The United Methodist Church (UMC) saw a significant reduction in its membership numbers last week as a major West African conference opted to leave due to the church’s acceptance of LGBT clergy and marriages.
The EMUCI, which had been part of the UMC since 2008, stated that the church “deviates from the Holy Scriptures” and prioritizes “honoring the LGBTQ community” over its own honor and integrity.
The Ivorian conference, one of the UMC’s largest groups, reported more than a million members last year.
An LGBTQ+ flag flies over Union United Methodist Church in the South End of Boston on January 5, 2020. (Jessica Rinaldi/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
Their decision was in reaction to the U.S.-based UMC’s vote in May to lift the longstanding prohibition on LGBT clergy and marriages, leading to a widespread departure of congregations globally.
EMUCI’s president, Bishop Benjamin Boni, stated that the UMC “is now grounded in socio-cultural values that have overtaken its doctrinal and disciplinary integrity.”
In the first half of 2023 alone, more than 4,000 congregations left the UMC due to its support for LGBTQ+ policies, as reported by Truth Voices.
In this April 19, 2019, file photo, a gay pride rainbow flag flies along with the U.S. flag in front of the Asbury United Methodist Church in Prairie Village, Kansas. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
As the UMC continues to lose members, the Korean Methodist Church — which counts approximately 1.5 million members — is also contemplating a split, according to a Monday report by the Christian Post.
“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,” a coalition of Korean Methodists said in a statement. “This is an issue concerning the sanctity of life that the church must teach correctly, without compromise.”
