Earlier this year, the United Methodist Church lost over one million members from the Côte d’Ivoire Conference in West Africa, constituting one of the largest departures in the embattled denomination’s history. In recent years, the United Methodist Church has faced substantial criticism from the broader Christian community over its decision to allow LGBT members in its leadership and its blessing of same-sex marriage.
As a result, the Cote d’Ivoire Conference voted to leave the conference earlier this year, as it determined that the UMC had become distanced “from the Holy Scriptures” and “was no longer suitable” to be involved with. In a Methodist Church Council of Bishops statement, President Tracy Malone specified that while the church has removed “restrictive language” that prevented LGBT individuals from leading, it does not prevent local churches from adhering to their beliefs.
“While we grieve Cote d’Ivoire Conference’s decision to separate from The United Methodist Church, we commit to work with them through the process of becoming an Autonomous Methodist Church,” she stated. “While we are not all of one mind in all things, the strength of our connection is love, respect, compassion and a shared commitment to faith in Jesus Christ.”
“The church has aligned with the Rainbow Movement, and this is also a threat to our African traditions and human existence at large,” a statement from critics read, as reported by the Associated Press. Furthermore, an English translation of the decision to leave the conference reads, “Whereas the United Methodist Church from the postponed 2020 General Conference held from April 23 to May 3, 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina, in the United States, is not based on any biblical and disciplinary values.”
Excoriating the UMC for its stance on homosexuality, the statement continued, “Considering that the new United Methodist Church is now based on sociocultural and contextual values which have consumed its doctrinal and disciplinary integrity, Considering that the new United Methodist Church has preferred to sacrifice its honorability and integrity to honor the LGBT, Considering that the new United Methodist Church which distances itself from the Holy Scriptures is no longer suitable for the Annual Conference of Côte d’Ivoire.”
Concluding that the conference would abandon the UMC, the statement read, “The Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church-Côte d’Ivoire Ivory, gathered in its extraordinary session on Tuesday, May 28, 2024 at the Jubilee temple of Cocody, for reasons of conscience, before God and before his word, supreme authority in matters of faith and life, Decides to leave the United Methodist Church denomination.” The Christian Tribune recently reported on the issue:
EMCUI’s decision comes in response to the U.S.-based UMC’s vote in May to repeal the decades-long ban on LGBT clergy and marriages. This sparked a mass exit of congregations around the world. The controversial decision was passed 692-51 at its general conference in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Korean Methodist Church is also eyeing the door.
The Korean Church has around 1.5 million members who said “Homosexuality cannot be accepted until the Lord returns. This is not an emotional issue but a matter of unchangeable truth. Homosexuality is clearly a sin,” they went on to say. “This is an issue concerning the sanctity of life that the church must teach correctly, without compromise.”
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