— Alleged LGBTQ supporters led by Assistant Police Commissioner Prince Cassell, former Church Council Chair Adolphus Dupley, disrupt Sunday service; LNP officers arrest several members
Pandemonium erupted on the premises of the 72nd Methodist Church, Sunday, March 2. Officers of the Liberia National Police (LNP) disrupted an ongoing service at the front entrance of the church, dispersing worshipers, and arresting several congregants.
The worshipers, earlier banned by court order from entering the building, had gathered in front of the parish to conduct a service when they encountered a violent onslaught of LNP officers throwing tear gas to disperse them. Some parishioners were brutalized and others chased off the premises. Many were seen running helter skelter, spilling the chaos into the surrounding communities and disrupting normal activities.
Those caught in the disturbance sustained wounds while others lost their personal belongings.
The police officers were allegedly enforcing an order from a segment of the church’s congregation that supports same-sex marriage within the church. The order mandated the parish’s closure and prohibited those opposed to same-sex marriage from worshipping there. The pro-LGBTQ groups reportedly sought to resist the parish’s separation from the United Methodist Church (UMC) in favor of the Global Methodist Church (GMC).
One of those arrested was Dr. Jerry Kulah, head of the GMC transitional council in Liberia, responsible for administering the organizational shift.
“We were having a very peaceful service in front of our church when the police officers came and started telling us to leave,” one worshiper told the Daily Observer. “They wanted to arrest our pastor, and we wanted to know why…they were not telling us anything. So, we could not allow that. In no time, the police started firing tear gas among us, running behind and beating us.”
“We were harassed, tear-gassed, and brutalized because we came to worship at our church that we spent our money to rebuild,” another said. “The devil is working within some of our brethren, but he won’t succeed.
The United Methodist Church (UMC), one of the major Protestant denominations in the world, has been involved in a prolonged controversy regarding its position on LGBTQ+ matters, including same-sex marriage and the ordination of LGBTQ+ clergy.
Therefore, the conflict at the 72nd United Methodist Church is part of a broader trend of schisms occurring within the UMC. Churches like the Miller McAllister Methodist Church in Ganta, the New Georgia United Methodist Church, the Duazon Methodist Church and the EJ McGill Methodist Church have also experienced divisions over the LGBTQ+ debate.
These congregations assert that their financial contributions towards the construction and maintenance of church properties give them ownership rights, while the UMC asserts that the properties are held in trust for the denomination as a whole.
Historically, the UMC has opposed same-sex marriage in its official doctrine. However, a growing number of congregations and clergy have advocated for greater inclusivity, leading to internal rifts within the church. The UMC, at its global conference in the United States last year, where homosexuality was endorsed, tentatively agreed to allow churches to separate over these contentious issues, resulting in a significant number of departures.
Many of these aggrieved congregations have aligned with the newly established GMC, which upholds traditional beliefs on marriage and sexuality.
Dupley, Cassell Responsible for the Chaos
Many of the distressed members who spoke to the Daily Observer noted that the incident was an orchestration of Adolphus Dupley, and Assistant Police Commissioner Prince A. Cassell – two former leaders of the congregation who are showing off power and strength because they feel that the church belongs to them.
Cassell, former Lay Leader of the 72nd Methodist Church, and Dupley, former Council Chairperson – both of whom support the United Methodist Church’s move to accept and practice same sex marriage, have been against the local church’s move to disassociate from the UMC.
According to the parish leadership and some worshipers, the police officers were influenced by Cassell and Dupley to carry out the violence that was perpetrated on Sunday.
“A few police officers were present here. They were very calm and cordial until Prince Cassell arrived at the church in a black police car marked 121,” Kenneth Jackson, Senior Pastor of the Church told the Observer in an interview. “Upon his arrival, everything went into flames.
Jackson described Dupley and Cassell as the proponents of the gay group who want to lead the 72nd congregation in that direction.
“But we will resist their attempts with our sweat and blood,” Pastor Jackson said. “The fact that the vast majority of the membership voted against homosexuality means we have to defend the sanctity of our church, and we will do that with everything we got.”
Members of the 72nd Methodist Church, a few months ago, voted unanimously to disassociate from the UMC. They have since changed the church’s name–72nd Global Methodist Church (72nd GMC) – a move Dupley and Cassell continue to oppose.
The duo has allegedly been sending thugs to harass and intimidate people on the grounds of the church.
“Those two men [Dupley and Cassell] sent thugs here last time when we were changing the name of our Church to intimidate and beat on us. Our people were attacked,” Jackson said. “The thugs were later arrested after we complained to the police.”
He noted that Cassell, who was recently promoted by the Inspector General of Police, Gregory Coleman, as Chief of Patrol (LNP-117) has been using his influence within the police to harass members of the parish.
