–UMC Bishop Quire Discloses
Since the recent international conference of the United Methodist Church in the United States of America, where votes were taken to allow same sex marriage within the United Methodist Church globally, there has been conflicting views among officials and members of the United Methodist Church Liberia Annual Conference as it relates to the position of the church at the recent international conference.
Some Methodists have been accusing their presiding Bishop, Samuel Quire, of endorsing same sex marriage within the Liberia Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church.
Following months of heated debate across the country among UMC members, the Hot Pepper has conducted an exclusive interview with Bishop Samuel Quire on his—and the church’s position—on the votes taken at the international conference of the United Methodist Church to allow same sex marriage in the church.
In response, the Liberia Annual Conference Bishop noted that, indeed, the decision was taken by the International United Methodist Church to allow homosexuality in its churches, which he did not supported during the time of voting at the international conference.
According to him, votes were taken to allow such a practice within the United Methodist Church. Accordingly, the votes in favor of were many, while the votes against were in the minority, and the majority took the decision to allow same sex marriage within the UMC.
He stated that those who voted against it were allowed by the conference committee to operate their churches without same-sex marriage.
The Liberia Annual Conference Bishop reiterated that the Western churches of the United Methodist Church allowed homosexuality because their society accepts such a practice.
According to him, the Liberia Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church forbids such practices because Liberia does not practice such a way of life.
He said the Liberia Annual Conference remains committed to upholding the principles of the Holy Bible, which forbids the practices of homosexuality, among its members across Liberia. Bishop Quire expressed his commitment to upholding such Christian principles.
He is at the same time calling on those supporting the issue of homosexuality within the church to wait for next year’s annual conference of the Liberia Annual Conference to enable them to quit and join their family at the Global Methodist Church level.
According to him, the Liberia Annual Conference remains committed to the fight against same-sex marriage across Liberia.