West Africa UMAF Denounce Attacks on UMC Peace Mission in Nigeria
UNITED METHODIST AFRICA FORUM
WEST AFRICA CENTRAL CONFERENCE DESK
August 27, 2024
Dear United Methodists
We greet you in the name of our lord Jesus Christ.
As United Methodists, we have the Mission to "_…make disciples for Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world." Our Bishops who have been sent on a peace and reconciliation mission to Nigeria have been lied against by members of the Wesleyan Covenant Association and the Global Methodist Church who have vowed to destroy the United Methodist Church.
We invite all United Methodists in Africa and around the world to join us in condemning the new wave of disinformation, deceptions, scare tactics, harassments and attempts of outright humiliation and intimidation of United Methodist Bishops being sent to shepherd Nigeria United Methodist Flock.
We want to thank the Government of Nigeria for protecting our Bishops and keeping them out of harm’s way. The Nigerian security acting professionally protected our Bishops from the evil plans of John Wesley Yohanna, the Wesleyan Covenant Association and the Global Methodist Church.
In July 2024, the former Bishop John Wesley Yohanna and his cohorts spread lies which were targeted to humiliate and embarrass Bishop John Schol who visited Nigeria to reconcile The United Methodist Church leaders in Nigeria. John Wesley Yohana using his cohorts; tried to block Bishop Schol from carrying out his peace mission. As soon as Bishop John Schol left Nigeria, John Wesley took to the airwaves to announce his resignation from The United Methodist Church, and he took his associates with him to Global Methodist Church.
In the past week, Bishop Eben K. Nhiwatiwa of the Zimbabwean Episcopal Area of The United Methodist Church, our own Bishop of African descent was labelled and lied against. We thank the Nigerian authorities for providing security for the Bishop in order to counter the lies and disinformation. We note that Bishop Nhiwatiwa went to Nigeria on a Peace mission to provide supervision for the work of the United Methodist Church in Nigeria. Again, he too was hindered from carrying on his mission. All of these are happening because of disinformation being spread by surrogates of the Wesleyan Covenant Association and allies who have resolved to destroy The United Methodist Church in Africa and take the members and properties to the Global Methodist church.
We would like to again thank the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for making sure that our Bishops were not harmed. However, we entreat the government authorities to
investigate these matters and bring to book those involved with these deceptive and disinformation against The United Methodist Church.
We from the West African region of United Methodist Africa Forum CONDEMN these acts being directed against our Bishops in the strongest terms. Our United Methodist Bishops are our spiritual and ecclesiastical leaders and must be treated with respect at all times void of harassment and intimidations whatsoever. The people called United Methodists are peace loving people and in our more than 100 years of partnership with the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which we have developed lots of mutual benefits. We therefore call on the Global Methodist Church in Nigeria to desist from the heap of disinformation and misinformation about The United Methodist Church and focus on their ministry.
In His service;
Rev. Caleb S. G. Dormah
Director
At Risk Youth Ministry, Liberia Annual Conference
Coordinator, UMAF
West Africa Central Conference
The United Methodist Church
