Church denies same-sex marriage allegation amid leadership transition

The leadership of United Methodist Church (UMC) in Nigeria has disowned same-sex marriage. In a statement yesterday in preparation for election of a new bishop for Nigeria Episcopal Area, Dean of the church, Rev. Eli Yakku, said Bishop John Wesley Yohanna’s claims were “baseless and misleading,” adding: “there is no evidence of any church in Nigeria conducting same-sex marriages.”

The upcoming election, which The Guardian learnt is to take place in Accra, Ghana, from December 5 to 8, 2024, was necessitated by the resignation of the former bishop, John Wesley Yohanna, who reportedly left the ministry earlier in the year for the Global Methodist Church (GMC).

Debunking Yohanna’s claims, Yakku, who tenaciously held that unity and adherence to constitutional processes were critical to the church, submitted: “We are not against anyone choosing to leave for the GMC, but we must ensure that all actions are lawful and respectful of the church’s established guidelines.”