As tensions flare, aggrieved members of the United Methodist Church in Liberia are accusing Bishop Samuel J. Quire of trying to impose same-sex practices on them and refusing to hold a special session as required for the Liberian Church to determine its religious future.
Protests erupted across two United Methodist Churches on Sunday after two UMC Clergymen, Pastor Leo T. Mayson and Pastor Elijah Dajue, were dismissed and replaced due to their vocal stance against homosexuality.
Pastor Dajue claimed that “regionalization” which Bishop Quire keeps pushing is a cover-up for same-sex legalization.
While visiting one of UMC’s branches, Bishop Samuel Quire was booed in June of this year in Nimba County as aggrieved protesters chanted, “We na want gay marriage.” The 1976 Penal Law makes same-sex activities illegal in Liberia even though GOL remains tight-lipped on this contentious issue that continues to stir public uproar.
The lates protests in New George and 72nd Community came amid reports that Bishop Samuel J. Quire is seeking to install new pastoral leaderships following the dismissal of pastor Mayson an pastor Dajue who have been vocal against LGBTQ.
Sources indicate that Bishop Quire, who returned to Liberia in May 2024, has been at the center of controversy for allegedly dismissing church leaders speaking against homosexuality. LGBTQ is the acronym for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer.
His actions have provoked backlash from congregants who oppose any shift towards the acceptance of LGBTQ within the United Methodist Church of Liberia.
According to the United Methodist Book of Discipline, the Bishop is expected to convene a session to report to church members in Liberia on discussions from the General Conference in the United States. However, many church members claim that Bishop Quire has refused to hold such session and instead focused on replacing leaders who express anti-LGBTQ views.
On Sunday morning, a group of congregants gathered to disrupt a planned induction of new pastrs, demonstrating their dissent against the Bishop’s action.
Many members voiced their concerns over what they perceive as a push towards the acceptance of homosexuality within the church, which contradicts existing laws in Liberia that forbid same-sex relationships.
While there is growing outburst against LGBTQ+, the United Methodist Church of Liberia recently expelled one of their pastors for preaching against same-sex marriage, a controversy currently lingering across the church in Liberia.
Rev. Mayson is the second pastor of the UMC to be dismissed by Bishop Quire for publicly condemning the practice of LGBTQ in the church. Pastor Elijah Dajue, another prominent anti-LGBTQ clergyman, spoke out against the church’s direction, stating, “I stand by my message and have no regrets.”
He criticized the church’s move towards regionalization, suggesting it serves as a cover for potential legalization of homosexuality. Pastor Dajue, after publicly condemning the Church’s stance on same-sex marriage and regionalization, was expelled, leaving the Christian community in awe and disbelief.
The United Methodist Church of Liberia, under Bishop Quire’s leadership, has remained largely silent on the issue of homosexuality, leaving congregants anxious about the church’s future direction. The expulsions of these two anti-LGBTQ clergymen have stirred uproar within the UMC and the entire country.
As protests continue, members are left questioning their place in a church they believe is swaying away from its foundational principles, firm beliefs, and religious values.
The impact of this latest decision on both the local congregation and the broader United Methodist Church of Liberia remains uncertain as discussions around this issue continue to unfold.
