Editor’s Note: The past twenty years has afforded me wonderful opportunities to visit Liberia and partner with God’s work there. I recently received the following call to prayer from a clergy friend there who is well acquainted with General Conference and the thoughts and feelings of the Liberian people. I am protecting his identity because of retributive actions currently being taken by Bishop Quire. Among these are dissolving the elected Board of Ordained Ministry and replacing it with a group willing to suspend the clergy he wishes. If you would like to learn more about American Methodism’s oldest overseas mission partner, read my recent private post: “Liberian Methodism: A Long History and an Uncertain Future.” – Chris Ritter

Hello my dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

It has been over two months now since the General Conference of the United Methodist Church closed its postponed 2020 session held in Charlotte, North Carolina, from April 23 to May 3, 2024. With the different legislative actions taken by the church at this sessions, most parts our Annual conference have been eager to know the way forward of our annual conference, since the biblical definition of marriage had been changed, thereby allowing same-sex marriage and self-avowed LGBTQ persons ordination in the church. At the seat of our 191st annual conference session held in Buchanan City, Grand Bassa County, from February 12 to 18, 2024, a resolution was carved that would allow members (equal clergy and laity) to the annual conference to meet at a Special called session, after the return of the delegates to GC, to decide a way forward for our annual conference, as our sister conferences are doing around here. But upon the return of our Bishop, he issued a press statement admonishing the entire conference to stay UMC and that Regionalization is good for us to follow, something the annual conference has since opposed. This view has been opposed by many, clergy and laity alike. Amidst these mixed views and disenchantment, the bishop with his cabinet is now forbidding those who understand the GC decision from educating local church members across conference. They said doing so is undermining the bishop’s ministry and that it is tantamount to a chargeable offense. Those of us with critical and descenting opinion have been threatened removal from our assignment and/or position.

Now this is the problem, my Brethren, having fully understood the entire happenings at GC. I understand that churches in Africa were never included in 2019 disaffiliation plan, that allowed churches in US to leave the UMC over the issue of human sexuality. If it was opened to African churches, I believe many churches in our conference might have left before this time. But our leader kept telling us to wait until GC 2024 ends, then we can decide the way forward. To substantiate this view, a special committee on “The Way Forward” was constituted. The committee met and researched across the Liberian Annual Conference and came up with a finding that shows that 95% of the total people (clergy and laity) reached by the committee said “NO” to same-sex marriage and the act of ordaining self-avowed LGBTQ persons as ministers in the church. The committee also gathered recommendations from the people for a way forward approach, should in case the current language on marriage in the Book of Discipline change. The committee recommended, should in case the language of marriage changed, that the Liberian Annual Conference vote to leave the UMC and stay as an autonomous Methodist Church or join another Wesleyan Methodist denomination that shares the same biblical and traditional standards, beliefs and faith. But Here we are now! The door is now closed by scratching out the plan that enabled other churches in the US to leave the UMC. It seems like there is no disciplinary path for a local church in Africa to disaffiliate, and if the opportunity was given to churches in Africa to do so, I believe many of us would have at this moment. It is unfair! The only way out could be the option in paragraph 572, which involves an entire annual conference leaving the UMC and this might take years. Even with this our bishop does not seem to be looking in that direction for solution.

But this is the tension now mounting in our conference: Local churches who want to leave and are denied are planning not to honor any annual conference decision contrary to their position to leave. They will not pay any apportionments, they will not attend any district and annual conference meeting. They will resist changing their current pastor who support them in their quest. They are planning to resist any lawsuit against their local church with their blood, in case the annual conference should be going that way to take property.

Stand with us in your prayers! The days ahead of the Liberian Annual Conference might be rougher. Most of us might lose our pastoral assignment because of what we believe and Stand for. We can’t afford to mislead our people to engage into wrong doctrine under the disguise of REGIONALIZATION. They didn’t mislead us as children when they graciously accepted the gospel of salvation of our Lord Jesus Christ from the Missionary. Now that they are old and don’t understand much of what going on in the church currently, we can’t betray them and endanger the faith and life of our children and unborn generations. Stand with us in your prayer, because our people are saying they can’t afford leaving their church building behind with people who had rejected them because of their faith. They can’t leave their building, which some of you, our brothers and sisters, graciously help to build, and go start all over again. Most of our local churches here don’t have money to pursue lawsuit for their property- especially their church building- which gives them the sense of belongingness. So many are vowed to defend their building in whatever means possible to them.

Stand with us in your prayers, so that God’s Spirit will mightily breaking obstacles to smoothen the pathway, so that the tension mounting here will not degenerate into lawlessness and anarchy. I’m undoubtedly convinced that SIN does grow the Church, needless to say legalizing SIN. There are people still out there who need Jesus. I don’t think the church has completed the Great Commission because Christ has not yet come back. Until that time, we will keep moving on in whatever way the Spirit leads us in making disciple of Christ. Our Lord Jesus said ” Upon this rock I will build my church and gate of hell will overcome it.” I believe no matter what, the true church will remain.

Greetings to all our Brethren ask them to stand with us in their prayers in this time, when our faith in Christ is on trial. Be bless and stay blessed always.

Still in Christ’s service,

[NAME REDACTED BY THE EDITOR]

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