Message from African Delegates at 2024 General Conference
Thursday, May 2, 2024
We speak as Africans, representing the majority of African delegates and, we believe, the vast majority of United Methodists in the thirty-five annual conferences in Africa.
We have loved The United Methodist Church. We have been grateful for The United Methodist Church. We have joyfully served The United Methodist Church. But now our hearts are troubled.
The postponed 2020 General Conference of The United Methodist Church has changed the United Methodist definition of marriage – not because the Bible has changed. But because western culture has changed. At this Conference The United Methodist Church has chosen to follow what pleases man instead of what pleases God.
Many African delegates are not here. They desired to be present and had planned to attend. 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. That is roughly 25% of our delegates. Ten months ago we began sending letters and emails and making phone calls, alerting the Commission on General Conference and some of our bishops that there was a problem. Many of these communications never received a single response. It felt as if we were not valued or wanted.
At a past General Conference, we Africans were told that we spoke too loudly and that we should close our mouths. After another General Conference a bishop said we Africans need to grow up and think for ourselves. At this conference many of us were not even provided with the documents we needed to be present.
One mainstream UMC leader wrote that The United Methodist Church should be willing to lose Africa to fulfill its progressive agenda. It is hard for us to believe we are valued as true brothers and sisters within The United Methodist Church. It is difficult to trust that we are seen as equal partners.
The United Methodist Church has changed the definition of marriage. It now defines marriage differently from what God created it to be in the beginning (Genesis 2:18, 23-25). It has changed the definition of marriage from how Jesus described it in Matthew 19 as one man and one woman.
In Africa 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.
We must now return to Africa and tell our people that The General Conference did not listen to us, does not value us as partners, and is willing to lose us to pursue its liberal western agenda.
In his sermon to this General Conference, a UM bishop stated that if we cannot get on the UMC train and embrace its destination, 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 now to be part of a denomination that officially contradicts the Bible’s teaching on marriage and sexual morality. We return to Africa with important decisions to make regarding the future.
Still, we go home full of hope, 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. To God be the glory! Amen!
Contacts
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.
Since they won’t share the name of Mainstream UMC leader or the bishop referenced in the statement, we have to treat these as anonymous accusations. Neither of the accusers have come forward publicly nor given the accused opportunity to explain themselves. Until we have some verifiable information I think we must treat these accusations as heresay.
News coverage of the protest stated that around 65 African delegates were present, which would not be anything near a majority of the delegation. Jerry Kulah has taken the floor several times during conference to claim he speaks for all Africa (or all of Liberia) and been quickly been rebuffed by other African delegates, so we should take any claims from him to speak for the majority with a grain of salt considering his history of exaggeration in this regard. The Committee on Credentials for General Conference gave a detailed report explaining the issues that led to absence of some of the African delegation. I think in the interest of fairness and transparency the recording of this report should be shared on this page. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXzrDVrJ8Uc
Finally some perspective. The removal of language from the BOD deemed by progressives as harmful to LGBTQ persons was approved by 93% of the conference, which would mean the majority of the Africans present also voted in favor in the change. The main regionalization amendment passed by over 78%, with African delegates being among those who spoke in support of the amendment. Of those speaking against it, only one spoke out against the principle of regionalization itself, while the other two took issue with the continued presence of jurisdictions and the number of conferences in Africa. One of the delegates speaking against it was American. The sections of the Revised Social Principles concerning human sexuality and marriage also passed at General Conference by 70%. Let’s be clear about one thing. In all of these instances, the presence of the entire African delegation at General Conference would not have changed the outcome of any of these votes. Any accusation that these changes were passed illegitimately and do not represent the will of a quorum elected voice of worldwide United Methodist Church are false.
Over the years the African Delegation has kept us as Conservative / traditional Methodist. We applaud your stand in the Gap for Jesus Christ. Paul in Galatians 5: 1 says “Stand fast therefore in the Liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Thank You, and May the Lord bless you in all Grace as you return home.
Well said!
I am a former UMC CHURCH member in the U.S. I am so sorry for the way Our African Brothers & Sisters have been treated. I too left because I believe what the Bible says is true. There are many of us who stand with and will be praying for you. God bless you for standing on God’s word!
I am grateful for the strong faith of our brothers and sisters in Christ in Africa. For many General Conferences you tried to lead this denomination to stay true to Biblical teaching. For years the liberals have tried to get their course for the UMC to be the only way. Now they achieved their goal. Like many others I was raised in the church, I served this denomination. And now I have no church home. I know that God will sustain us and lead to new faith communities.
Thank you to those from Africa that do understand the Bible, that it is the true word of God and cannot be changed! Continue to fight the good fight by spreading the gospel for Africans! Our home is in heaven, we are here as ambassadors for God! This part of UMC doesn’t want to acknowledge the entire Bible. Only what works for them. Grace is not license ! You are truly
I thoroughly agree with the sentiments of Africa. God’s word is not going to change. I do know God will get the final say. To have the word blatantly disregarded to accommodate the world will not go unnoticed by God. Stand firm on the word. The righteous will never be forsaken. One thing is true. Opinions are just that. One’s perspective speaking his/her own truth. God’s word is fact and that’s truth.
