By Grace Q. Bryant
The Pastor of the E. D. McGill United Methodist Church, Elijah Dajue, has been officially placed on involuntary leave by the Liberia Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church.
This decision follows a series of accusations that Pastor Dajue refused to comply with directives from the board overseeing the ordained ministry within the church.
In a letter dated October 3, the church leadership outlined the reasons for this disciplinary action.
According to the letter, Pastor Dajue was summoned by the Interim Board of Ordained Ministry to address various complaints and allegations but failed to attend the meeting.
He reportedly challenged the authority of both the board and Bishop Samuel Jerome Quire, the Resident Bishop of the Liberia Annual Conference.
The letter also outlined several instances in which Pastor Dajue allegedly defamed the integrity of the Liberia Annual Conference, violating the order and discipline of the United Methodist Church.
The church cited Paragraphs 354 and 2702.1d and 1f of the 2016 ‘Book of Discipline’, which governs the denomination’s rules and procedures.
As a result, Pastor Dajue has been suspended from all ministerial duties within the United Methodist Church, including teaching, preaching, counseling, and any other clergy-related activities.
The church has described this leave of absence as an opportunity for Pastor Dajue to reflect and discern God’s purpose for his ministry. Bishop Quire emphasized the importance of maintaining unity and integrity within the church during what he referred to as “this challenging process.”
In response to the church’s decision, Pastor Dajue took to Facebook on October 9 to express his dismay.
He stated: “Yesterday, I received this letter of involuntary leave from the United Methodist Church in Liberia, not because of crime or immorality, but for speaking the undiluted word of God.”
He further commented on his exclusion from teaching at J. J. Roberts United Methodist School, saying, “Today, I went to J. J. Roberts United Methodist School to review my notes and prepare my students for their first-period test next week. However, I was informed by the leadership that I am no longer allowed to enter the school premises for teaching purposes,” he expressed.
Pastor Dajue remained defiant, and in a sharp reaction stated, “I have no regrets, and I owe no apology to anyone. My message remains the same: regionalization is a cover-up for homosexuality, which the UMC, in general, has legalized. Every pastor should know this, but due to fear of appointments and positions, they get intimidated into silence.”
He also expressed gratitude, saying, “Nevertheless, I thank God that by His grace, He counts me worthy to be prosecuted for the sake of righteousness and His word.”
In response to Pastor Dajue’s statements, the Director of Human Rights at the UMC, Jefferson Nah, on behalf of the church’s leadership, denied his allegations.
He explained that Pastor Dajue had refused to meet the Board of Ministry to provide answers to accusations of defaming the church’s leadership.
The church also clarified that it does not condone homosexuality, referencing Liberia’s laws that criminalize sodomy, emphasizing that the United Methodist Church in Liberia adheres to traditional Christian values.
The leadership refuted claims that Bishop Quire or the church had received funding from LGBTQ+ groups in the U.S. to pass gay rights legislation, labeling these allegations as false and misleading.
The United Methodist Church in Liberia reiterates that while the global denomination has allowed the ordination of gay clergy in some regions, this does not apply to African conferences.
The leadership emphasized their commitment to designing policies that suit the African context and to upholding traditional Christian teachings.
Meanwhile, despite what now appears to be a creeping rift within the annual Conference of the UMC, the church has called for unity and maintained that it remains grounded in biblical principles while distancing itself from the global schism over LGBTQ+ issues within the church.
