The United Methodist Church (UMC) in Nigeria has taken a major step toward lasting peace and unity by signing a Deed of Reconciliation among its leadership and constituent conferences.

The agreement, prepared by the Office of the Chancellor of the Nigeria Episcopal Area and dated 2025, as observed by The Guardian, brings together the Nigeria Episcopal Area of the United Methodist Church, the Southern Conference of the UMC, and four Annual Conferences, which are Southern Nigeria, Central Nigeria, Northeast Nigeria, and Northern Nigeria.

According to copies of the document made available to journalists on Friday in Jalingo, Taraba State, the reconciliation follows years of misunderstanding and disagreement arising from the conduct of the 2012 episcopal election and the demarcation of church conferences.

The disputes reportedly strained fellowship within the church, leading to prolonged legal battles, loss of lives, and destruction of property, despite interventions by the Taraba State Government and the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the state.

Guided by Christian principles of love, forgiveness, and unity, the parties, as noted in the documents, agreed to end the conflict and restore harmony within the church. The Deed affirms that the reconciliation was entered into voluntarily, prayerfully, and without coercion.

As part of the agreement, all parties were said to have formally apologised to one another, granted mutual forgiveness, and committed themselves to future conduct rooted in humility, patience, and mutual respect, in line with biblical teachings.

They were also said to have agreed to resume full fellowship and cooperation in church activities and to pledge not to engage in retaliation, harassment, or intimidation of any kind.

A key provision of the Deed, as observed in the document, is the withdrawal and discontinuation of all complaints, petitions, and legal actions previously filed within or outside the church. “All parties agreed to regard one another as faultless in the spirit of reconciliation”, the document read.

For administrative clarity, the agreement outlines new demarcations within the church, including defined boundaries between the Southern Conference of the UMC (SCUMC) and the Southern Nigeria Annual Conference. Specific districts and areas in Jalingo and along the Jalingo–Kona–Lau axis were allocated accordingly.

In a significant structural development, the Nigeria Episcopal Area was also divided into two new Episcopal Areas. The Southern Nigeria Episcopal Area will comprise the Southern Conference of the UMC, the Southern Nigeria Annual Conference, and the Cameroon Mission District, with headquarters in Jalingo.

The North-Central Nigeria Episcopal Area will also include the Central, Northeast, and Northern Nigeria Annual Conferences, as well as the Senegal Mission District, with headquarters in Abuja.

The Deed further provides that the Southern Nigeria Annual Conference will henceforth be known as the Southwest Nigeria Annual Conference (SWENAC), with its headquarters in Mutum-Biyu, Taraba State, while the Southern Conference of the UMC will retain its name and headquarters in Jalingo.

Any future disputes, the agreement states, will be resolved in accordance with the Holy Bible and the Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church.

The Bishop of the church, Ande I. Emmanuel, in his attestation, confirmed that the reconciliation process was reached prayerfully and voluntarily, describing the agreement as binding on all leaders and members of the United Methodist Church in Nigeria and a testament to renewed unity within the church.