“UMC Is Not A Gay Church” -Bishop Quire Clarifies

The Resident Bishop of the United Methodist Church of Liberia, Bishop Samuel J. Quire, has clarified its long-time dispute linking the church to the practice of homosexuality. His response comes following escalated tension that has since separated members of the United Methodist Church over the regionalization of same-sex marriage from its headquarters in the United States.

“Let it be known to all United Methodists that whether regionalization is ratified or not, the Liberia Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church will not conduct any weddings or ordinations of self-avowed, practicing homosexuals,” he said. According to him, the Liberia Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church (LAC/UMC) is traditional in its interpretation of the Holy Scriptures, the scripture that contains both the Old and New Testaments. He maintained that the church will continue to exercise its evangelistic outreach to all persons who are in darkness and redemptive of Christ’s grace. In his Annual Message on February 13, 2025, at the 192nd Annual Conference, the resident Bishop told the congregation that their mission is to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to abide by the Holy Commandment. The Methodist prelate is quoted as saying, “The United Methodist Church is not a gay church, neither do they practice gayism,” but rather a strong church that is ministering to sinners across the world. He cautioned members of the church to disengage from spreading fabricated falsehoods against the church, citing that a chargeable offense will be enforced for the sake of maintaining the order of the denomination. Over the years, the Methodist Church of Liberia has faced potential hullabaloo over power struggles and alleged regionalization of same-sex marriage after the General Conference in May 2024. The conflict has since resulted in a massive split, with local churches announcing their departure from the legitimate church and refusing to sit under the gavel of Bishop Samuel J. Quire.Monrovia Latest News