African Delegates Hold Pre-General Conference Prayer Summit in Liberia

Rev. Dr. John G. Innis told African delegates who attended the Prayer Summit in Monrovia Liberia from March 28-31, 2012 to pray for the sustained peace, unity and harmony of the global United Methodist Church. He urged the Prayer Summit delegates to pray for the sovereign rule of God over the future of the Church and its programs, projects, and ministries.

Delegates representing several Annual Conferences in Africa met in Liberia for four days in a prayer meeting referred to as the “Prayer Summit.” The meeting, hosted by the Liberia Annual Conference, was intended for the African delegation to speak with one voice on most of the legislative issues that will come up on the General Conference floor in Tampa, Florida, USA. The fifty member delegation prayed and decided that as delegates from Africa they will stand together to protect the unity and connectional nature of the global United Methodist Church.

Though the delegates at the Prayer Summit did not name any specific legislation, the head of the organizing team in Liberia, Rev. Dr. Jerry P. Kulah said, “Africa has always been in God’s Messianic plan and timing to provide hope for the preservation of the purpose of the gospel.” Rev. Kulah, who is also member of the Liberian delegation to the GC said, when Jesus’ life was threatened as a baby by a wicked and idolatrous king Africa provided hope to rescue our Lord. (Matt. 2:13-18).There is no small biblical value attached to us, Rev Kulah added. “We are confident that in these end times, Africa can live up to the true ministry of up-holding and defending the purpose and virtues of the Church of Christ” he concluded.

Earlier, the Resident Bishop of the Liberia Area of the United Methodist Church, Rev. Dr. John G. Innis, welcome the delegates to Liberia and said he did so on behalf of Children, Youth, Young Adults, the Lay and Clergy leadership of the Liberia Area of The United Methodist Church, and his colleagues of the College of Bishops of the West Africa Central Conference. Bishop Innis urged delegates to pray for the sustained peace, unity and harmony of the global United Methodist Church. He also called on the Prayer Summit delegates to pray for the sovereign rule of God over the future of the Church and its programs, projects and ministries. “Do not forget to pray for the successful hosting of the events” of the 2012 General Conference, scheduled to take place in Tampa, Florida from 21st April to 4th May 2012, Bishop Innis concluded.

The Liberia “Prayer Summit” brought together three Central Conferences representing twenty six Annual Conferences in Africa. Delegates came from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Cote d’Ivoire, Mozambique, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Zambia, and host country Liberia. The delegation also met with the Liberian leader, President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf who is also a United Methodist. Meanwhile, the general resolution from the four days Prayer Summit will be issued soon.