The United Methodist Church ministry planning continues in Nigeria at special gatherings
August 28, 2024 – UPDATE
The United Methodist Church ministry planning continues in Nigeria at special gatherings
Four annual conferences convene special sessions
Four annual conferences of The United Methodist Church in Nigeria gathered for special sessions held August 23-26, 2024, to plan future ministry work within the region. The called official gatherings sought to identify needs and establish a framework for the conferences and to counter misinformation after recent leadership changes.
The four meetings were collectively attended by 995 delegates who heard reports and acted on church business. Participants:
- Affirmed The Path Forward Covenant with a renewed commitment to The United Methodist Church by an aggregate vote of 990 to 5.
- Unanimously affirmed that marriage is between one man and one woman and that The United Methodist Church of Nigeria would abide by Nigerian law.
- Unanimously authorized the Board of Trustees to pursue all legal means to secure The UMC’s funds, property, equipment, bank accounts and passwords.
- Confirmed that their conferences were not represented by, nor in agreement with, a non-constitutional vote in July held by outside parties not abiding by The Book of Discipline by a vote of 992 to 3.
- Elected new annual conference leadership.
- Nominated episcopal candidates.
The four annual conferences also had the opportunity to hear from and learn more about the newly assigned interim episcopal team for the Nigeria Episcopal Area as assigned by the Council of Bishops of The United Methodist Church in consultation with the West Africa College of Bishops and the chair of the West Africa Committee on Episcopacy. They include:
- Bishop Eben Nhiwatiwa is the resident bishop of the Zimbabwe Area, which includes the Zimbabwe East and Zimbabwe West conferences in the Africa Central Conference of The United Methodist Church. Bishop Nhiwatiwa and his wife have been married 45 years and have two children.
- Bishop John Schol retired in August and was called out of retirement to serve as the interim lead bishop of Nigeria. Prior to retiring, he was the resident bishop of the Eastern Pennsylvania and Greater New Jersey conferences in the Northeastern Jurisdiction of The United Methodist Church in the United States of America. Bishop Schol and his wife have three grown children.
- Bishop Patrick Streiff is the resident bishop of the Central and Southern Europe Area, which includes Central and Southern Europe Central Conference in the Europe Central Conference of The United Methodist Church. Bishop Streiff and his wife have been married 45 years and have four children.
Dean of the Cabinet Rev. Eli Yakku shared that the bishops are focused on communicating with and on behalf of the people within The United Methodist Church. “They are helping to reorganize The UMC and assist with moving the mission forward.”
After one of the meetings, Janet Garba—women’s president of the Central Nigeria Annual Conference—offered her thoughts. “Today I see a new United Methodist Church coming from Nigeria that is stronger and more united than it has been in the past. A future built on Jesus Christ and irrespective of our tribal and sectional differences.”
“It gives me great joy today to be a part of the United Methodist family in Nigeria,” said Rimande Garba, lay delegate from the Southern Nigeria Annual Conference. She noted that though another denomination sought to create division, “this [UMC] special session brought me a lot of joy, hope and peace.”
“I am the most happiest person today to see the confirmation that the majority of us are staying in The United Methodist Church,” said Abuja District Superintendent Rev. Nigron Haruna. “The United Methodist Church remains strong and committed to honoring Jesus Christ and advancing God’s mission and ministry in Nigeria through The United Methodist Church. I and my family are staying in The United Methodist Church because this is the church that nurtured us; it is a family of people, brothers and sisters in Christ.”
“As The United Methodist Church of Nigeria moves forward in ministry, it’s exciting to see our faith put into action as our members serve their communities,” noted Bishop Schol. “Recently, as we’ve seen food shortage concerns due to the lack of rain, we’ve tapped into our denominational partners to distribute food to those in need. We’ve also been reaching out to youth through events, including one at which we welcomed 5,600+ young women attendees. And we continue to see to the needs of our current members/staff and our retired clergy.”
Bishop Schol added, “During a time of unrest due to rampant misinformation, it’s essential that we continue to be bearers of faith, hope and truth and offer educational information to help address fears. I’m grateful to the governor of Taraba state, local police, our legal counsel and others who are ensuring that The United Methodist Church of Nigeria and the overall denomination are able to justly conduct our lawful ministry practices and gatherings while ensuring the safety of our members.”
Seventy-two percent (72%) of the pastoral charges are continuing with The United Methodist Church and were represented at the special sessions. That represents 348 pastoral charges, with a charge often including three or four congregations.
Members wishing to support UMC ministry efforts are invited to give online to the Nigeria Fund, managed by the denomination’s General Council of Finance and Administration, or contact their annual conference office for more options.
Regular annual conference sessions are being planned for November, with expected highlights including more than 25 ordinations, new budgets passed and an update report on The Path Forward Covenant and its early activity and results.
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About The United Methodist Church of Nigeria
The United Methodist Church’s Nigeria Episcopal Area comprises four annual conferences. It began as one conference in 1992. The headquarters is in Jalingo, capital city of Taraba state. Learn more at umcnigeria.org.
About The United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church is a worldwide connection of close to 10 million members in over 100 countries, with a presence in Africa, Asia, Europe and the United States. United Methodists are people of God who share a common mission and values. The church and its members are called to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. We reach out to a hurting world through a dedicated focus on mission and ministry. Our tagline “Open hearts. Open minds. Open doors.” reflects who we are and how we seek to put our faith into action. Learn more at umc.org.
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