“All of the acts of violence that we are experiencing here are the work of Prince Cassell and his buddy, Adolphus Dupley. They want to solely decide the fate of this church and that will not work,” a man who only identified himself as Agustine, said. “The fate of this church will be decided by the majority of the membership. No level of harassment and intimidation will make us bow.”
Another said that the police were influenced to do what they were doing as they had no clue why they were beating on the people of God on the instructions of those who support homosexuality, a sin that God hates so much.
“They were paid a few dollars to come and persecute us, but God has a very good reward for them and only time will tell,” he said.
Cassell could not be reached for comment, up to press time, as his numbers were continually switched off.
However, his colleague, Dupley posted on social media that all are stakeholders in the church and must decide its fate.
“We all built the church. Why shouldn’t we have a say in where it goes?” he asked on his Facebook page. “Or we should do as GMC says, even if they are not following the required procedures?”
In reference to a similar situation at another parish, Dupley wrote, “Don’t these people, for example, 300 strong [members] have a right to worship in Dwazohn UMC? Or should they leave because GMC says so? UMC has nothing to do with gay business in Liberia. We have gone to great lengths to prove that!”
However, the Observer was informed by reliable sources that police presence at the church’s edifice yesterday was to enforce the installation of a new pastor at the church–a plan that was being hatched by “Bishop Samuel Quire and his surrogates, Dupley and Cassell.”
“They want to remove Pastor Jackson because of his stance against homosexuality,” one of the sources said. “They had a plan to impose a new pastor on us yesterday and that is why they brought the police.”
Rev. Simon S. Doe, who was present at the scene on Sunday, has been appointed by Bishop Quire to take over the local church.
Doe has previously served 72nd Methodist Church as Senior Pastor and his reappointment to replace Jackson experienced resistance from the congregants as his vehicle was reportedly smashed during the fracas.
Dupley, reacting to the news of the Rev. Doe’s car being vandalized, said “GMC folks and property business that 5 and 6. See how they damage Rev Simon Doe’s car. What is it these people really want? Fighting against sin and committing sin at the same time! Shame mehn.” There has been no confirmation that any GMC congregants had indeed been involved in the case.
But Samline Yini, a member of the church replied to Dupley’s comment, “Can we start to talk about how you pay police officers and send our names to disrupt our service, tear gas and arrest members and burst the church door just to prove a point!!!”
I Was the Target
Senior Pastor Jackson disclosed that he received intelligence that he was the primary target of the police violence that ensued Sunday, as officers were allegedly instructed to arrest and disgrace him.
“Prince Cassell, who arrived in a car marked 121, called the guy to arrest me and take me to the police station,” Rev. Jackson recounted. “The police guys came to me and said ‘Rev., you are arrested and, in fact, follow us to the police station,’”
“So, the congregants said ‘why?’” he continued. “‘He is not going anywhere.’ [But they did so] upon the instructions of Prince Cassell, who was in that particular vehicle, because people saw him, our members saw him… and the police started to use force to get me,” he said.
“I went to service with all of my clerical regalia, they took it off, I had to use different clothes that someone sent me, but we were ready for it,” he said. “So, the congregation resisted the police and said that I will not go anywhere. And the police started to use tear gas on us.”
He added, “It was not like somebody started throwing stones at them, nobody threw stones at them. So, they started to use tear gas, and they arrested some of our people. Dr. Jerry Kulah, who is the head of the transitional council of the GMC in Liberia, was on his way to another church.”
Dr. Kulah, in red, and some members of the 72nd Methodist Church in police custody
Dr. Kulah was reportedly passing when he saw the crowd and he decided to intervene in the situation but got arrested.
Rev. Jackson continued, “My members took me to one of the houses there, I had to get out and they led me through so that I would be protected because I was the target for Prince Cassell and his police guys. They arrested some of my members and they placed them in jail and later freed them.
Ms. Yini also posted this on social media after the incident, “Adolphus Dupley and Prince Cassell should regroup and come back. You guys missed your target. Your instruction to your paid police officers was to arrest Rev Jackson, manhandle him, beat on him, brutalize him, handcuff him, and send you videos and pictures so that you can parade Facebook and feed your ego. Sadly, that didn’t happen, so they ended up arresting church members and Rev Kulah that came to intervene!!”
“Talking about following procedures, but you continue to pay zogos and police officers to disrupt our services. Your end is near!!!!” She added.
To this Dupley replied, “The law told you not to go to that building. You said you are above the law. Do it again and see.”
Meanwhile, Ralph T-Con Saywrayne, a lifelong member of the Methodist Church in Liberia, quoted scripture and Dr. Martin Luther King, in reaction to the incident:
“The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice. Peace, be still. Samuel Quire meant it for evil, but God will use this situation to glorify himself. Weeping may tarry through the night, but joy comes in the morning. Dr Jerry Kulah, like Nelson Mandela is being held behind bars for speaking truth to power. The gates of hell :(Samuel Quire) shall not prevail.”
