By Emery Z Watson Contributor
Ganta, Nimba County: The Global Methodist Church (GMC) Liberia has officially been recognized as a full member of the Global Methodist Church worldwide, following the successful conclusion of its Convening Conference held in Ganta, Nimba County. The historic gathering marks a new chapter for Methodism in Liberia under the newly established Grain Coast Annual Conference of the GMC.
The seven-day conference brought together over 200 churches from across Liberia’s 15 counties and neighboring Guinea. It culminated in the election and appointment of key leaders who will steer the affairs of the church for the next six months, leading up to its inaugural Annual Conference in February 2026.
Dr. Jerry P. Kulah was elected as Conference Superintendent and will serve as the Resident Bishop of the Grain Coast Annual Conference. He will operate under the supervision of the Presiding Bishop of the General Conference of the Global Methodist Church.
In his Episcopal Greeting, Bishop John Pena Auta, Episcopal Leader of the Global Methodist Church–Liberia Episcopal Area, expressed profound joy and spiritual confidence. “This sacred occasion, birthed on the 14th of February 2025 in Gbarnga, Bong County, marks the beginning of a new Wesleyan expression, deeply rooted in the Gospel of Jesus Christ and ignited with the mission to make disciples and spread scriptural holiness throughout Liberia, Africa, and the world,” he said.
Bishop Auta acknowledged the struggles the church has faced in upholding the authority of Scripture but reaffirmed his belief in the transforming work of the Holy Spirit. “This conference is not merely a gathering; it is a declaration that the Holy Spirit is moving across the land of Liberia to raise a generation of faithful followers.”
He urged the delegates to allow the Spirit’s wisdom to guide their decisions, infuse their worship with passion, and reflect Christ’s unwavering love in their witness. He assured the conference of the denomination’s global support and committed its future into the hands of the Holy Spirit.
Also addressing the opening session was Rev. Dr. Jerry Paye-Manfioe Kulah I, Chairperson of the Transitional Committee Advisory Team (TCAT), now Superintendent welcomed participants with a message of purpose and hope. “We are gathered here to declare to the world that a new Wesleyan denominational expression has been birthed in the Republic of Liberia called the Global Methodist Church,” he proclaimed.
Dr. Kulah reflected on the events of February 14, 2025, when nearly 200 congregations formally disaffiliated from the United Methodist Church in Liberia, citing differences over theological issues, particularly related to human sexuality. Since then, the church has grown to more than 150 congregations and preaching points, organized into 14 districts and circuits across the country.
He reaffirmed the Global Methodist Church’s core mission: making disciples and spreading scriptural holiness. Dr. Kulah encouraged members to embrace their calling to be “faithful and disciplined followers of Jesus Christ.”
The conference represented not only an organizational shift but a spiritual recommitment to traditional Methodist values. Worship, teaching, planning, and fellowship defined the tone of the historic gathering.
At the close of the conference, several leadership appointments were announced. Mr. L. Olandor Boyce I, former Lay Leader of the St. Paul River District of the United Methodist Church was named Conference Lay Leader of the Grain Coast Annual Conference. Additionally, Rev. Dr. Julius Z.Y. Williams was appointed Presiding Elder of the Christopolis District in Monrovia.
Though only four months old, the Global Methodist Church Liberia already counts approximately 28,000 members, including men, women, youth, young adults, and children, and is served by 212 pastors.
The GMC was born on February 14, 2025, following the lifting of the ban placed on same-sex marriages within the church, and has since emerged as one of the church’s many looks up to for Goodly counseling.
