United Methodist Africa Forum Public Statement
1 August 2024
Looking Ahead as The United Methodist Church in Africa
Following the conclusion of the Postponed 2020 General Conference of the United Methodist Church, the United Methodist Africa Forum released a statement on May 27, 2024, echoing our position on the future of our denomination, which we reiterate.
We declare our commitment to the future of the United Methodist Church in Africa. In as much as the outcome of the General Conference may be different from our desired options, we acknowledge the need to own these realities in our continued engagement to reforming the church from within to reflect the future we desire. This is our denomination, our home and our future in making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.
The United Methodist Africa Forum reiterates its concern echoed prior to and during General Conference that logistical challenges, absences and delays negatively impacted the effective participants of African delegates. The structure and approach to handling denomination issues using the Robert’s Rules of Order may seem contrary to our cultural understandings of inclusivity and faithful dialogue that may lead to a consensus. There has been situations in the past where Africans were taken advantage of to accomplish goals expressed by some caucuses on issues that adversely affected our continent. Faced with these realities, it is our commitment to continuously advocate for increased preparation and participation of United Methodists from Africa to effectively impact the present and future of our denomination.
As Africans, we are called to share with the denomination principles developed through our lived experience of moving beyond colonial history and transform relationships, to mutual engagement and not dominant and dominated. Christ’s teachings in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1-48) helps reinforce the understanding that unbalanced relationships depend on the previously dominated taking a lead in reshaping what the new relationship will look like.
As acknowledged, the processes of General Conference may look different to our understanding of holy conferencing and cultural practices of decision-making as the rules governing the conversation and structures at work are foreign to our African perspectives. It is key to note that General Conference is a legislative assembly with decision-making approach based on voting thresholds on various questions and thus not a family conversation that allows us to deepen our reflections, express great levels of care as to how decisions impact each community and reach a consensus with the best possible outcome. This being the case, we hope and believe that our future conversations as United Methodists will be rooted in caring and loving relationships that are truly inclusive and respectful of contextual realties as expressed across the world. This is a necessary paradigm shift we believe should define the future of our denomination as we move towards equitable and mutual relationships and as Africans, it is our call to model this paradigm shift. As United Methodist Africa Forum, we will continue to deepen these relationships and conversations that allow us to grow together.
Following on discussions that are on-going across the continent, we have observed that there are two key areas that we hope as Africans will engage in deeply given the current wave facing our denomination (which will come to pass), but are substantial to our ministry.
The first is the general mischaracterization/ misrepresentation of ‘Traditional’ views, (following western categorization), as taking a fundamentalist-literalist approach to our reading and use of scripture without regard to exegesis, and then mixing it together with the opposite, which is a loose and undisciplined use of scripture to uphold our ‘predetermined and biased’ views and agendas. This has polluted our interactions and is contrary to our heritage and commitment to integrity. Wesleyan Methodism is a dynamic heritage that encourages the gifts of heart and mind interacting with scripture and therefore diversity and dialogue are essential aspects of who we are. Wesley himself struggled with a pull towards dogma but came out with a signature Methodist commitment to a discipline shaped by openness to the Spirit received through various channels. The human tendency in times of chaos and uncertainty is to shut down freedom of thought and withdraw into the safety of tightly controlled legalism. It takes great courage to keep seeking and to be open to new inspiration in the heat of battle. How can we improve our practice of this Wesleyan doctrinal heritage of respect for diversity even as we face some departures in our African United Methodist Church?
The second being the need to work out our African Methodist theology of the human conscience. As the debate within the worldwide United Methodist Church has clearly shown, cultures are powerful lenses through which our consciousness and conscience are shaped. Focus has been on human sexuality as a key issue of cultural difference, but we think it goes much deeper than that. If a number of our highly regarded African theologians are correct, there are fundamental cultural and theological differences between an African theology of the conscience rooted in "Ubuntu" and a Western theology of conscience rooted in individualism. John Wesley came to us through the latter tradition. How do we reconcile these two approaches in our African United Methodist Church? These may always stand in contradiction, but our commitment to diversity as a doctrinal heritage central to Methodism requires us to recognize them and wrestle with them as we try and find our way forward on these essential decisions we must make around inclusivity, mutual responsibility, unity, forgiveness, etc.
We have some serious work to do in these regards. As the United Methodist Africa Forum (UMAF), we look forward to a team of United Methodists brought together and commissioned specifically for the purpose of doing the theological work of "Faith and Order" in the African United Methodist Church. Ultimately, we must commit to Wesley's legacy of hearts striving together in love as being more important than heads unified in doctrinal agreement and the doctrine of conscience is important for getting us there.
In fact, these struggles are not unique to the United Methodist Church, as other denominations navigate similar challenges but we believe that these are urgent and necessary conversations that will guide us into a better future, prepared for ministry in the 21st century. Our call is for dialogue and prayer as we continue to faithfully minister to our communities.
We regret the departure of some among us, and we are grieved at the pain some have had to endure and dishonesty that characterized some of these departures and attempts to misappropriate United Methodist resources for selfish ends or use in a different denomination. We invite all United Methodists to remain steadfast in our faith as we share the Good News of Christ, that Christ is here and now, saving, restoring, healing and transforming lives.
Remember, ‘ Be still and know that I am God’.
On behalf of the United Methodism Africa Forum
Rev Lloyd Nyarota Rev. Gabrial Banga Mususwa
General Coordinator General Secretary
Zimbabwe East Annual Conference Zambia Conference
