West Africa Central Conferences

The United Methodist Church is getting a new map in Africa. When the Africa Central Conference meets March 13-17 in Johannesburg, the central conference will split to form the Southern Africa and East Africa central conferences. Central conferences are responsible for electing bishops and making adaptations to the Book of Discipline for their missional context. Graphic by Ben Ward, UM News.

Church gears up for new bishops, new map

Four United Methodist central conferences are scheduled in the coming months. By the time they conclude, United Methodists expect to have eight additional new bishops and one more central conference.

Bishops

Retired Bishop Warner H. Brown (left), interim bishop of the Sierra Leone Area, bestows the episcopal pin on the Rev. James Boye-Caulker after he was elected bishop on Dec. 7 at The United Methodist Church’s West Africa Central Conference at the Best Western Premier Hotel in Accra, Ghana. Boye-Caulker, who has served as district superintendent of Sierra Leone’s Western District since 2016, was the second bishop elected at the Dec. 5-8 gathering. Photo by Eveline Chikwanah, UM News.

Boye-Caulker elected as Sierra Leone bishop

The longtime district superintendent was the second bishop elected at the West Africa Central Conference.

Bishops

Bishop John Schol (right), who has been serving as the lead bishop of the Nigeria Episcopal Area since August, speaks after the Rev. Ande Ikimun Emmanuel is elected bishop on the first ballot during The United Methodist Church’s West Africa Central Conference meeting at the Best Western Premier Hotel in Accra, Ghana, on Dec. 7. Photo by Eveline Chikwanah, UM News.

West Africa elects Ande Ikimun Emmanuel as bishop

The longtime leader in the Southern Nigeria Conference was the first bishop elected at the West Africa Central Conference.

Mission and Ministry

Professor George Carew addresses students during orientation at the United Methodist University Preparatory Program campus in Brookfields, Sierra Leone, in western Freetown. The new program prepares students to retake their high school exit exams. Over 95% of Sierra Leonean students who took the 2019 West African Senior School Certificate Examinations failed to score high enough to meet university requirements. Photo by Phileas Jusu, UM News.

United Methodist University offers path for failing students

New program prepares students in Sierra Leone to retake high school exit exams so they can qualify to enroll at universities.

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