By Solomon T. Gaye
-Nimba
With the tension within the United Methodist Church(UMC) spreading nationally, the Liberia National Police(LNP) headquarters in Sanniquellie, is leaving nothing to chance, and therefore has intensified patrols within the vicinity of the Church’s compound in Gompa and its surrounding towns in Nimba.
Speaking to this paper via mobile phone in Sanniquellie, ACP Mendin Larmie, confirmed police presence around the compound of the United Methodist church inclusive of the Ganta United Methodist hospital facilities in the county.
According to Larmie, because the goal of the police is to protect life and property, police authorities are concerned about the ongoing crisis and has decided to act proactively in protecting the church facilities from being destroyed, in the wake of the controversy that has penetrated the UMC over same sex marriage, a claim that Bishop Quire has repeatedly denied.
“During Sunday service, we dispatched police at the compound in Gompa, but service went on well without hindrance,” ACP Larmie stated.
The controversy in the UMC is pitching high to the extent that two factions; UMC congregations and Global Methodist Church (GMC) members are claiming ownership of the various churches and its facilities in Nimba County.
During the beginning of January 2025, members of the Gompa UMC broke away and aligned with the Global Methodist Church and allegedly laid claim to the church’s edifice and other facilities in the county. But that action has been vehemently resisted by the UMC, thereby leaving all factions of the conflict to now deviate from spirituality to legality in search of a lasting remedy.
The Inquirer has authoritatively gathered that the Gompa UMC’s facilities (claimed by the Global Methodist Church) are presently being run by two district superintendents, while at the same time other members of the UMC are residing at the church compound under the watchful eyes of the police in the county.
The Ganta United Methodist senior high school is presently being operated and supervised by two principals; Rev. James Korlorblee and Zarwolo Zuogele respectively.
Zawolo Zuogele is the assigned principal and a member of the UMC recently appointed by Bishop Quire as part of his administrative actions in the wake of the ongoing crisis in the UMC-LAC.
On the hand, Rev. James Korlorblee, the embattled principal, is a member of the breakaway Global Methodist church, largely backed by members of Global Methodist Church in Nimba County.
When contacted on the campus about the headship of the Gompa United Methodist High School, Rev Korlorblee claims he is the legitimate principal of the school .
In a strive for balance, when the newly appointed principal, Zawolo Zuogele, was contacted on the matter of principalship, he similarly laid claim to the office, pointing out, “I was appointed by Bishop Quire as the principal of the Gompa United Methodist High School.”.
Meanwhile, as the dust surrounding the principalship seems far from settling, Rev. James Korlorblee runs the school from the campus principal’s office, while Zawolo runs the school from the building hosting the Gompa UMC station superintendent.
According to a staunch member of the UMC who spoke to this outlet on the basis of anonymity, expressed grief that the true victims of the power struggle at the Methodist school in Gompa are the students. “If the church cannot reconcile with itself, where then are we headed as Christians?”, he asked broken heartedly.