– Methodist Members Forced to Worship on Sidewalk, as Police Block Church’s Gate
By Jerromie S. Walters
Monrovia – The United Methodist Church (UMC) internal dispute heightened on Sunday, August 10, 2025, as armed officers of the Liberia National Police (LNP) barred congregants of the St. Trowen Nagbe United Methodist Church (STNUMC) from entering their sanctuary, forcing them to conduct worship outdoors.
LNP officers, acting on the directive of Bishop Samuel J. Quire, deployed in full riot gear, sealing off the church’s main entrance and preventing members—including clergy—from accessing the building. The move has intensified an already fractious dispute over the proposed “Regionalization Policy,” which critics allege is a veiled attempt to legitimize same-sex marriage within the UMC.
The stalemate follows months of escalating conflict within the congregation, with factions divided over the church’s stance on LGBTQ+ unions. Some members accuse the pastor of STNUMC of endorsing same-sex marriage, a claim that has further polarized the church amid the broader denominational debate.
At the heart of the controversy is the 2024 Book of Discipline, which redefines marriage as a covenant between “two consenting adults of faith”—a shift from the traditional definition upheld in the 2016 Book of Discipline, which explicitly described marriage as a union between a man and a woman.
“The S.T. Nagbe Church does not recognize the revised 2024 Book of Discipline, declared a congregant who spoke on condition of anonymity. “We stand by the 2016 doctrine, which aligns with biblical teachings. This new policy undermines our faith.”
Bishop Quire has championed the Regionalization Policy, arguing that it grants African Methodist churches greater autonomy while maintaining global unity. However, opponents see it as a Trojan horse for enforcing progressive Western doctrines, particularly same-sex marriage. Sunday’s police intervention pointed out an unprecedented escalation in Liberia’s Methodist community, with many raising concerns about state interference in religious affairs.
Some Liberians, especially those on social media warned that the schism could deepen unless a resolution is reached, potentially fracturing the UMC in Liberia. The LNP has yet to issue an official statement, while Bishop Quire’s office remains silent on the matter. Charles Gbayor, the Press Secretary to Bishop Samuel J. Quire Jr. could not be reached via his Orange number as he repeatedly rejected the editor’s calls.
More to the crisis:
On Sunday, March 2, 2025, tensions within Liberia’s Methodist community erupted into open confrontation when Liberia National Police (LNP) officers arrested several breakaway members of the Global Methodist Church (GMC) at the 72nd United Methodist Church in Paynesville. The detained individuals had attempted to reclaim the church building for their worship service, defying a recent court ruling that affirmed the United Methodist Church (UMC) as the sole legal owner of the property.
The dispute arose from a Paynesville Magistrate Court decision rejecting the GMC’s claim to the building, which the breakaway group argues was constructed using their tithes and offerings. Despite the ruling, GMC members proceeded with their Sunday service, prompting police intervention. The ensuing clash saw officers deploying tear gas to disperse the crowd after some congregants reportedly threw stones in protest.
Among those arrested was Rev. Dr. Jerry Kulah, the embattled former head pastor of the 72nd United Methodist Church, who had aligned with the GMC following the schism. The chaos disrupted normal activities in the surrounding community, drawing attention to the deepening rift within Liberian Methodism.
Bishop Samuel Quire of the UMChad previously stated that while congregants are free to leave the denomination, church properties remain under UMC trusteeship. A newly appointed UMC pastor, backed by state security, had since taken control of the building and ordered the removal of locks installed by GMC members.
The confrontation at the 72nd United Methodist Church mirrors a broader wave of disaffiliations across Liberia. Other congregations, including the Miller McAllister Methodist Church in Ganta, the New Georgia United Methodist Church, and the EJ McGill Methodist Church, have also broken away over doctrinal disagreements, particularly regarding LGBTQ+ inclusion.
These breakaway groups contend that their financial and labor contributions to church construction grant them ownership rights. However, the UMC maintains that all properties are held in trust for the global denomination, a stance upheld by Liberian courts. The legal and theological battle has left many congregations in limbo, with some worshippers caught between loyalty to their local church and denominational authority.
The split mirrors years of escalating tensions within the UMC, which has grappled with internal divisions over same-sex marriage and LGBTQ+ clergy ordination. While the UMC’s official doctrine historically opposed such practices, progressive factions have increasingly pushed for reform, leading to ideological fractures.
In 2022, the UMC introduced a disaffiliation clause allowing congregations to exit over LGBTQ+ disputes, triggering a mass exodus of traditionalist churches. Many of these congregations, including Liberia’s breakaway groups, have joined the Global Methodist Church (GMC), a conservative splinter denomination upholding traditional teachings on marriage and sexuality.
The controversy reached a tipping point in Liberia following the UMC’s ratification of regionalization—a policy critics argue accelerates the denomination’s liberalization. In April 2025, Dr. Muriel V. Nelson, President of the UMC Liberia Annual Conference Women’s Organization, resigned in protest, citing the church’s departure from orthodox Methodist values.
In her resignation letter, Dr. Nelson condemned the 2020/2024 General Conference decisions, which she said effectively legalized homosexuality, approved the ordination of openly LGBTQ+ clergy, and redefined marriage to include same-sex unions. Her departure underscores the growing disillusionment among traditionalist Methodists in Liberia.
