Confusion, violence trail United Methodist Church Nigeria over gay issue

by Church Times

All has not been well with the United Methodist Church Nigeria since May when the UMC’s  general conference in Charlotte, North Carolina, US decided to lift its longstanding bans on LGBTQ ordination and same-sex marriage,

For those who may not know, United Methodist Church Nigeria is a denomination of the United Methodist Church, which has its headquarters in Nashville, Tennessee, United States.

It was first established in Nigeria in 1966 by American missionary Bennie Cantwell. In 1974, the church was officially formed and became the first autonomous Methodist Church in Africa. It is more known in the North of Nigeria and has its headquarters in Jalingo Taraba State. But it is still being influenced by its parent body in the US

Genesis of in-fighting

Division, infighting, and violence started in the church after the general conference approved LGBTQ ordination and same-sex marriage. Though it granted local conferences the right to set their standards, the church in Nigeria has been overwhelmed by the issue. Many pulled out of the church in Nigeria in protest against the pro-gay decision and aligned with the Global Methodist Church. They also sought to change the name of UMC to Global Methodist church. The intention was to remove the gay tag on it. This was resisted by those who were still sympathetic to UMC.

The then-leader of the UMC Nigeria, Bishop John Wesley Yohanna, and his cabinet resigned from the church in July to join the Global Methodist Church because they wanted a more conservative church.

His resignation notwithstanding, there has been infighting in the UMC. Just a few days ago according to a report in the UMC News, three United Methodists were killed in clashes between members of The United Methodist Church of Nigeria and the breakaway Global Methodist Church in Munga Dosso, Taraba State.

The attack which happened on December 15 followed the gathering of Global Methodist Church members at Bwoi United Methodist Church in the village of Bunkabu. The gathering took place despite the closure of both denominations’ churches in September by the government as a result of the conflict that caused instability and disrupted peace in the state.”

UMC News reports that “during the confrontation, Elisha Masoyi, 27, a United Methodist and brother of the church lay leader, was shot and killed.

“The fighting spread to the surrounding community, where huts were torched, resulting in the deaths of 4-year-old Abednego and 2-year-old Baby, children of Abraham Kefas, a church member and overseer of Divine Success UMCN Nursery and Primary School in the Munga Dosso community. Ten church members were injured and are being treated at home.

The newly elected United Methodist Bishop-elect Ande Emmanuel and Nigeria Lead Bishop John Schol were reported to have “condemned the violence and offered prayers and support for those affected.”

But Professor Gary Maxey who spoke with Church Times on the issue observed that the pervasive influence of the American church is the reason the UMC is not experiencing peace. He lamented how a once theologically sound church in the US is now embracing all the things it preached against.

Maxey who is the founder of the West Africa Theological Seminary warned the church in Nigeria against succumbing to Western influence in their theology.

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