This opinion from African delegates who attended the 2024 General Conference is heart breaking for African United Methodists. Holding onto the General Conference is going to be challenging in the future, especially when the Africans feel demeaned, humiliated and considered irrelevant by their American counterparts.
*THE AFRICAN IDENTITY IN THE UNITED METHODIST CONFERENCE: THE DIE IS CAST*
@Momoh Juanah
The reason for the postponement of the 2020 General Conference has been laid bare in the just concluded 2024 General Conference. The agenda to justify immorality through acceptance of gay marriage or LGBT by the UMC General Conference underlined the back the screen action for the past two to three years.
My anticipated disgust at what was going to happen at that Conference has been compounded by the treatment metted out to our African delegates. Yes they were treated like nobodies according to the African Message from the Conference.
This is more than DISGUSTING ???? to say the least.
Well, the message is loud and clear. Africa is needed out of the way to achieve the immoral agenda of the west in the Conference. You are poor, you are deprived, you beg too much, you are under developed. So, you are not needed here. Woww!!!!! The die is cast.
Now the need for an Africa United Methodist Conference (AUMC) is rife. Wake up Africa and serve a true God. You can’t follow people who demonstrate that God was wrong when he destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.
Hello Brothers and Sisters. I’m not a United Methodist but I read your heart rending report with great dismay that the once spiritually invincible United Methodist Church has become the laughing stock of the Christian world. When Barack Obama, the 44th and first African-American President of the United States, asked the Supreme Court to declare that, in essence, all marriages were equal whether between men and women or men and men or women and women in June 2015, it was foreseeable that major institutions including the church will follow Obama’s ungodly leadership. The 2024 General Conference decision was,
therefore, inevitable. The church mostly remained silent on the matter. Now the chickens have come home to roost. God must be laughing at our calamities as per Proverbs 1:26. I do not envy you, bretheren, on the decision you have to make but you must choose between man and God. I wish you well. If I had a one liner response to the General Conference, it will be a paraphrase of the refrain from the Vietnam War protesters of the 1960s: HELL NO, WE WON’T GO. Praise Be to the Living God, In Jesus’ Name.
Rev. Alfred M. SamForay,
Church if God in Christ, USA.
Is this not the very definition of racism? The African delegation is minimized in order to push a euro- centric cultural construct of homosexuality.
The United Methodists may have lost their way, but you, dear friends in Christ, have not. Continue to spread His word and make disciples and God will bless your work. I thank God that there are believers like you.
Despite the difficulties there were still plenty of African delegates at GC and the vote to remove the LGBT prohibition passed overwhelmingly. They got what they voted for. If they were serious they could have walked out as soon as the vote passed. I saw some of the livestream. I did not see any strident speeches from any African delegates. Post conference whining will get them nowhere.
Hello my name is William Noel from the U.S. in the state of Kentucky. I’m a deaf Pastor from Danville Deaf Baptist Mission. When I was a little boy my parents and I were members of the Methodist church, back in the days the church taught the gospel but where there were no interpreters I could not understand what the preaching was about nor teaching (Sunday School) however I could understand about Jesus Christ but did I fully comprehend it? No we stayed because of peers. Many years later we moved to willow grove baptist church and I could understand a little again because of friends, January 2001 I joined Deaf Baptist Mission (we had a deaf Pastor and I could understand what he was saying. To this day the UMC needs to be rebuke and stick with the truth the gospel. Methodist may be under same doctrine under Christianity but allowing same sex marriages and having female Pastors is against God. They have fallen into the world’s teachings not the word of God.
Praying for peace and wisdom as all of you make decisions in the days to come.
Peace and Blessings
Keep strong in the faith, dear brothers and sisters. God will not forget your labors.
I hope our brothers and sisters in Africa know and understand that there are many American Methodist who stand with them, believing that the Father is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow, and agreeing the traditional marriage of Jesus time is the proper definition of marriage today. We, too, aren’t sure what God wants us to do, exactly, but must weigh the church’s new position against the greatest sin (as seen by American progressives), hypocrisy. If I stay, then am I a hypocrite?
My brothers and sisters in Christ. As a former UMC member from Georgia, where John Wesley began his church ministry in America; we too, were traumatized and had to seek civil litigation against our UM brethren to disaffiliate.
Watching the conference was particularly heart-wrenching as members seemed not to understand that the Word of God is the Word of God (the Holy Scriptures). It is not a text sent to us in need of editing.
As I listened in despair, a member of the African delegation was recognized and walked to the microphone. He objected to the additional definition of marriage being offered for consideration and proudly raised his Bible and said, “There is only one Bible.”
