Methodist bishop extends olive branch to aggrieved members who left church

The presiding bishop of the United Methodist Church Nigeria, John Wesley, has said that the leadership of the church is willing to accept those members who left the church due to a conflict of interest.

The church has not only been factionalised but has also lost several of its members to other denominations as a result of the leadership tussle that has bedevilled it over the years.

Speaking during the nomination of those who will be contesting for the position of bishop of the church at the weekend, Bishop Wesley announced that the doors of the church are open for reconciliation. He said he was willing and ready to accept back into the fold those who had earlier walked out of the church.

The bishop, whose tenure is on the verge of expiring, said his dream is to have a successor who will build on the legacy that he will be leaving behind.

The nomination process, which took place in Jalingo, the capital of Taraba State, led to the emergence of candidates who will, at the West Africa conference slated for the next few months, jostle for the position of bishop of the church.

Those who emerged victorious at the nomination exercise include John Pena, Salama Hassan, Baziel Yayuba, and Eunice Iliya.

The quartet, DAILY POST learnt, will be presented before the Conference of the West Africa Bishops, where one out of them will be elected to replace the incumbent bishop, whose tenure of office is on the verge of expiring.

Elated by the outcome of the exercise, the chairman of the West Africa Episcopal of the United Methodist Church, Anthony Dio of the Liberia Annual Conference, who monitored the exercise, called on members of the church across Nigeria to pray for the right person to emerge as the next bishop.

Dio said: “What is required now is fervent prayers for the smooth conduct of the forthcoming central conference to elect the next bishop.”