African United Methodists respond in Charlotte

What follows is a statement released during the second week of the United Methodist General Conference after the delagates dramatically rewrote the denomination’s definition of marriage.   

My dear brothers and sisters, many of you are rejoicing in this historic moment. But many of us are not. I speak as an African, representing I believe the vast majority of Africans and also many traditionalists in the United States, the Philippines, Europe and other parts of the world.

The General Conference has changed the United Methodist definition of marriage – not because the Bible has changed. But because your western culture has changed. You have chosen to follow what pleases man instead of what pleases God.

Many African delegates are not here. They wanted to be present. But they were not invited by the Commission on General Conference in time to receive their visas. Over 70 of us from Africa are not present. 25 percent of our delegates. Ten months ago we began sending letters and emails and we made phone calls telling the commission and bishops that there was a problem. Many of these communications never received a single response. It felt as if we were not valued, not wanted.

At one past General Conference we were told that we spoke too loudly and that we should close our mouths. At another General Conference a bishop said we are children who need to grow up and think like adults. At this conference many of us were not even given what we needed to be present.

One “mainstream” author wrote that the UMC should be willing to lose Africa to fulfill its progressive agenda. It is hard to believe that we are valued as your brothers and sisters. It is difficult to trust that you value us as equal partners.

You have changed the definition of marriage. You have changed it from what God created it to be in the beginning. You have changed it from how Jesus described it in Matthew 19.5-6 as one man and one woman.

We do not believe we know better than Jesus. We do not believe we know better than God. We do not believe we know better than the Bible.

And now we must go back to Africa and tell our people that you did not listen to us, you do not value us as partners, and that you are willing to lose us to pursue your liberal Western agenda.

A bishop told us a few days ago that if we cannot get on the train that we should leave. But what do we do when the train has run over us and left our hearts bleeding with sorrow and pain?

We want the UMC to hear. We want our people in Africa to hear. We want the world to hear. We do not accept a change in the definition of marriage, and we will never accept marriage as anything other than one man and one woman, no matter what the Book of Discipline says.

We are devastated to now be part of a denomination that officially contradicts the Bible’s teaching on marriage and sexuality morality.

Still, we go back to our homes full of hope for the future, confident in Jesus, standing on the word of God, and determined to contend for the faith once and for all delivered to the saints. We return to Africa where the church is growing, nonbelievers are coming to faith and disciples are being made for the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

• Rev. Dr. Jerry P. Kulah, Head of Delegation, Liberia Annual Conference;
• Mr. Prosperous Tunda, Delegate, East Congo Annual Conference;
• Rev. Dr. Danjuma Judi, Delegate, Nigeria Annual Conference;
• Dr. Yeabu Kamara, Delegate, Sierra Leone Annual Conference;
• Mr. Ginford Dzimati, Delegate, Zimbabwe Annual Conference.

Image: The Rev. Jerry Kulah of Liberia leads a protest on May 2 outside the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, N.C., after General Conference delegates supported a revision of the Social Principles that redefines marriage. Kulah and other Africans in attendance support traditional views of marriage. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.