{"id":67826,"date":"2024-11-19T13:30:00","date_gmt":"2024-11-19T13:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/all-news\/methodist-church-initiates-regionalization-rectification-dialogue"},"modified":"2024-11-19T13:30:00","modified_gmt":"2024-11-19T13:30:00","slug":"methodist-church-initiates-regionalization-rectification-dialogue","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/all-news\/methodist-church-initiates-regionalization-rectification-dialogue","title":{"rendered":"Methodist Church Initiates Regionalization Rectification Dialogue"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Liberia. <\/strong><\/span>\u2014 Seeks to restructure the UMC\u2019s governance, allowing for more localized decision-making and responses tailored to the diverse needs of its global congregations<\/b><\/p>\n

In an effort to provide adequate information to its members about the Regionalization Plan, the United Methodist Church has concluded a three-day dialogue focused on the Regionalization Rectification Plan in Gbarnga, Bong County. The event, held from November 14-16 at the Saint John United Methodist Church, brought together church leaders, clergy, conference lay leaders, and district superintendents from Lofa River, Kokoyah, Weala, Jorquelleh, Gbarnga, Tappita, and Gompa districts to discuss and refine the church\u2019s approach to regionalization.<\/p>\n

Several banners at the event displayed messages affirming the church\u2019s traditional beliefs, including: \u201cThe United Methodist Church is not a gay church, and we reject same-sex marriage\u201d and \u201cThe United Methodist Church of Liberia believes in the Bible and holds to traditional practices.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Regionalization Plan seeks to restructure the UMC\u2019s governance, allowing for more localized decision-making and responses tailored to the diverse needs of its global congregations. This initiative is part of the church\u2019s efforts to ensure greater inclusivity, cultural sensitivity, and operational efficiency across its ministries. The plan aims to grant increased autonomy to regional conferences, enabling them to address unique challenges within their specific cultural and socio-economic contexts while maintaining the unity of the global church body.<\/p>\n

The dialogue was enriched by the support of a delegation from the Sierra Leone Annual Conference, showing solidarity with the Liberia Annual Conference. Rev. Emmanuel Pewa, Senior Pastor of King Memorial United Methodist Church, emphasized that regionalization is not about same-sex marriage but about worshiping according to the church\u2019s beliefs, culture, traditions, and constitution.<\/p>\n

\u201cRegionalization is not about man and man getting married; it\u2019s about worshiping according to our beliefs, culture, traditions, and constitution. The Sierra Leone Annual Conference stands in support of you during this time, and we urge Methodists to back regionalization,\u201d said Rev. Pewa. He encouraged members to understand the UMC\u2019s values, emphasizing that the church\u2019s beliefs remain unchanged.<\/p>\n

Bishop Samuel J. Quire Jr., head of the Liberia Annual Conference, highlighted the importance of the dialogue, stating: \u201cThis rectification process is crucial for ensuring that our church remains relevant and responsive to the needs of all our members. By embracing regionalization, we can empower local conferences to serve their communities more effectively.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bishop Quire also clarified misconceptions regarding the church\u2019s stance on same-sex marriage, stating: \u201cAs you go through the education of regional legislation, our reorganization has nothing to do with same-sex marriage. The UMC is not a gay church.\u201d<\/p>\n

He encouraged positive engagement, urging members to dialogue constructively:<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s dialogue positively to move our church forward. I proudly commend the Central Region for being committed and steadfast. Let\u2019s do everything in our power to defend and strengthen our church.\u201d<\/p>\n

The dialogue featured plenary sessions, breakout discussions, and feedback from church members on implementing the plan. Key facilitators included Cllr. Dr. Tolbert Nyeswah (Lay Leader), Dr. E. Julu Swen, and Rev. Caleb S.G. Dormah, who led the sessions at Saint John UMC in Central Liberia.<\/p>\n

The presentation of the General Conference 2024 on Regionalization, The UMC\/Liberia Annual Conference\u2019s stance on same-sex marriage, Liberia\u2019s constitutional laws regarding same-sex marriage, Biblical perspectives on regionalization and its application within the Liberian context and the steps and processes for Regionalization Rectification within the global church setting.<\/p>\n

