Violent clashes broke out between members of The United Methodist Church and the International Methodist Church at a seminary in Nigeria as the 2 denominations proceed to battle over who controls a big assortment of properties and belongings within the West African nation.
Bishop Ande Emmanuel, who serves as resident bishop of the Nigeria Episcopal Space, lamented the continuing feud in an announcement on Fb Tuesday the place he supplied particulars about two incidents that occurred earlier this month. The primary occurred within the Keru village of Balaifi on Feb. 6, when, in keeping with the bishop, a neighborhood UMC church was burned down by members of the GMC.
One other incident occurred at Banyam Theological Seminary on Feb. 17, by which the bishop accused GMC members of making an attempt to take over the campus the place they vandalized UMC logos and signposts.
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“Beforehand, the Chief of the world and the police had acknowledged that the GMC ought to avoid UMC property. Clearly this didn’t happen,” acknowledged Emmanuel. “United Methodists did go to the property and demand that the GMC depart instantly.”
“An altercation occurred. The UM District Superintendent for the world and others affirm these occasions. There are two totally different tales of what occurred, so it’s now a matter for the police, who’ve our full cooperation.”
Emmanuel declared, “I strongly condemn any act of violence or disrespect from both celebration” and mentioned the “acts of aggression are an affront to our religion and an obvious try and erase the id and heritage of The United Methodist Church (UMC) of Nigeria.”
“We imagine these newest incidents at Keru and BTS are instantly related to tensions within the area stemming from the GMC’s illegal occupation of The United Methodist Church Secretariat in Jalingo and different UMC properties throughout Nigeria,” he alleged.
“These coordinated assaults are seen as a part of the International Methodist Church’s ongoing marketing campaign of intimidation, violence, and forceful takeover of UMC properties.”
Emmanuel referred to as on GMC Bishops John Pena Auta and Scott Jones to make a extra concerted effort to keep up peace between the 2 Methodist denominations as litigation over the properties continues.
The Christian Put up reached out to the GMC for a response, which was not supplied by press time.
Final week, Jones posted an announcement on his Fb profile, claiming that the gathering on the seminary was a deliberate assembly of the GMC Central Nigeria Annual Convention and that it was UMC members who “disrupted the opening worship.”
“As a result of we wished to protect peace we moved the Convention to a distinct location. Nonetheless the UMC supporters returned to Banyam anticipating Bishops Jones and Auta to be there with the Convention,” learn the assertion.
“Some carried weapons and others carried machetes. They invaded the seminary grounds, broke home windows and attacked GMC individuals. The GMC individuals supplied no resistance. One man was hospitalized with a head wound. A presiding elder was minimize on his chest and hospitalized.”
In accordance with the assertion, 5 others had been despatched to the hospital on account of wounds obtained within the assaults. Additional, Auta’s spouse and a pal of hers “had been locked in a room for a number of hours” as a result of assaults, which concluded when “a unit of the Nigerian Military intervened at Bishop Auta’s request and dispersed the attackers.”
The UMC Normal Convention voted final yr to take away church guidelines banning the blessing of same-sex unions, the ordination of noncelibate homosexuals and the funding of LGBT advocacy teams.
Not solely are same-sex marriage and the sexual act of homosexuality towards the legislation in Nigeria, however the authorities additionally prohibits individuals from being energetic in LGBT advocacy organizations.
In July of final yr, Nigerian UMC Bishop John Wesley Yohanna despatched a assertion to officers explaining that the regional physique voted to affix the GMC at a particular session referred to as that month.
Nonetheless, the UMC has disputed Yohanna’s claims, arguing that solely a fraction of the 560,000-member Episcopal Space has agreed to disaffiliate from the mainline denomination.
Final December, experiences floor of violence between GMC and UMC members in Munga Dosa, which resulted in three United Methodists being killed and a number of homes being burned.
In an announcement emailed to CP on the time, the GMC Meeting of Bishops mentioned they had been “deeply grieved by the lack of life and the devastation that has occurred.”
“We unequivocally decry the usage of violence in any type and name on all individuals, International Methodists and United Methodists alike, to behave as brokers of peace,” declared the bishops.
