Newly elected Bishop of the United Methodist Church in Nigeria, Ande Emmanuel, has sought unity and reconciliation within the fellowship, which has faced a two-decade-long crisis.   
  
Speaking yesterday, in Jalingo, Taraba State, after his return from the church’s recently concluded elections in Ghana, Emmanuel reaffirmed the ministry’s adherence to biblical principles, Nigerian law, and its Constitution.
  
He was observed to have emerged victorious in a closely contested election involving three candidates.
  
Addressing a crowd that welcomed him at the state secretariat of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the capital, the cleric dismissed same-sex marriage and homosexuality insinuations.
   
He emphasised that the UMCN “remains firmly rooted in its spiritual and legal foundations.”
  
In a gesture of reconciliation, the bishop extended an olive branch to members, who have aligned themselves with the breakaway Global Methodist Church (GMC), urging them to return to the fold. 

The cleric also appealed to Governor Agbu Kefas to unseal church properties affected by the ongoing dispute. 
  
Supporting the bishop’s call for unity, Reverend Eli Yakku, one of the candidates in the election, urged members to accept Bishop Ande as the church’s spiritual leader and work towards healing the divisions within the ministry.