The Liberia Annual Conference (LAC) of The United Methodist Church (LAC/UMC), through its Bishop, wishes to clarify that Bro. Olando Boyce and Rev. Dr. George Wilson are not elected officials and spokespersons of the United Methodist Church in Liberia. Therefore, the press and public and people called United Methodist are advice not to buy into their misinformation, myths and disinformation campaign against the United Methodist Church in Liberia.
Furthermore, Bro. Boyce is not the conference secretary of the LAC, as he self-proclaimed during his press conference, reported by Frontpage Africa Newspaper. Both Boyce and Wilson, along with a few other disgruntled members of the LAC/UMC, were involved in the formation of a new breakaway denomination called the Global Methodist Church (GMC).
Before the 2024 General Conference of the United Methodist Church, traditionalists in the U.S. left to form the GMC. Key figures, including Rev. George Wilson, Rev. Jerry Kulah, and Olando Boyce, played pivotal roles in the creation of this new denomination as representation of the Wesleyan Covenant Association, Africa Initiative on the continent of Africa. Their objective was to recruit African United Methodist churches and members to join them in their breakaway splurge. However, following their departure, these former members no longer had voting rights at the 2024 UMC General Conference, which proceeded without their influence.
Since 2019, supporters of the GMC have gathered in various locations, such as Kenya, where they openly condemned UMC leadership and its regionalization efforts. They made empty promises in an attempt to gain influence in Liberia but failed, leading to dissatisfaction among their ranks. Following the 2024 UMC General Conference in the United States, Boyce and his associates orchestrated a campaign of non-cooperation and conflict against Bishop Quire. These individuals, who had ambitions of becoming Bishops and pastors within the GMC, are frustrated with Bishop Quire for not supporting their attempts to incorporate the UMC in Liberia into the GMC. They unsuccessfully sought his approval, and their failure has fueled their current discontent.
Bishop Quire has been a consistent voice among his peers in the Council of Bishops, maintaining since 2004 that the UMC in Liberia and Africa, in general, is a traditional church. “The LAC/UMC does not conduct weddings or ordinations of self-avowed, practicing homosexuals. No certified, licensed, or ordained clergy in the UMC of Liberia will perform weddings for self-avowed practicing homosexuals. The Liberia Annual Conference remains traditional in its interpretation of Holy Scripture and will continue its evangelistic outreach to all people who live in darkness and do not know the redemptive grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ. The church will continue to extend scriptural holiness to all persons through God’s amazing grace.”
As Bishop Quire and the UMC’s leadership consistently said, “the Liberia Annual Conference remains fully committed to the mission of the General Church, which is “Making Disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.” The LAC/UMC believes the church is a “hospital for sinners and not saints,” with its mission being to reach those who are lost. As stated in Luke 19:10 (NIV), “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
In line with this mission, the Liberia UMC strongly believes in the sanctity of Christian marriage and opposes same-sex marriage and other sexual practices that conflict with its traditional interpretation of scripture. No weddings or ordinations of self-avowed, practicing homosexuals will occur within the Liberia Annual Conference, which remains steadfast in its belief that marriage is between one man and one woman. The church also opposes divorce among its clergy, multiple marriages, adultery, and fornication. The Liberia UMC continues to affirm these values, which have been adopted repeatedly in its Annual Conference Resolutions. Another resolution reaffirming the church’s faith in Jesus Christ will be passed in February 2025 at its 192nd Annual Session.
The baseless allegations made by Olando Boyce and Rev. Dr. George Wilson during a press conference on September 27, 2024, are an attempt to cover their actions under the pretext of homosexuality. During the conference, they falsely accused Bishop Samuel Quire of accepting money from the General Conference during the 2024 UMC General Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA, to promote regionalization and endorse homosexuality within the UMC in Liberia. We categorically reject these claims as unfounded and designed to mislead the public and tarnish the reputation of our church leadership.
It appears that Boyce and Wilson are motivated by a desire to undermine the UMC in Liberia in favor of the GMC. Reports suggest they have received substantial sums of money from the GMC, which has openly expressed intentions to destabilize the UMC, using sensitive cultural issues surrounding homosexuality as a divisive tactic, particularly in the African context. Their frustration stems from their inability to secure positions such as Bishops and Lay Leaders within the newly found Global Methodist Church that just ended its Convening General Conference in Costa Rica from September 20 to 26, 2024 where they were supposed to be elected and/or appointed had they met the threshold of taking churches and members from Liberia. This exacerbated and prompting their current campaign of misinformation against the UMC and Bishop Quire, whom they unfairly labeled as a “homosexual collaborator.”
Regarding the call for a special session of the conference, we clarify that the LAC has never committed to such a gathering. This push for a special session is a strategy to sway delegates away from the UMC in favor of the GMC. Historically, the LAC has never convened a special session after a General Conference, making this call unprecedented.
Bishop Quire has made it clear that the Liberia Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church will never ordain individuals for same-sex marriages. The church firmly rejects such unions, defining marriage as a sacred covenant between one man and one woman, a commitment rooted in the understanding of scripture and the church’s standards for marriage as stated in the Holy Bible.
The assertions made by Boyce and Wilson that regionalization pertains to the promotion of homosexuality within the UMC in Liberia are misguided and entirely unfounded. The Regionalization petition, passed at the 2024 General Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina, addresses long-standing challenges within the UMC since 1972 regarding homosexuality. This initiative allows each annual conference the autonomy to establish governance reflective of their cultural contexts, national laws, and scriptural interpretations rooted in the Holy Bible teaching.
Furthermore, Boyce and Wilson’s claims about the departure of the Ivory Coast and Nigeria from the UMC due to issues of homosexuality are inaccurate. The Ivory Coast Conference decided to depart from the UMC over ten years ago due to internal challenges, not because of sexual orientation. Similarly, the situation in Nigeria involved former Bishop John Yohana, who reportedly accepted funds from the GMC with the intent of transitioning the Nigerian Annual Conference to the GMC. However, this effort was resisted by UMC members in Nigeria, leading to Yohana’s resignation. Leadership is currently being guided by U.S. Bishop John R. Schole and Zimbabwean Bishop Eben K. Nhiwatiwa until a new Nigerian Bishop is elected in December.
In conclusion, the Liberia Annual Conference remains committed to upholding the teachings of Jesus Christ and the doctrine of The United Methodist Church. We call upon our members and the public to stay vigilant against misinformation and divisive rhetoric that seeks to undermine our unity and mission. We appreciate the continued support of our congregations and welcome dialogue rooted in truth and love as we continue our service to God and our communities.
As one of the oldest churches in Liberia, The United Methodist Church, Liberia Episcopal Area will continue to provide spiritual growth, leadership, education, healthcare, and other services as it has always been in accordance with the Holy Bible and the laws of the Republic of Liberia. We encourage the press to contact the following individuals for accurate information regarding the Liberia Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church.
Rev. Calab Dormah, Chair, Task Force on Worldwide Regionalization Ratification, Phone Number: +231-777-999-111
Bro. Jefferson B. Knight, Program Director, Human Rights Monitor, Phone Number: + 231 -777 -572-914
Mr. Romeo T. Togba, Director Communication, LAC/UMC, Phone: +231-777-072-599
