PHOTO: UMC Bishop Samuel J. Quire, Jr.
By Moses M. Tokpah, mosestokpah@gmail.com
KAKATA, Liberia- The Resident Bishop of the United Methodist Church in Liberia, Samuel J. Qiure, Jr. has warned against what he termed as power struggle and divisiveness in the church by some leaders and individuals struggling for power and also trying to divide the church so as to have control over a setting segment.
Bishop Quire was speaking at the St Thomas United Methodist Church under the Weala District Conference in the Mandina Community in Kakata, Margibi County on Sunday, August 21, 2022, when he graced the occasion marking the climax of the 10th Annual Conference of the United Methodist School Principal Association or UMSPA.
The Methodist Bishop stated: “We don’t want confusion in our church and today, the issue of power and the issue of control is in the church. People want to control certain places in the church and so they create all kinds of situation and that is not good for the church. And I will keep on saying that as your bishop that I will keep the peace and the sanity of the church. This church belongs to everybody. It is not for one group of people.”
According to him, everybody should be a part of the United Methodist Church and the church is not supposed to marginalize any group of people.
Bishop Quire noted that the time when people used to do divide and rule or create the Congo and Country People’s sentiment in the church is over.
The UMC Bishop averred that there are still some people who want to carry on that olden mentality which is unhealthy for the church and country in general.
He added that when there is division or confusion, there can be no development.
Bishop Quiure, who delivered his sermon on the theme: Maintaining the unity of family”, urged United Methodist Church members to remain united for the betterment of the church and the country.
He indicated that once the unity of the church is kept, no one will conspire against or undermine another person in the church with the mind of being a brother’s keeper.