Waiting in Africa: The Impact of the Postponement of General Conference

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It is now known by all United Methodists in Africa that the much awaited 2022 General Conference of the United Methodist Church was again “postponed.” We argue, it is a cancellation. We will not have a conference until 2024. For us and many others, it means the 2020 General Conference was lost. 

2024, moreover,  is supposed to have a General Conference of its own, a fact that gives rise to important questions. Who will be the delegates to the 2024 General Conference? Does the Commission on General Conference actually have the power to take this kind of action? What will be the effect on African United Methodists of the postponement of the vote on the Protocol? It is this final question upon which I will focus in what follows. 

It is well known that the majority of African delegates support the adoption of the Protocol. This, of course, is in sharp contrast with the majority of African United Methodist bishops who support the so-called “unity” of the Church as represented by legislation called the Christmas Covenant, which proposes regionalization  of the church. Among other things, the proposed regionalization will accommodate homosexual practice in the guise that it will only be an issue in the West and not affect Africa as a region. We know this is false. We are one body. What affects the arm also affects the leg. We also know it is a huge task for the proponents of this proposal to garner the required two-thirds vote of the General Conference to be allowed to amend the Constitution of the UMC. So we continue to focus on the Protocol.

Many of us believe that the postponement of the General Conference has little to do with the officially cited reasons like the  COVID-19 pandemic or the difficulties of getting visas by some delegates, especially African delegates. We believe the pro- regionalization faction of the church is clear that, as things stand, the UMC is headed for a split. They oppose this. The Traditionalists are still the majority and are likely to leave with the bigger population of the current membership of the United Methodist Church, particularly in Africa. This is the hard reality seen by institutionalists, hence the application of the emergency brake before this happens. The pandemic and the issue of visas thus are mere scapegoats. 

If truth be told, the cancellation of the General Conference is meant to achieve two major goals. First it will give the “institutionalists” more time to organize themselves. They currently are not ready for the separation of the Church. Second, it will frustrate most American conservatives who have taken time to prepare for the separation.  Indeed, two extra years will simply be too much and unacceptable to most American conservatives who are now tired of the endless fight. 

The multi-million dollar question then is: where does this leave the African United Methodists? What are the options before them?

First, like many of their American, Eastern European, and Filipino counterparts, African United Methodists are disappointed. They are eager to reaffirm their 2019 voice loudly and clearly. Second, Africans do not want to be shown the exit door by those who lost in the decisive 2019 special General Conference. They do not accept the label of “a breakaway” group in the church in which they are fast becoming the majority. Third, Africans believe they had become extravagantly generous by accepting the Protocol when actually they should have shown those unwilling to accept the verdict of Christian conferencing the exit door. Fourth, Africans want to send a very strong message to our Western friends that the church does not belong to the United States of America or Western Europe. The Church belongs to Jesus Christ. The Church did not originate in the West. It originated from Israel as a group of the followers of Jesus of Nazareth. All those who believe in this Jesus have a claim on this church. We cannot be held for ransom by the minority in the Church who believe the church belongs to them. Yes, the UMC was started in the United States, but it evolved into a global church. It is now a European, an African, an Asian church as much as it is an American church. 

In The Book of Acts (chapters 15 and 21, read together with Galatians 2) we are given a clear example of how followers of Jesus must deal with their differences within the church. We conference together. The decision of such conferences must be treated as representing the will of Christ. In subsequent centuries it was the councils that dealt with controversies in the Church. To denigrate the decisions of  properly called conferences or church councils is unchristian. To evade organizing a General Conference for fear of an unfavorable outcome is cowardice. It is destructive. It negates our claim to be the church.

We should not tolerate anarchy where those who have not won the day refuse to uphold the verdict of the General Conference. In a more reasonable world, United Methodists who find decisions of the General Conference difficult to accept would either leave or grow the church in their areas of influence until they secured a majority at General Conference. Africa did just that. From our beginning as mission posts where we were dominated and pushed around, we have become the center of the church because we evangelized and grew our constituency. Now we have a bigger voice in the church. Let progressives within the church do the same. Grow your voice through evangelism, not via political activism. 

Amicable separation is what most African United Methodists are offering generously to progressives. Postponing General Conference is not solving anything. Even if General Conference is postponed twenty more times, it matters not, for it will not change the stance of Africans on homosexual practice and the authority of Scripture. Postponing matters little to African United Methodists. Those behind the postponement have pressed the “reset” button following 2019. It effectively means the official position of the United Methodist Church remains the same: “The practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching.” It is official. It is in our Law Book! The so-called moratoriums on charges against those who break church law are thus repealed. As long as we are one denomination, those whose behavior and theology is contrary to the official position of The United Methodist Church must be brought to book and dealt with in accordance with our Discipline. Those in offices of authority who refuse to enforce church law must be held accountable. The African Church will not change its position on homosexual practice, and we believe this position should be normative for the entire church. 

For most Africans it is the General Conference that has been canceled, not the Protocol. The Protocol has just been postponed. It is still properly before the General Conference. At whatever time, Africans will act on it. The only thing that can convince Africans to repel the Protocol is the commitment by progressives that they will accept the verdict of the General Conference. If they are not willing, then separation is the only solution. This must be understood clearly by all United Methodists.

Some may ask: what about the launching of the Global Methodist Church? We pray for the new church, and we do share many beliefs with them, including their traditional position on homosexual practice. Had the Protocol been passed, most likely the majority of Africans would have been one with them. Most Africans, however, will remain United Methodists until the Protocol is passed. We have comfort in the knowledge that should Americans split themselves, as is likely to happen, in either side we choose to join we will be the majority. This is why Africa will move as a block. We will not throw away our birthright by splitting. We refuse to be labeled “a breakaway” when in fact we are becoming the majority!

Here is the simple math. If the UMC in the US loses a million members to the Global Methodist Church, this will reduce the number of US delegates to the General Conference. Each year Africa will be gaining in membership and soon will become the clear majority! 

Those pushing for regionalization are  clear on this unfolding reality. They know the new locus of Christianity is Africa. They now seek to dilute Africa’s voice and power via regionalization. These are the real colonialists. When they were a clear majority at the General Conference it was okay for them to dominate the General Conference with the so-called American issues. Now that non-Americans are becoming the majority it becomes wrong and the constitution must be changed! This is the Animal Farm mentality where constitutions are changed to maintain the privileges of the dominant leaders. We categorically reject such Neo-Colonialism. If it is true that there are things in our book of laws that are oppressive and unacceptable, let us do the right thing! Repeal them through legislation! If we as Africans accept this marginalization ploy through regionalization, we will discover sooner rather than later that all issues that matter—like the budget—will now be discussed in regions. The General Conference will be rendered a rubber-stamping mechanism without power or authority. 

I conclude by saying Africa must keep its eye on the ball. The Protocol is the deal. The only condition to repel it is when progressives make a commitment to uphold The Discipline of the church. Let those with ears hear!

The Rev. Forbes Matonga is a pastor in the Zimbabwe West Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church and a member of the Wesleyan Covenant Association’s Global Leadership Council.