By Freda Lamini Allen
Key Points:
- Court Orders GMCN To Vacate UMCN Secretariat And Other Properties
- Bishop Ande Extends Olive Branch To GMCN
- UMCN Members Eager To Leave Makeshift Places Of Worship
The judgement delivered by the Federal High Court sitting in Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, recognising, and upholding the existence of the United Methodist Church in Nigeria (UMCN), has set a new dawn for the church after about two years of a legal tussle with the Global Methodist Church in Nigeria (GMCN).
A court judgement by Justice Obiora Egwuatu , clarified several contentious issues that have been at the crux of the conflict between the UMCN, and it’s 2024 breakaway GMCN faction.
The court case which was filed by the UMCN in December 2024, challenged the procedures on it’s change of name from UMCN to GMCN , freezing of the church’s Bank accounts, and forceful claim to it’s properties, the Defendants in the suit were the Corporate Affairs Commission, the incorporated trustees of the GMCN, and Zenith Bank plc.
After a painstaking sixteen months(16) of been in and out of the court, the long awaited judgement on the matter was delivered on March 30, by Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court Abuja Judicial Division, in Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory.
A fifty-one(51) page Judgement document made available to the Communications Department of the UMC Nigeria Episcopal Area, brought to bear the technicalities that culminated in the final decisions of the court.
The judgement was guided by the constitution, and the rules of the Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church, Nigeria’s Company And Allied Matters Act, and previous court cases with similar nomenclature.
The judgement faulted the procedure for the resolution that led to the change of name by the GMCN, due to the failure to be made upon the two-thirds majority votes of the General Conference, subject to ratifications by the Annual Conferences of the UMCN, a duly convened joint annual Conferences of the church in Nigeria, as well as the announcement by the Council Of Bishops on the completion of such voting.
The judge also flawed the change of trustees at the Corporate Affairs Commission, and the failure of the required trustees to certify relevant documents for the change of name.
The Judge further maintained that members of UMCN that wish to leave the church, can only renounce their membership, but are not authorised to change the name of the church, take over properties, monies or bank accounts of the church.
Justice Egwuatu ordered the Corporate Affairs Commission to reverse the name on the Church’s certificate of incorporation to the “United Methodist Church In Nigeria”, and set aside the certificate bearing the name “Global Methodist Church in Nigeria, ” due to the failure by the Commission to comply with the Nigeria’s Company And Allied Matters Act on the change of trustees, and the amendment of name.
The judge also ordered the GMCN to reverse all change of names to UMCN properties, hand over the management and administration of such properties to the UMCN, and vacate the Secretariat of the UMCN in Jalingo, Taraba State.
The judgement further directed Zenith Bank plc, to grant UMCN access and control to all the church’s accounts opened and domiciled with their bank.
The Bishop of the UMC Nigeria Episcopal Area, and the Mission Districts Of Cameroon and Senegal Ande Emmanuel welcomed the judgement, in an official statement.
He notably extended an olive branch to the GMCN, highlighting that the UMCN is ever willing to accept those that wish to return to the fold, and is ready to support the GMCN in setting up it’s church in Nigeria.
Bishop Ande also urged members of the UMC in Nigeria to be peaceful, and magnanimous in their celebrations of the court Victory.
Members of the United Methodist Church in Nigeria, most of whom have resorted to makeshift places of worship since the conflict began in 2024, have expressed their joy on the judgement, most of them are hopeful and eager to return to their churches.
The court judgement, has ushered a new chapter in the history of the United Methodist Church in Nigeria, paving the way for a fresh start under it’s youngest Bishop, since it’s over one hundred(100) years of inception in the country.
An official statement from the Global Methodist Church in Nigeria said the church will appeal the judgement of the Federal High Court, it also urged it’s members to be peaceful and law abiding.
