December 12, 2023
By Rev. Dr. Scott N. Field
A Christmas Carol… beyond the story penned by Charles Dickens. The familiar story of the three ghosts visiting Ebenezer Scrooge during the night before Christmas describes the possibility that our decisions of the past will continue to determine our future…unless we make a change.
An astute reader of the WCA Outlook noted in an email last week that the UMC has a unique opportunity in the current debate about regionalization and disaffiliation. Delegates to the upcoming UMC General Conference can take historic action: they can vote to disentangle the UMC from the injustice that has followed in the wake of colonization, specifically in Africa and the Philippines, but also elsewhere.
The WCA Fair for Some Fair for All initiative is an appeal to General Conference delegates to make a disaffiliation pathway available to United Methodists in Africa and the Philippines which, to this point, has been reserved exclusively for churches in the USA. More broadly, though, this brother in the Lord inferred that the UMC delegates voting to provide a pathway of separation will clearly uncouple the continuing UMC from the vestiges of ideologies, biases, and policies through which North American United Methodists seek to control the Methodists in Africa. And such an uncoupling from the past, of course, would be a General Conference action worthy of widespread celebration and rejoicing.
If you are not aware of efforts to “decolonize” institutions, organizations, and cultural patterns, here is the informative paragraph included in the email I received:
Colonialism has social, cultural, and psychological effects. After centuries of colonization, colonized societies are world’s away from what they once were; countries can’t simply “go back.” The colonizer’s dominant values, practices, laws, culture, and more often remain in place. Indigenous people are still marginalized and discriminated against. The legacy of the slave trade, which brought colonized people to places around the world, also cannot be forgotten. In this context, decolonizing is about, as a piece from The Peace Chronicle defines it, “deconstructing or dismantling colonial ideologies and challenging the superiority of western thought and approaches.” Unlike decolonization as a process of formal independence, it digs into thought patterns, biases, policies, values, and more.
I think this observant reader of the WCA Outlook is on to something very important for the future of the UMC. Do you see it? Perhaps the UMC General Conference delegates will vote to exorcise the ghosts of the past and pivot into a new future.
Last month the United Methodist Council of Bishops decided to call a special session of the General Conference of The United Methodist Church in 2026. The bishops’ agenda for the delegates is straightforward: to strategize and work toward bringing about the next vital expression of United Methodism. (UM Bishops Plan Special Session on Future of UMC). Great idea!
Why not make a fresh start on the future of the UMC with a vote this spring to repent of continuing efforts to control non-US United Methodists? Instead, why not affirm a future in which all United Methodists are given equal worth and agency to determine their own future? Without doubt it would be a heart-warming pivot to a fresh expression of equity and global partnership
The Wesleyan Covenant Association’s Fair for Some Fair for All initiative is an appeal to fair-minded United Methodists to open the doors for United Methodists in the Central Conferences of Africa, the Philippines, and Europe to choose their own future. We are in favor of everyone landing where they discern God’s call for them to be at the end of this disruptive season of disaffiliation.
Speaking of Christmas Carols, “Do you hear what I hear?”
The North Nigerian Annual Conference of the UMC met recently. Check out the results in their summary report of legislative action:
Whereas at the end of the 19th regular session of the UMC Northern Nigeria Annual Conference which was held from 22nd – 26th November, 2023 at Rev. Ali Masoyi Memorial Cathedral Gwandum the following were the resolutions reached:
(Resolutions 1-12 deal largely with offerings, funding for schools, pastoral support, and other administrative items. Resolutions 13-15 relate to the upcoming UMC General Conference):
- Whereas a motion against the proposed Regionalization plan for 2024 General Conference was moved by the petition legislative committee to the plenary session and after long deliberations the Conference delegates unanimously resolved that the proposed regionalization plan is unacceptable and therefore, totally rejected. This is because the proposed plan of Regionalization is similar to “one church plan petition of 2008 and proposed Christmas-covenant petition of GC 2020” respectively – (this will have negative effect on Bible interpretations in the church in Africa and globally if it is pass into law): It will give each region power to adopt its own different laws and such will create more disharmony in the church globally (for what is regarded as sinful in one region may not be sin in another region while using same Bible). The motion was put to votes with all the 260 delegates in session voting against the regionalization plan and none-voted in support.
- The Delegates further resolved that, the Board of Trustee of the United Methodist Church in Nigeria Episcopal Area should seek legal interpretation in Nigerian court according to Nigerian Constitution on the issue of same sex marriage practice of LGBTQ+ whether the UMC in Nigeria can be in the same UMC with others in other part of the world where same-sex marriage is legalized after 2024 GC, being that Par. 5.3 of the Nigerian Constitution on Same sex Marriage Prohibition Act 2013 says “A person or group of persons who ministers, witnesses, abets or aids the solemnization of same-sex Marriage is liable to 10 years imprisonment” and also, 304.3 and par. 2702.1 (a- d); 3(a-f) of the UMC Book of Discipline 2016 condemned the practice of homosexuality that, is not-compatible with Christian teaching and indeed is a chargeable offense. The motion was put to vote and all the 260 delegates voted in support of the motion to seek legal interpretations of Nigerian constitution on the matter.
- Whereas it has been further resolved that, in the event the GC 2024 pass the petition before her on legalizing Regionalization plan, and LGBTQ+, the conference Delegates in session have agreed that we in the UMC Northern Nigeria Annual Conference will move to join any emerging connectional Methodist denomination with all our properties being that we in Nigeria joined the United Methodist Church in 1985 with our properties from EKAN Church. The motion was also, put to votes where the 260 Delegates in session unanimously voted in support of the motion.
Signed:
Resolution / Communique Committee: Mr. Salisu Farouk – Chairman _________
Rev. Lydia Alafy – Secretary _________
Mr. Yusuf Ibrahim Umar – Member ________
Presiding officer: _________________ Bishop Johnwesley Yohanna Nigeria Episcopal Area.
Did you hear the African voices…voting unanimously?
Regionalization = silencing African voices and votes.
Fair for Some Fair for All initiative = African United Methodists choose their own future.
You may or may not be aligned with the Wesleyan Covenant Association on other things, but on this I cannot help but believe we all have a common heart and desire: what is fair for some should be fair for all. It is a simple matter of justice. It is also, as one of our readers indicates, a matter of disentangling the continuing UMC from an odious history of colonialism and an affirmation of the rights of African United Methodists to choose their own future.
The WCA is appealing to UM General Conference delegates to provide a fair, transparent, and uniform pathway for disaffiliation which, to this point, has been reserved exclusively for churches in the USA. If you are among the fair-minded United Methodists who agree, we welcome your support in prayer. Another way to offer your affirmation is by passing the information along in your social media network. If you want to assist the effort financially, click the DONATE link and select the Fair for Some Fair for All option in the dropdown menu.
Many thanks.