-Rev. Jerry Kulah Vows as Breakaway Methodists Face Arrest Amid UMC Split
By Jerromie S. Walters
Paynesville, Liberia – Tensions within the United Methodist Church (UMC) heightened on Sunday, March 2, 2025, when several breakaway members, including Rev. Dr. Jerry Kulah, were arrested by the Liberia National Police (LNP) at the 72nd United Methodist Church in Paynesville. The arrests followed a confrontation over the ownership of the church building, as the breakaway group, now aligned with the Global Methodist Church (GMC), reportedly defied a recent court ruling affirming the UMC’s sole ownership of the property.
The GMC members had attempted to conduct their regular Sunday worship service at the church, claiming it was built with their dues and tithes, thereby granting them a rightful claim to the facility. However, the police intervened, leading to clashes that involved stone-throwing, tear gas, and the arrest of Rev. Kulah and several others. The chaos disrupted the surrounding community. The Liberia Council of Churches is yet to comment on the matter.
A Broken Promise?
Following their release later the same day, Rev. Dr. Jerry Kulah addressed the media, accusing Bishop Samuel Quire of reneging on a prior agreement and vow not to back down. Rev. Kulah vowed, “We will fight this battle, and Jesus will win. Jesus has already won.”
According to Kulah, Bishop Quire and other church leaders had vowed to disassociate from the UMC if it passed a same-sex marriage law. However, Kulah claims the Bishop has since sided with the global church’s decision.
“Bishop and all of us agreed that the day the UMC worldwide passes this law, we will leave from there (UMC),” Kulah stated. “Bishop is on video, where he went from church to church, district to district, to inform the districts that when this happens, the UMC Liberia will leave. But he went there in October 2023, came back, and now wants us to follow him. We have chosen not to follow him.”
The Larger Context
The dispute at the 72nd United Methodist Church is part of a broader schism within the UMC, one of the largest Protestant denominations in the United States. For years, the church has been divided over its stance on LGBTQ+ issues, particularly same-sex marriage and the ordination of LGBTQ+ clergy.
In 2022, the UMC reached a tentative agreement allowing churches to disaffiliate over these issues, leading to a wave of departures. Many of these breakaway congregations, including the 72nd United Methodist Church, have joined the newly formed Global Methodist Church (GMC), which upholds traditional teachings on marriage and sexuality.
Other Liberian churches, such as the Miller McAllister Methodist Church in Ganta, the New Georgia United Methodist Church, and the EJ McGill Methodist Church, have also broken away over the same controversy. These congregations argue that their contributions to the construction and maintenance of church properties entitle them to retain ownership, while the UMC maintains that its properties are held in trust for the broader denomination.
Church Leaders Weigh In
Bishop Samuel Quire of the United Methodist Church has reiterated that while individuals are free to leave the denomination, they cannot take church property with them. The newly appointed pastor of the 72nd United Methodist Church, backed by state security forces, took control of the building and ordered the removal of locks placed by GMC members.
Political Actor Reaction
The incident has drawn reactions from political and other leaders. Montserrado County Senator Abraham Darius Dillon emphasized Liberia’s legal stance on marriage, stating, “Whether it be statutory or customary (traditional) marriage, it is only the government that grants a marriage license to legalize a marriage. A legal marriage in Liberia is only between a male and a female… nothing else!”
Senator Dillon expressed confusion over the chaos within the Methodist Church, questioning why a respected denomination was being torn apart. Similarly, activist Martin Kollie criticized Bishop Quire, stating, “Marriage is a civil status, a personal relationship arising out of a civil contract between a male and a female. Who is Bishop Samuel J. Jr. Quire to create his own definition contrary to the state?”
Broader Impact
The fallout from Sunday’s incident extended beyond the UMC. One community member accused the police of wasting her pot of soul during the disorder, though the police denied the claim, attributing the damage to individuals fleeing the scene.
In a related development, the newly assigned pastor of the 77th United Methodist Church, Rev. Doe, faced an act of vandalism when unknown individuals shattered his vehicle’s windshield with stones shortly after his induction.
