A deadly confrontation in Nigeria has been attributed to the religious division within the United Methodist Church (UMC) over its stance on LGBTQ policies. The violence, which occurred on Sunday, resulted in the fatal shooting of a church member and the deaths of two young children, as well as the destruction of homes by fire.
According to United Methodist News Service, the clash between the two factions of the church took place in Taraba, a state in northeastern Nigeria. The victims included a 2-year-old and a 4-year-old, children of the overseer of a United Methodist school and nursery. Ten other church members were also injured in the violence.
The unrest follows the schism triggered by the UMC’s decision earlier this year to lift its bans on LGBTQ ordination and same-sex marriage, leading to the formation of the Global Methodist Church (GMC) by conservative churches that split from the UMC.
While the UMC’s general conference in May allowed individual conferences to establish their own policies, the West Africa Central Conference, including Nigeria, continues to uphold traditional marriage laws, restricting marriage to a man and a woman and following national legislation on LGBTQ issues.
Local United Methodist bishops have condemned the violence and called for an end to any retribution, expressing outrage that such acts of violence would occur among Christians who were once united under the same denomination. They also urged GMC members to halt the spread of misinformation that could incite further violence.
The GMC’s Assembly of Bishops issued a statement expressing sorrow over the deaths and condemning the use of violence, pledging to investigate the situation and calling on both factions to work as agents of peace.
