United Methodist Church is not a gay church

Leaders of the United Methodist Church in Liberia appear to be encountering difficulty in convincing members of the church here that they do not subscribe to gay marriage and the license of gay bishops and pastors as adopted by the global Methodist Church recently in America, despite repeated clarifications and denials by bishops here. 

By Naneka A. Hoffman

Monrovia, Liberia, July 10, 2024 –The Bishop-emeritus of the United Methodist Church, Dr. Arthur F. Kulah, says the United Methodist Church does not allow same-sex marriage because it is not a gay church, as some members of the public have misunderstood the church to be.

Speaking over the weekend in Sinkor, Monrovia, at a national day of worship for peace and sustenance of biblical Christianity in the United Methodist Church here, Bishop Kulah noted that only the Liberia Annual Conference has the authority to approve same-sex marriage in its churches across the country.

He says United Methodists are very gracious and peaceful people, saying, “We are gracious people, and we do not believe in violence; we are conservative and more democratic than many churches that I know of in their belief and the worship of God with a lot of experienced people.”

Speaking of the global conference of United Methodist churches held in the United States that approved same-sex marriage, Bishop Kulah explains that when the topic of same-sex marriage was brought to the floor, he was asked to chair the deliberation. 

“But, I said to them that we are paradoxical Christians; we are very democratic, and yet, we are also conservative, and we, in Liberia, will in no uncertain terms accept same-sex marriage.”  

“What is needed to be done is for our bishop (current Bishop Samuel Jerome Quire, Jr.) to call a special conference to explain and interpret the discussions held at the global conference”, the Bishop emeritus advises.   

 “If anyone tells you that the United Methodist Church is now a gay church, please tell them that he or she is lying unless it is agreed by the Liberia Annual Conference.”

He apologized to Bishop Samuel Quire for the violent attempt against him recently while he was in Ganta, Nimba County, and commended the Liberia Council of Churches for efforts to resolve the crisis in the United Methodist Church of Liberia.

Delivering a sermon at the service, the Vice President for Graduate Program at the United Methodist University, Reverend Dr. Jerry Kulah, said the United Methodist Church worldwide is in crisis because the majority of its members are liberals and progressives.

According to him, the progressives and liberals in the United Methodist Church worldwide believe that the Holy Bible is progressing and, as such, they have more ideas than Jesus, and they know better than God.

Reverend Jerry Kulah continues that they think that ‘the Bible is absolute and it is not relevant for this time’, and based on this, the progressives and liberals are denying the Bible in many respects. 

“One of these respects,” he notes, “is to introduce a lot of social and cultural practices that contravene the Christian teaching and living,” adding, “One of such is the same-sex marriage.”

Last month, at the global conference held in the United States, the majority of United Methodist Churches worldwide voted to lift the ban on same-sex marriage, meaning that ‘man can marry man, woman can marry woman, man can marry his daughter and woman can marry her son.’

Rev. Kulah: “But, for us in the United Methodist Church in Liberia, we are still in opposition to this because it is unbiblical from Genesis to Revelation.”

 “From Genesis to Revelation, there is no trace of a man marrying a man, a man marrying his son or his daughter, two men or two women getting married; it is wrong, unbiblical, and unacceptable.” 

He notes that according to those United Methodists who hold this belief, each person is responsible for his or her body, “but we say no because your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit.”

During the service, speaker after speaker spoke against any attempt to introduce same-sex marriage in the church in Liberia, with some even praying for God not to allow LGBTQ agenda in the Liberia Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church.

For some time now, the United Methodist Church has been rocked by crises, with some members demanding their Bishop, Reverend Dr. Samuel Quire, to state the position of the church on same-sex marriage. 

The national day of worship, prayer for peace, and the sustenance of biblical Christianity in the United Methodist Church was organized by worshippers demanding incumbent Bishop Quire to organize a special session to determine the position of the Liberia Annual Conference clearly. Editing by Jonathan Browne