A New Dawn for UMC Nigeria: After 20 Years Apart, 5 Conferences 2 Mission Districts of Senegal/Cameroon Unite in a Historic Joint Annual Conference
By Hilary John
The United Methodist Church in Nigeria has recorded a major milestone as five annual conferences and two mission districts came together for their first joint conference in two decades, a move leaders describe as a powerful sign of renewed unity and growth.
Speaking to journalists after the event, Bishop Samuel Jerome Quire, Chairman of the Council of Bishops, reflected on the church’s long season of crisis.
“It is unfortunate that the United Methodist Church in Nigeria went through such trials and tribulations. The Bible tells us that perilous times will come, and indeed we faced moments when even brethren had no peace,” he said. “But today, we are happy that God is doing a new thing in the United Methodist Church in Nigeria, especially through the new leadership of Bishop Ande Emmanuel.”
Bishop Quire expressed optimism about the church’s expansion, noting that membership in Nigeria could soon reach one million.
With this projected growth, he said, the current structure where one bishop oversees all five annual conferences is no longer sustainable.
“Nigeria needs another episcopal area,” he stated. “As president of the West Africa Regional Conference, we are here to discuss how to demarcate the conferences and position them under the new area. Once we conclude, we will forward our recommendations to the Council of Bishops. By next year, when the West Africa Regional Conference meets in Monrovia, Liberia, we expect to elect a new bishop for the second Nigerian episcopal area.”
The Nigeria Episcopal Area currently stretches across Nigeria, Cameroon, and Senegal. The proposed restructuring will allow one of these countries to be assigned to the new episcopal area.
The host bishop also expressed gratitude for the church’s renewed unity, noting that the past 25 years brought significant challenges that placed the church in the news for the wrong reasons.
“Today, the narrative is changing,” he said. “The issues that divided us 12 years ago are gone. Our people now see the need for unity, and previously fragmented groups are coming back together as one indivisible United Methodist Church in Nigeria.”
He reaffirmed that unifying the church was the promise he made upon his election as bishop.
“God has helped us bring these groups together. All the factions that once operated independently are returning to form one body,” he said. “The Southern, Northern, Central, Northeast conferences, along with Cameroon and Senegal, are all uniting to build a stronger church.”
The bishop reported an impressive turnout for the joint conference: more than 850 pastors, including 660 full-time ordained elders, about 120 deacons, and over 250 local pastors and evangelists. Total attendance surpassed 5,000 participants a scale last seen more than 25 years ago during the tenure of the late Bishop Arthur Kulah Dabale.
“This historic gathering shows that the United Methodist Church in Nigeria is now one unified body,” he said. “This unity will reflect in our communities, our church life, and even in our engagement with government.”
On the possibility of adding another bishop, he welcomed the development.
“I cannot honestly say I can oversee all districts and local churches alone. It is almost impossible,” he admitted. “I am excited that another bishop will soon join me to carry out this work.”
