Monrovia – The bitter divide within the United Methodist Church (UMC) in Liberia turned chaotic in Gbarnga as police arrested two members following a heated standoff over church property and leadership disputes. Outraged worshippers, protesting the church’s controversial regionalization plan, arrived for service at Jorquelleh District First United Methodist Church only to find the doors locked. The situation spiraled further when they accused the newly assigned pastor of conspiring to remove church assets, leading to a confrontation that ended in arrests.
On Sunday, Rev. George T. Gargboe, whom congregants have openly rejected over his support for regionalization, arrived and unlocked the church. However, the congregation was shocked to discover that musical instruments and other church equipment were missing. Furious members accused Rev. Gargboe and the church’s senior usher of relocating the items to her home in a move they claim was meant to weaken their protest.
As tensions mounted, Joseph S. Voker and David T. Dolo began removing the “United Methodist” emblem from the church’s symbol in defiance of the leadership’s regionalization stance. Their protest was cut short when District Superintendent Anthony Karpee arrived with police officers, ordering their immediate arrest. The two were detained at the Gbarnga Central Police Station and charged with desecration of venerated objects and criminal mischief under Liberia’s Criminal Law, sparking outrage among their fellow worshippers.
“This is an outright attempt to silence us. We are standing for biblical truth, and we will not be bullied into accepting what we do not believe in,” a defiant protester declared.
District Superintendent Karpee has so far declined to comment on the arrests or the broader internal conflict within the UMC.
The controversy over regionalization has driven a wedge between the UMC and several congregations, many of which accuse the church’s leadership of covertly endorsing same-sex marriage and other doctrinal shifts. Several churches, including the 72nd, New Georgia, E.D. McGill Memorial, and Miller McAllister churches, have broken away, pledging allegiance to the Global Methodist Church (GMC), a denomination that upholds traditional biblical interpretations.
In Lower Margibi County, similar tensions have erupted, with members of the Duazon United Methodist Church attempting to rebrand themselves as the Duazon Methodist Church in protest. However, their unilateral move was condemned by United Methodist Human Rights Monitor Program Director Jefferson Knight, who denounced it as “spiritual gangsterism.”
Meanwhile, at St. Matthew United Methodist Church in Upper Caldwell, leaders have vowed to sever ties with the UMC should the 2020/2024 Book of Discipline include changes to marriage definitions, LGBTQ+ rights, or abortion policies.
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