Zimbabwe’s Methodist bishop Eben Nhiwatiwa mesmerised the saints attending the General Conference of the United Methodism Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, April 27 with his message of love, hope and remembrance of the great and powerful acts attributed to methodism in African and abroad.
African University and the United Methodist Theological College in Liberia are only a few of the far-sighted activities of Methodist pioneers.
Indeed. “We love the Methodists!” He repeated to an overwhelming applause from the saints who are desperately searching in their hearts for good news.
“Stop quarrelling,” the brother bishop added, admonishing the saints to look at those things that are good and wholesome and to go forward as conquerors.
Nhiwatiwa’s message, though welcome, came at a time when United Methodism itself is at a crossroads.
The devil has been sowing seeds of discord since 1965 and at every four-year conference, has brought into debate what is no less than a challenge to the sacred doctrine of the church itself.
The argument centers on paragraph 2553 of the United Methodist Book of Discipline. The paragraph reads as follows. “Homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching.”
At the conference, even as Bishop Nhiwatiwa delivered his homily to the saints, in the corridors was seen another bishop from the Nevada District of the Western United States, Karen Olivetto.
Oliveto is married to Robin Ridenour, who is a deaconess in the United Methodist Church in Bishop Oliveto’s district. They live together in the bishop’s palace of the United Methodism Church.
Oliveto was elected to the bishop’s palace in 2016 in disobedience to the Book of Discipline paragraph 2553 mentioned above.
Oliveto belongs to a powerful and rich elite in the United Methodist Church, which has defied church rules.
Because of their large financial contributions to the church treasuries, and their influence in the media and public opinion, they have escaped retribution by the Council of Bishops, which fears losing their financial support.
In fairness, we may add that these bishops are themselves somewhat sympathetic to this wayward affluent lifestyle.
Oliveti and her renegade brigades, who give themselves the innocent title of Covenant Disciples, are said to have convinced enough delegates of their heresy as to be able to change remove paragraph 2553 which offends their sinful lifestyles.
The vote comes today, April 30 even as we go to press.
This is the background to the conference and to the message of love by Bishop Nhiwatiwa.
Already, United Methodist Conferences in Russia and Eastern Europe have sought and been given permission to assume independent status from the western conference over this issue.
While it is true, as Nhiwatiwa reminded the saints, that the great achievements in education and development attributed to the Methodists in Zimbabwe and in Africa make the United Methodist Church the coolest church in Africa and its heritage to be proud of, the question facing the apostolic delegates today as they confront the question is whether to obey scriptures of to obey Oliveto.
I have already mentioned the secret weapon Oliveti holds over the African and Asian saints. Allow me to expand on it.
Methodist Bishops are funded from the General Episcopal Fund decided upon by the General Conference.
Whereas African bishops receive each an emolument of USD88 888 each, their US counterparts receive US$180 900 each.
Further African educational institutions are generously funded from the General Conference.
The US saints, though now a minority in the Global United Methodist Church, bear by far over half the costs of the church.
Oliveto’s heresies go beyond same sex marriage. If Oliveto and her cohorts have their way, in addition to same sex marriages.
There is also the issue of trans-genderism.
This heresy assumes that sex is a human invention. Birth certificates are gender neutral because boys may choose later if they want to keep their tails or not.
Similarly, girls can opt to get a tail implanted on to their private parts later.
These heretics told the African bishops. “Grow up.”
Ordination of persons who preach these heresies will become part of the covenant of love.
Bishop Jerry Kulah of Liberia has been in the forefront of the battle to keep the African Methodists from being subsumed by these heresies.
He understands perfectly that Oliveto and her Covenant followers hold the treasury as an inducement to compliance with their false doctrines.
Kulah began this journey back in 2005 at the General Conference.
For the sake of space, we refer to two documents to which Kulah as attached his name.
At the last General Conference, held in Missouri in 2019, Kulah challenged the arrogance and colonial mentality of his brother saints. He said:
“Friends, please hear me, we Africans are not afraid of our sisters and brothers who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans-gender or queer.
“We love them and we hope for the best for them. But we know of no compelling arguments for forsaking our church’s understanding of Scripture and the teachings of the church universal.”
He pointed out that by electing Oliveto as their Bishop, the US Conference showed a measure of supreme arrogance, aloofness, and elitism.
They do not have to obey the rules.
The great challenge is whether a family can live under one roof if some members of that family are not subject to the general rules.
No doubt, some African bishops are looking at the golden pot before them.
Kulah believes that the African Methodists must seek associations with other denominations such as Wesleyans and Asian churches that have decided to keep the gospel of Christ as it was bequeathed to them.
We return to the General Epistle of Methodist Bishops at their Nairobi Conference, September 2023.
“We remain steadfast in our convictions that marriage is between one man and one woman, that sexual intimacy is rightfully shared in that context only, and that clergy and all members of the church should either be celibate in singleness or faithful with a heterosexual marriage. (Para 1).
Some impoverished saints may wish to consider keeping the pot of gold.
*Ken Mufuka is a lay servant of the United Methodist Church. He writes from the US.