By Laurina B Lormia
(Cub-Reporter)
The Resident Bishop of the Liberia Episcopal Area of the United Methodist Church (UMC), Samuel J. Quire, has publicly denounced Liberia’s support for homosexual marriages and ordinations.
It can be recalled that, on May 3, 2024, the General Conference voted to remove languages in the United Methodist Book of Discipline prohibiting marriage and ordination of self-avowed, practicing homosexuals in The United Methodist Church.
In 1968, the Methodist Episcopal Church merged with the Evangelical United Brethren Church to form The United Methodist Church in Dallas, Texas, the United States of America.
Four years later, at the first United Methodist General Conference, a proposal to prohibit homosexual marriage and ordination was approved and placed in the Book of Discipline.
On Friday June 7, 2024, aggrieved members of the United Methodist Church in Liberia protest demanding the withdrawal of the Liberia Annual Conference from the Global Conference of the United Methodist Church over its decision of same-sex marriage.
Addressing the press at the UMC premises in Monrovia, Bishop Quire said bluntly, “Our churches in Africa have held to the conviction that we do not support homosexual marriage and ordination.”
According to him, whether regionalization is ratified or not, “The Liberia Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church will not conduct any weddings or ordinations of self-avowed, practicing homosexuals.”
“The Liberia Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church is traditional in its interpretation of Holy Scripture and will continue its evangelistic outreach to all persons who live in darkness and do not know the redemptive grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ,” he stressed.
“The Commission recommended the One Church Plan which would have allowed traditionalists and progressives to live together in one church where churches would remove the restrictions while allowing regional flexibility on our differences on homosexual marriage and ordination,” Bishop Quire said.
The General Conference decided to maintain its position prohibiting marriage and ordination of self-avowed, practicing homosexuals; a decision that created much more tension and in-fighting among United Methodists, especially in the United States.
“Those of us in Africa, especially in Liberia are free not to allow such marriages or ordinations for self-avowed practicing homosexuals, The 2024 General Conference also approved to allow every pastor of The United Methodist Church to be free not to perform homosexual marriages if the pastor so chooses,” the Bishop reported.
He continued, “Since the contextual realities of Africa are different from those of America, Europe and Asia, African Conferences will decide what is needed to advance the disciple-making mission of the United Methodist Church in Africa. This means that Liberia will not tell those in America, Europe and Asia how to do their work in those countries.”
“For too long, the more powerful parts of the Church have imposed their will upon the less powerful. Regionalization will enable the United Methodist Church in Liberia to focus on its mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world, and not to be distracted by debates over who wants to be who,” he narrated.
“The United Methodist Church in Liberia will continue to abide by the beckoning summons of our Lord Jesus Christ when He says, “Come unto me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest”
“Our mission is to make disciples of all nations; to baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and to teach them to obey all that God has commanded us,” he quoted Jesus as instructing.
Meanwhile, we will have conversations with the executive committee of the Liberia Episcopal Area to share with them the decisions of the 2024 General Conference, and will roll out the plan of regionalization in the days, weeks and months leading to our 192nd Annual Session in February in Ganta City, Gompa District.
“The United Methodist Church is not a gay Church, It is a strong Church of God administering to sinners who are in need of the saving knowledge and grace, undermining the ministry of the Church or the ministry of other clergy is a chargeable offense that will be enforced for the sake of maintaining the order of the Church,” he concluded.