During his presentation, Cllr. Dr. Tolbert Nyeswah emphasized that the United Methodist Church of Liberia will uphold its traditional beliefs. \u201cWith my sweat, blood, and the Bible, I will give my all to ensure we remain UMC. The United Methodist Church preaches the Bible, not just its Book of Discipline. Same-sex marriage is against our country\u2019s constitution, and we will not accept it in our church.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rev. Caleb S.G. Dormah, Chairperson of the Taskforce on the Regionalization Plan Rectification Committee, also reaffirmed the church\u2019s commitment to its traditional values: \u201cThis regionalization rectification dialogue is very educative and will provide a foundation for regionalized worship according to our tradition, culture, and constitution. We reject same-sex marriage, and the UMC is not a gay church.\u201d<\/p>\n

Participants also addressed potential challenges, such as maintaining theological consistency and ensuring equitable resource distribution across regions. The event concluded with recommendations that will be forwarded to the United Methodist Church\u2019s General Conference for consideration.<\/p>\n

One participant expressed gratitude for the initiative, stating: \u201cWe are grateful for this dialogue because it prepares us for conversations in our districts and churches.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another added: \u201cWe joined the United Methodist Church on our own, and no one.\u201d<\/p>\n

As the church advances with its Regionalization Plan, additional dialogues are planned in other regions to gather more insights and refine the strategy.<\/p>\n

A similar dialogue has already been held in Pleebo, Maryland County, preparing members for the Annual Conference scheduled for February 2025.<\/p>\n

This dialogue in Gbarnga marks a significant step toward a more decentralized and adaptive church structure, one that honors the diverse expressions of faith within the United Methodist community worldwide.<\/p>\n

For More News And Analysis About Liberia<\/a> Follow Africa-Press<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Liberia. \u2014 Seeks to restructure the UMC\u2019s governance, allowing for more localized decision-making and responses tailored to the diverse needs of its global congregations In an effort to provide adequate information to its members about the Regionalization Plan, the United Methodist Church has concluded a three-day dialogue focused on the Regionalization Rectification Plan […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":67825,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,3],"tags":[233,237,234],"class_list":["post-67826","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-community","tag-africa-press","tag-africa-press-liberia","tag-liberia"],"yoast_head":"\nMethodist Church Initiates Regionalization Rectification Dialogue - Liberia<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/all-news\/methodist-church-initiates-regionalization-rectification-dialogue\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Methodist Church Initiates Regionalization Rectification Dialogue\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Africa-Press – Liberia. \u2014 Seeks to restructure the UMC\u2019s governance, allowing for more localized decision-making and responses tailored to the diverse needs of its global congregations In an effort to provide adequate information to its members about the Regionalization Plan, the United Methodist Church has concluded a three-day dialogue focused on the Regionalization Rectification Plan […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/all-news\/methodist-church-initiates-regionalization-rectification-dialogue\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Liberia\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/AfricaPressTunisiaa\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-11-19T13:30:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/all-news\/methodist-church-initiates-regionalization-rectification-dialogue#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/all-news\/methodist-church-initiates-regionalization-rectification-dialogue\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"cfeditoren\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb\"},\"headline\":\"Methodist Church Initiates Regionalization Rectification Dialogue\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-11-19T13:30:00+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/all-news\/methodist-church-initiates-regionalization-rectification-dialogue\"},\"wordCount\":861,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/all-news\/methodist-church-initiates-regionalization-rectification-dialogue#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/liberia\/sites\/37\/2024\/11\/Hazrati1732010444.67468.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Africa Press\",\"Africa Press-Liberia\",\"Liberia\"],\"articleSection\":[\"all news\",\"community\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/all-news\/methodist-church-initiates-regionalization-rectification-dialogue#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/all-news\/methodist-church-initiates-regionalization-rectification-dialogue\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/all-news\/methodist-church-initiates-regionalization-rectification-dialogue\",\"name\":\"Methodist Church Initiates Regionalization Rectification Dialogue - 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