Monrovia – The Supreme Court of Liberia has intervened in a legal dispute between former members of the 72nd United Methodist Church in Paynesville and the Liberia Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church, issuing an alternative writ of prohibition against the church’s leadership, the Ministry of Justice, and the Liberia National Police.
The high court’s decision compels the respondents, including Bishop Samuel J. Quire, to submit their legal justifications by March 27, 2025, explaining why the petitioners’ request should not be granted. The petitioners, a group of former church members, argue that they legally acquired the land and constructed the church, which they named the 72nd United Methodist Church. They are seeking to prevent the respondents from interfering with what they claim are their property rights.
At the heart of the dispute is the United Methodist Church’s revised Book of Discipline, which now allows for the ordination of gay clergy and the recognition of same-sex marriages. The petitioners contend that Bishop Quire has enforced these changes within the Liberia Episcopal Area, suspended members who opposed the new doctrine, and replaced their church’s leadership with new appointees.
The conflict escalated when the Ministry of Justice transferred the church property to the Annual Conference, a move the petitioners claim violated their constitutional rights by denying them due process. They argue that their right to disassociate from the church was ignored and that they should not be forced to accept doctrinal changes they reject.
The petitioners have asked the Supreme Court to prohibit the respondents from further interference and to restore the property rights they held before the Ministry of Justice’s involvement.
