Moses M. Tokpah-Margibi
Years after the Liberia Annual Conference of the United Church in Liberia split giving birth to the ‘Concerned United Methodist Church (CUMC)’, the church has again witnessed another split that has birthed the ‘Global Methodist Church (GMC).
Several years back, the church under the leadership of John G. Innis as Bishop, witnessed the first division, with the latest taking place under the leadership of Bishop Samuel Jerome Quire, over ‘regionalization plan.’
Hundreds of disenchanted members of the UMC under the banner “Liberia United Methodists For Biblical Christianity (LUMBIC)” at their awareness and mobilization conference in Gbarnga City, Bong County, over the weekend, made a declaration that gave birth to the GMC.
This formation of the Global Methodist Church highlights ongoing tensions within the Methodist community, as differing views on sexuality continue to spark debate and division among congregations worldwide.
About 19 former and current officials of the UMC and United Methodist Educational Institutions in Liberia some of whom include Rev. Jerry Kulah, Vice president for Graduate and Professional Studies at the United Methodist University, Rev. Rose R. Farhart, member of the Board of Ordained Ministry, LAC/UMC and former pastor of Lott G. Matthews UMC, and Rev. George D. Wilson, Chairperson of the Board of Ordained Ministry, LAC/UMC and former professor of the School of Graduate and Professional Studies at UMU.
Others are Rev. Isaac Chukpue-Padmore, Vice president of UMU and Counseling Elder, New Hope UMC; Rev. Allen Paye, chair of the committee on ordained ministry of the LAC/UMC, former professor at the School of Graduate and Professional Studies of the UMU, and Rev. Paye Cooper Mondolo, Principal of the College of West Africa (CWA) and senior pastor of the David Gueh UMC.
Other funding members also include Rev. Jacob Methuselah Sackie, District Superintendent of the Weala District Conference and former Dean of the Bishop’s Cabinet, LAC/UMC, Rev. Ebenezer M. Belleh, District Superintendent of Gompa District, Rev. Julius Williams, District Superintendent of the Monrovia District Conference and former professor of the School of Graduate and Professional Studies at the UMU as well as Rev Julius Julukon Sarwolo Nelson, who is now the advisor to the GMC, amongst many others.
Making the declaration on behalf of the congregation, Rev. Jerry P. Kulah, I., said the decision of establishing the new denomination is based on the fact that the worldwide UMC denomination to which the LAC/UMC belongs, voted to ‘compromise’ the teachings of the Holy Scripture in favor of some cultural practices that are inimical and detrimental to faithful Christian living.
He asserted that among the many unbiblical practices, the UMC voted to ‘legalize’ homosexuality, the practice of same sex marriage in the United Methodist congregations, the ordination and consecration of self-avowed lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer persons as pastors and bishops in the UMC.
Rev. Kulah stated that the church also voted to change Bible definition of marriage by adding another option to it as stated in the 2020/2024 Book of Discipline.
He mentioned that UMC now defines marriage “as a sacred, lifelong covenant that brings two people of faith, an adult man and woman of consenting age or two adult persons of consent age into union with one another (para. 162D, para 123).
Rev. Kulah narrated that this addition creates a space for the inclusion of self-avowed homosexual persons, and supports the church’s decision to officiate same-sex marriage in the UMC congregations.
According to him, the general conference which is the highest decision-making body of the UMC has given several mandates to every annual conference around the world to abide by regarding their intentional inclusion of LGBTQAI+ persons in every aspect of the life of the church, if they must benefit from financial and other resources of the denomination.
He said according to the 2020/2024 Book of Discipline, the leadership of the worldwide UMC shall “ensure that no annual conference board, agency, committee, commission, or council shall give United Methodist funds to any group, or otherwise use such funds, to reject any LGBTQAI+ person or openly discriminate against LGBTQAI+ people.
The GUMC transitional committee advisory chair said this mandate shall ensure that every annual conference honors the denomination’s “commitment to the inclusion of all people in the life of the church, the community and the world” (para. 613.19, p. 443).
He said aside from lifting the ban on homosexual practices in the UMC, the worldwide denomination also legalized elicit abortion (para 162K, p. 132).
“Currently, the UMC has ordained many self-avowed lesbians, gays, bisexual, transgender and queer persons as pastors in the church. They have also elected and consecrated two self-avowed lesbians (clergy women who are officially married to other women) and a gay (a male pastor who is officially married to another man) as Bishops in the UMC” he revealed.
He stated that because of the connectional polity of the denomination, any ordained clergy or bishop elected to serve in any part of the world becomes a pastor or bishop of the entire denomination.
This, he noted means that if the LAC/UMC remains a member of the worldwide UMC, the lesbian and gay pastors and bishops in the church are also pastors and bishops of the church in Liberia something he said is the current reality of the church.
He explained that some leaders and members of the LAC/UMC have decided to remain in the church despite all the changes the denomination has made that clearly contradict the Holy Bible.
“Therefore, we, the members and leaders of the Liberia United Methodist for Biblical Christianity (LUMBIC) feel that we can no longer, in good conscience, remain a part of a denomination that compromises the Word of God, and that endorses sinful social, cultural practices that clearly contradict the scripture” he maintained.
Rev. Kulah continued that based on their unflinching commitment to the authority of the scripture, and loyalty to Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord, they have decided to obey God rather than an institution called LAC/UMC.
He said they want to help many people to come to the faith of Jesus Christ, and to nurture them to grow into mature Christians who will serve God in the world and through the Church.
The Reverend furthered that they do not believe they can accomplish such mission of the Great Commission if they remain in the Liberia Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church.
He said they also want to spread scriptural holiness across the globe noting that in their worship in this new denomination, they desire to surrender to and be fully devoted to one God-the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Therefore, with over 100 local churches, we here birth the Global Methodist Church (GMC) as a new Wesleyan Methodist Denomination in Liberia on this fourteenth day of February, in the year of our Lord, Jesus Christ” he declared.
