A United Methodist Church bishop was attacked while engaged in ministry work in Nigeria, resulting in damage to a vehicle used as part of his entourage.
UMC Council of Bishops President Tracy Malone announced the attack in a statement on Wednesday, reporting that Bishop Ande Emmanuel and other UMC members traveling with him in the Nigerian Episcopal Area were assaulted by an unspecified party.
“We strongly condemn the use of violence as a means of conflict resolution,” stated Bishop Malone. “Such actions only lead to further harm, suffering, and division. We urge all parties to seek peaceful and constructive ways to resolve their differences.”
Bishop Emmanuel was elected during The United Methodist Church's West Africa Central Conference in December after previously serving as a leader in the Southern Nigeria Conference. He was the first bishop elected following the resignation of former Nigeria Area Bishop John Wesley Yohanna in July.
The UMC, a global denomination, has long been embroiled in divisive debates over its Book of Discipline, which prohibits same-sex marriage, the ordination of noncelibate homosexuals, and funding for LGBT advocacy groups. However, last year at the UMC General Conference, delegates voted overwhelmingly to remove these rules after thousands of theologically conservative churches exited the denomination in recent years.
Since these changes, tensions have escalated between the progressive UMC and the conservative Global Methodist Church (GMC) over ownership of the Nigerian Episcopal Area.
In July 2024, Yohanna announced that the regional body voted to join the GMC at a special session that month. However, the UMC disputed this statement, claiming that only a fraction of the 560,000-member Nigerian Episcopal Area has agreed to disaffiliate from the mainline denomination.
Last December, reports emerged of violence between GMC and UMC members in Munga Dosa, leading to the deaths of three United Methodists and the destruction of multiple houses. Last month, both denominations reported further violence at the Banyam Theological Seminary, a historically UMC-affiliated school where GMC leadership held a conference.
According to Emmanuel, GMC members took over the seminary and vandalized property, while GMC Bishop Scott Jones accused UMC followers of disrupting their worship and injuring some of their supporters.
In Nigeria, same-sex marriage and homosexual acts are illegal, and the law prohibits participation in LGBT advocacy organizations.
