The United Methodist Church says there are a whole lot of congregations in Nigeria that will not be leaving the denomination over its latest resolution to permit the blessing of same-sex unions.
Not too long ago, there have been conflicting reviews in regards to the UMC Nigerian Episcopal Space, which has 560,000 members, and whether or not it has voted to depart the denomination.
A spokesperson for the UMC directed The Christian Put up to a letter by Bishop John Schol, a member of the UMC interim management group for the regional physique, which was written on Monday and posted on-line.
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Within the letter, addressed to the “United Methodists of Nigeria,” Schol denied reviews that the West African nation’s 4 conferences had voted to depart the UMC and affiliate with the World Methodist Church.
“There are reports that Annual Conferences were held, and Conferences voted to leave The United Methodist Church. This is not true,” wrote Schol. “There were no Conference Sessions convened according to our Book of Discipline, and most delegates/conference members were not invited to these gatherings.”
Based on Schol, solely the management of the Nigeria Episcopal Space and a few of the regional physique have determined to disaffiliate from the mainline Protestant denomination.
“Several hundred congregations and clergy have already communicated that they will stay with The United Methodist Church. We are grateful for your conviction and courage. We are in prayer with those who are concerned and are discerning,” he continued.
“I call on all United Methodists and those who have left The United Methodist Church to follow Jesus Christ, who humbled himself and sought peace and reconciliation. When people do otherwise, they hurt the witness of Jesus Christ.”
For many years, the UMC was embroiled in a debate over whether or not to amend its E book of Self-discipline to permit for the blessing of same-sex unions and the ordination of noncelibate homosexuals.
On the UMC Common Convention held within the spring, delegates overwhelmingly voted to take away these measures from the E book of Self-discipline. This got here after roughly 7,500 largely conservative congregations disaffiliated from the denomination as a result of debate.
In June, reviews surfaced claiming that the UMC Nigeria Episcopal Space had held a particular session at Jalingo, the place delegates voted to depart the denomination as a result of modifications.
The conservative Methodist weblog Individuals Want Jesus posted a duplicate of the purported decision, which defined that the Nigerian regional physique believed that the UMC “prioritizes” the LGBT neighborhood “over the traditional beliefs held by many United Methodists in Nigeria.”
In July, Nigerian Bishop John Wesley Yohanna despatched a assertion to Nigerian state officers explaining that, at a particular known as session held earlier that month, the regional physique voted to depart the UMC and be part of the GMC.
“Therefore we want to make a statement that since the church has derailed from Biblical principle we cannot be in this church where … homosexuality can be celebrated,” said Yohanna.
Yohanna additionally warned that any UMC congregation agreeing with the modifications can be violating Nigerian regulation, which prohibits each same-sex relationships and LGBT advocacy teams.
Nevertheless, a bunch of Nigerian UMC church officers launched an announcement disputing Yohanna’s declare, arguing that solely the previous bishop and round 10% of the regional physique determined to exit.
“Even though we are saddened by their exit, we hold them in our prayers and wish them God’s guidance in their new found faith community,” learn the assertion. “We also wish to make it categorically clear … that our denomination does not permit them to leave with any of the United Methodist property in the way and manner the[y] left.”
On Aug. 1, the UMC named the bishops who can be a part of an interim group to guide the Nigerian Episcopal Space by December, when new management for the regional physique can be appointed. This group included Schol, Bishop Eben Nhiwatiwa and Bishop Patrick Streiff.
The GMC has maintained that the Nigerian physique has affiliated with their denomination, with Transitional Connectional Officer Keith Boyette telling CP in an earlier interview that their info on the difficulty “came directly from those in positions of authority on the ground in Nigeria.”
“They informed me that unanimous votes were taken at the duly called special sessions of each of the four annual conferences in Nigeria to withdraw from The United Methodist Church and to align with the Global Methodist Church,” Boyette defined.
Boyette additionally mentioned that the GMC has “appointed leadership for each of” the 4 Nigerian conferences and is “moving ahead to receive congregations and clergy into membership in the Global Methodist Church.”
“Well bless their hearts.”
