Monrovia- The United Methodist Church (UMC) in Liberia has accused Bishop Samuel Jerome Quire of taking a huge sum of money from the global church during the 2024 General Conference that was held in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA to perpetuate regionalization and accept homosexuality within the United Methodist Church in Liberia.
By J.H. Webster Clayeh (0886729972)-[email protected]
Boyce said their allegation stemmed from Bishop Quire’s refusal to hold a special session to respond to the General Conference’s decision on homosexuality.
Since the acceptance of the same-sex marriage by the General Conference in the United States, the bishop of the Liberia Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church has come under criticism from church members over his refusal to call for a special session and allow members of the church determine the way forward for the church in Liberia.
The delegates from the United Methodist Church’s General Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina, from April 23 to May 3, 2024, voted 692-51 to repeal the church’s longstanding ban on LGBTQ clergy, marking a significant shift in church policy, FrontPageAfrica gathered.
Bishop Quire was contacted by FrontPage Africa via calls and text messages but could not be reached to respond to allegations from the UMC Liberia Annual Conference up to press time.
However, back in May of 2024, soon after the conference in the US, Bishop Quire reaffirmed the church in Liberia remains committed to traditional Christian teachings on homosexuality.
“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,” said Bishop Quire.
Despite the bishop’s position, aggrieved members of the Liberia Annual Conference say they want a special session to discuss the future of the Methodist Church in Liberia. Bishop Quire, however, has been reportedly reluctant to convene such a meeting.
Speaking to journalists in Monrovia over the weekend, L. Olandor Boyce, the self-proclaimed Secretary of the Liberia Annual Conference of United Methodist Church said the refusal of Bishop Quire to call for a special session for members of the church to decide the resolution from the general conference shows that Bishop Quire has been financially induced by the global church.
Secretary Boyce added: “And some of our African bishops openly told us the money that the general church is giving to their annual conferences in terms of salaries and benefits is not something they are going to leave. So, a lot of them put money before their faith, it is not something that is hidden. I sat on the finance committee, I know how much our bishop makes, I know what the retirement benefits are.”
The Church in Ivory Coast left the United Methodist Church, the Church in Nigeria disaffiliated. And in West Africa, we are only four conferences: Nigeria, Ivory, Sierra Leone, and Liberia. Two have left; we got only two standing. Sierra Leone does not have a bishop now. So, we do not know what they are contemplating doing. Our bishop is here and he is not giving us the new way on how to handle this matter. And so, it will lead anyone how to decide the way they want to decide. But I know very well from my working and understanding of the Church, the issue of passing regionalization plan comes with finances; and of course, the General Church has given money to perpetual regionalization and accept homosexuality within the United Methodist Church.
L. Olandor Boyce, United Methodist Church, Liberia Annual Conference
The Secretary of UMC Liberia Annual Conference added: “This is not in our church budget, where is the money coming from for the bishop to be moving up and down with his team? Of course, the general church is supporting him to do it, it is no secret, they have openly said it.”
Liberia, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, and Sierra Leone are the four Annual Conferences in West Africa.
Upon the same-sex marriage acceptance, the church in Ivory Coast and Nigeria left the United Methodist Church.
According to Boyce, Sierra Leone, and Liberia are the two countries that still associate themselves with the global church. “Sierra Leone now does not have a bishop. So, we do not know what they are contemplating doing. Our bishop is here and he is not giving us the new way on how to handle this matter and so it will lead anyone how to decide, the way they want to decide but I know very well from my working and understanding of the church, the issue of passing regionalization plan comes with finances and of course the general church has given money to perpetual regionalization and accept homosexuality within our church,” Mr. Boyce said.
Boyce said before the general conference, Bishop Quire, during the last Annual Conference in September 2023, said to members of the Liberia Annual Conference that if the issue of same-sex marriage is passed at the General Conference, the Liberia Annual Conference will disaffiliate itself from the global Church.
Also, at the convention of the Liberia Annual Conference, a budget was adopted to conduct a special session in Liberia.
“Not one time, not two time, it is in his reports even as far back as 2019,” Mr. Boyce said. He continues: “So, if we get in Charlotte, North Carolina in April of 2024 and our bishop somersaults and out of a settlement without discussing with the church leaders who he and them had sat down to make that decision in his report. If he just comes back and says I am not doing it anymore, we are going this way, there are other ways one would think what has happened,” the Secretary of the Liberia Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church said.
Mr. Boyce furthered: “The bishop is not a member of the Liberia Annual Conference. As such, he must give the members of the annual conference the will to decide what they want to do with their church in the wake of all these calamities in the church.”
In late June, the bishop of the United Methodist Church was chased by members of the church in Gompa City, Nimba County, after he tried convincing members of the Ganta branch not to break away from the United Methodist Church globally despite the passing of the same-sex marriage resolution.
On Saturday, June 29, 2024, Bishop Quire visited the United Methodist Church in Gompa City and appeared convincing members of the church not to part ways with the global church.
Speaking to members, Bishop Quire said his decision remains no to same-sex marriage, something he says will not be encouraged in the church.
He added that anyone who dislikes and wants to leave the church because of the global church resolution should go to the local chapter, adding that the church will continue to be the United Methodist Church.
“All of you came here individually, you did not come here in the group. When you feel bad for what has happened just quietly tell your pastor in your local church and say I don’t want to be here,” he said.
Bishop Quire added: “There is no need to leave the United Methodist Church.”
The assertion from the bishop did not go down well with members of the church as the meeting turned chaotic. Members of the church with placards rushed to the bishop and started to attack him.
His car was besieged for a few minutes before he struggled to enter his car. Members threw sticks and wasted water on his car. However, he was able to leave the Methodist compound with the help of state security officers.
Also, the Secretary of the UMC Liberia Annual Conference alleged that Bishop Quire is not only refusing to sit and talk with church’s member about the issue of the regionalization and the same-sex marriage in the Methodist church, but he is also dismissing elected officials who have expressed dissenting views.
“The bishop is refusing to meet with anybody who wants to discuss the issue of the regionalization and homosexuality of our church. In fact, leaders of our church have gone to him that they don’t agree with it, this is it, this is what it should be done, and he has relieved them of their posts,” Mr. Boyce said.
He added: “The chairman of the Broad of the Ordained Ministry, that is the head of all the pastors, was removed from his post because the bishop clearly states that when two cannot walk together, they should separate, which is not in his favor. Our judiciary counsel has ruled against his action that no bishop has the right to appoint or dissolve the Broad of the Ordained Ministry. All attempts have been made to talk to the bishop on this matter. Individually, by small, small grouping churches. That is, the reason churches are leaving because he does not want to give some of the churches to the audience and those that he has given the audience, he does not want to tell them what has happened.”
Praying Against Same-Sex Marriage
On Sunday, July 7, 2024, in Bishop Quire’s absence, prayers were offered by church members against same-sex marriage. Retired Bishop Arthur Kulah, who was among those present, apologized to Bishop Quire for the violence in Ganta, Nimba County, and commended the Liberia Council of Churches for their efforts to resolve the crisis within the UMC.
Retired Bishop Arthur Kulah clarified that the United Methodist Church does not endorse same-sex marriage, emphasizing that it is not a gay church, contrary to public misconceptions.
“We, the United Methodists, are peaceful and gracious people. We do not believe in violence. We are conservative and more democratic than many other churches in our beliefs and worship of God,” said Retired Bishop Kulah.
