By: Archie Boan
Tension has once again gripped the United Methodist Church (UMC) in Liberia as allegations surface that Bishop Samuel J. Quire Jr. defied a court order by locking a portion of the S. T. Nagbe United Methodist Church in Sinkor on Sunday morning.
The incident reportedly unfolded during early morning worship hours, leaving members confused and frustrated as they arrived to find some areas of the church sealed off. Several congregants accused Bishop Quire of acting in contempt of a standing Civil Law Court order that warned against any unilateral action pending the resolution of the ongoing property dispute between the UMC and the breakaway Global Methodist Church (GMC).
Eyewitnesses say the action reignited tensions that had momentarily cooled after months of mediation efforts between both factions. “It’s sad and shameful that we are seeing this behavior from our own bishop,” one member lamented. “We came to worship, but instead, we met padlocks.”
“You can lock up the whole Country even against the court’s Order, but you just can’t lock up the word of God, God will win always”, another member noted.
The leadership of the Global Methodist Church (GMC) has described the alleged action as “an affront to the rule of law” and “a deliberate provocation intended to deepen division within the body of Christ.”
The S. T. Nagbe Church, one of Liberia’s oldest Methodist congregations, has been at the heart of the UMC-GMC dispute over property ownership and administrative control since the issue of homosexuality that divided the denomination globally over theological and governance issues.
As of press time, the UMC Bishop’s office has not issued an official statement responding to the allegations. Meanwhile, church members and onlookers are calling on the government, the judiciary, and the Liberia Council of Churches to intervene swiftly to prevent further escalation.
For now, the rift within the Methodist community remains unresolved, leaving worshippers caught between faith and faction — and questioning when peace will finally return to the house of God.
