In continuation of the 193rd Annual Session of the Liberia Annual Conference, held Feb. 16-22 in Greenville, Sinoe County, a Special Session of the Liberia Annual Conference was held July 10-12 in Gbarnga City in Bong County, central Liberia.
Bishop Samuel J. Quire Jr. called the one-agenda-item Special Session — following the approval of the cabinet and executive committee of the conference in June — for the purpose of electing delegates to the General Conference and the West Africa Regional Conference.
The Special Session brought together members of the annual conference, especially those who attended the Sinoe conference, and several delegates from the Nigeria and Sierra Leone annual conferences.
In his opening statement to members of the conference, Bishop Quire said the gathering was in fulfillment of an agenda item from the 193rd Annual Session.
“Let it be made clear that, in The United Methodist Church, the authority to call a Special Session rests with the bishop, in consultation with the cabinet,” Quire said. The cabinet is a made up of district superintendents.
He pointed out that the tenure of the delegates who represented the Liberia Annual Conference at the 2020/2024 General Conference during the last quadrennial ended. “The called Special Session is in accordance with Paragraph 370.6 of the Book of Discipline for the purpose of electing delegates to the General Conference and the West Africa Regional Conference.”
Quire also informed members of the conference that the constitution and the 2020/2024 Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church require every annual conference to elect clergy and lay delegates to the General Conference and the regional conference for each quadrennial.”
On July 11, the Liberia Annual Conference elected its official clergy and lay delegates, both primary and reserved.
Clergy delegates (primary):
1. Rev. Dr. David M. Tokpah
2. Rev. Dr. George K. Wheagba
3. Rev. Peter F. Kaykpah
4. Rev. Paul Kadiaya Gartor
5. Rev. Moses K. Yebleh
6. Rev. Decontee A. Johnson
7. Rev. George K. Mombo
Clergy reserve delegates:
1. Rev. James Fongbah
2. Rev. Dr. Lawrence Bropleh
3. Rev. Konton Brownell
4. Rev. Caleb S. G. Dormah
5. Rev. Cecilia Mapleh
6. Rev. J. Joel Gould
7. Rev. Benjamin Korpelleh
Lay delegates (primary):
1. Dr. Tolbert G. Nyenswah
2. Josephine Snorton
3. Samuel Swen Kun, Jr.
4. Samuel T. Zonoe
5. Emmanuel Menyonbeh
6. Jonathan Siakeh
7. Jefferson Knight
Lay reserve delegates:
1. Theresa M. Davies
2. Pauline Doe Hilton
3. Debester Kpoquinyan, Jr.
4. Adolphus W. Dupley
5. Allison Paygar
6. Dr. Joseph Boldar
7. Eric Drow
The three-day Special Session of the conference ended with a Sunday worship service where Bishop Quire told members of the conference that elections in the Church of God help to advance the work and Word of God.
“Elections are about Christian character, not numbers alone,” Quire emphasized. He challenged those who were elected to embrace servant leadership and remain committed to the work of the church as they represent the people who have chosen them.
Conference Lay Leader Nyenswah thanked clergy and lay members of the Liberia Annual Conference for the peaceful and orderly conduct of the Special Session, including the election of delegates.
Nyenswah said United Methodists should be proud of themselves for the extremely peaceful manner in which the session and elections were conducted. “Methodism is characterized by peace, order, mutual respect and Christian fellowship and is void of violent behavior,” he said.
Asked why the elections were not held at the seat of the 193rd Annual Session, Nyenswah told UM News that the delegate count for General Conference was not translated to the conference secretary in time for elections to take place.
“To have a transparent and sacred election for delegates it was resolved that the elections be forwarded to a special session of the annual conference,” he said.
The Special Session now concludes the work of the Liberia Annual Conference as it prepares to participate in the worldwide connection of The United Methodist Church.
At the 193rd Annual Session, 11 persons were voted into the clergy order; six persons in the category of elders in full connection and five persons were commissioned in the probationary order. The conference officially retired seven of its pastors from active duties in the church.
The conference registrar reported that more than 1,000 United Methodists from across Liberia and abroad participated in the 193rd Annual Session, while less than 1,000 United Methodists attended the Special Session.
— E Julu Swen