It was a momentous occasion! Thanks be to God!
Our congregation agrees with you. We disaffiliated and joined the Global Methodist Church. We are a Bible believing congregation who believes in Jesus Christ, the Word.
I am heart sick that you were so badly respected by your brothers and sisters.
You will always be in the Church created by our Savior as you follow Him and will find your way in a new denomination that represents what He taught.
I will pray for your new direction.
A Sister in Christ
You are not alone in these feelings. I have been a member a of united methodist church for 35 years and am appalled what General Conference has done. Thank you for this well stated letter. I am ashamed that my name is associated with UMC in its current state.
The progressive Methodists that voted for same sex marriage would likely view themselves in another context as advocates for racial equality and opponents of racial prejudice.
Except the LGBT bandwagon trumps all other issues and beliefs. These progressives obviously consider the Africans as unenlightened and inferior theologically and to be dismissed.
The Africans will continue to follow Jesus as Lord.
God bless the African Church Fathers! There were faithful men and women way before the European countries became believers. Simon of Cyrene was the African who carried the Cross of Yesus the Mesih and when both European and Asian leaders condemned the Savior to His death! May God continue to protect His sheep from the wolves and thieves and robbers be they European or American or Martian or from Hades! “The thief comes to steal and kill and destroy, but I am come that they might have life and eternal life!” Yohannes Gospel 10:10.
I agree wholeheartedly with the African delegates. The U.M.C. has left me.
I am not a Methodist but many in my family are Methodist and my heritage from 9 generations is Methodist. I attend a Methodist camp meeting every summer composed of 600 members of my family since 1826. I am heartbroken to see what is happening to my brothers and sisters in the church. My prayer is for changed hearts to love God and to love one another. I love you.
Thank you for so clearly standing up for the truth. I was once a part of the UMC but could no longer support a church that so blatantly contradicts God’s word just to fit in. I will pray for the churches in Africa.
As a sister in Christ this sadens me and breaks my heart but as we all know we are in end times and this is why we are seeking the fall away of the church I will be praying for all my brothers and sisters in Africa. My our Lord bless you ???? ❤️
Thank God for people like you that will stand up for biblical truths. God will honor you folks & you all will have his blessings. Don’t quit.
The African delegates were ignored just as those with opposing views from UMC members in the USA were. It was a gut wrenching experience. Prayers for you all as you find your way forward.
Will Africa UMC conferences come join the GMC now? The UMC has greatly hurt, and disresptected the African UMC. It seems things will change…and the GMC may grow even larger soon.
I support our African brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus..I. myself, have resigned my membership to the Methodist Church for the unbiblical decisions they have made, the way our African delegates were treated and the pro Palestinian movement against Israel.
I am sadden by what you have experienced at General Conference. God have mercy on the UMC. This action and process taken by Gen Conf is wrong.
I admire the African UMC. Praise the Lord for believes who hold onto the authority of God’s word.
Well said, and Amen.
I totally agree! My heart is too broken and disappointed in the current leadership of the UMC. As an ordained UM pastor in the South Georgia Conference, I am convienced the UMC has left me and now pursues man, sin, and their lord the devil. I continue to pray for a “Grace Monent” for our leaders and their “Turn-around”. Godsspeed MY African brothers and sisters in the “CHRISTIAN” faith. Rev. Richard Rushing.
How tragic that our brothers and sisters in Africa were treated or mistreated, as the case maybe. If the allegations in the letter from the Africans at General Conference are true then excuses or apologies fail to satisfy the injustice done to those delegates
Good for you, well said. You either stand for something or you stand for nothing!
I stand behind you.
I am from the US, and I stand with you, my African brothers & sisters!!! I applaud you, don’t ever change, stay grounded in the Scripture and NOT on men’s word.
Thank you for sharing this perspective and bringing light to what is happening. Without fair representation from all delegates it is conceivable that changes are pushed through without a fair and representative process.
I am from the U.S. and am very involved in a Methodist church at this time, because of my partner here. I have to disagree. I think The Lord invites ALL humans into his loving embrace, regardless of sexual orientation. I cannot believe that The Lord judges harshly those who are born into feeling that they are not exactly the same as many of us – who feel drawn to a same-gender person for love and acceptance. These precious people know from the time they are children that they are somehow “different.” And as they grow up they have to contend with the prejudice against them for feeling different. WE are the problem – when we judge them and castigate them, and turn them into something considered heinous. They are not! They are aware of their orientation before they can logically analyze their challenge in this world. As Christians, it is our duty to LOVE them fully, to accept them fully, and to put aside those things we cannot understand fully. Anything less than loving them as they are is disregarding Christ’s love of all.
I am sorry that churches are now trying to please people and not God. It is in all Denominations.
We have loved, been grateful for and joyfully served the UMC. But now our hearts are troubled….
In Africa, we do not believe that we know better than Jesus, than God, than the Bible…..
Amen and Amen.