Methodist Church Crisis Heads to Court Over Marriage and Leadership Dispute

The Stephen Trowen Nagbe United Methodist Church (ST Nagbe UMC) has taken legal action in a bid to clarify pressing issues surrounding the interpretation of marriage, church doctrine, and leadership within the United Methodist Church in Liberia. The church has filed a petition for declaratory judgment before the Sixth Judicial Circuit, Civil Law Court, naming as respondents the United Methodist Church Liberia Annual Conference, through its Board of Trustees chaired by Father Henry Brunsun and Directress Mother Eliza Kronyanh, along with Resident Bishop Samuel Jerome Quire, Jr. According to the petition, ST Nagbe UMC’s legal team is asking the court to affirm the statutory definition of marriage under Liberian law, which recognizes the institution strictly as a civil union between a male and a female. The church’s lawyers argue that uncertainties have arisen in recent times concerning practices and teachings that appear inconsistent with Liberia’s legal and moral codes. Citing Section 43.2 of the Civil Procedure Law, the petition emphasizes the need for judicial clarity to address contradictions between certain emerging church practices and established laws of the Republic of Liberia. The petition further references the Domestic Relations Law, the Penal Law, and the 2016 Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church, all of which, according to ST Nagbe, collectively uphold the principle of traditional marriage and denounce practices contrary to that standard. The filing also underscores that any departure from these definitions particularly regarding same-sex relationships violates biblical teachings, the doctrinal foundation of the church, and Liberian civil and criminal statutes. Specifically, it points to Chapter 14, Section 14.74 of the Penal Law, which criminalizes certain sexual behaviors under Liberian law. Beyond the question of marriage, ST Nagbe UMC is also seeking clarity on the scope of authority exercised by the national leadership of the United Methodist Church in Liberia. The petition contends that unchecked doctrinal directives from the Annual Conference and its leadership risk undermining the autonomy and spiritual integrity of local congregations, including ST Nagbe. The church is therefore requesting a binding legal declaration to reinforce its leadership structure, safeguard the congregation, and prevent what it describes as “doctrinal overreach” from the national hierarchy of the United Methodist Church. The case is currently pending before Assigned Circuit Judge George W. Smith at the Civil Law Court.