Published: December 22, 2025
The ST Nagbe United Methodist Church has been at the heart of the crisis in the Liberia Annual Conference with a series of protests that has interrupted its regular Sunday worship.
MONROVIA — A prominent Methodist woman has called on the Liberia Annual Conference (LAC) of the United Methodist Church (UMC) to adopt an inclusive and compassionate approach toward LGBTQ+ Methodists, amid growing tensions in the denomination over recent revisions to its Book of Discipline.
The lady who prefers to be called Juah Doe is a lifelong Methodist and a member of the Georgia Patten United Methodist Church in Waterside Market. She said the church must choose pastoral care over punitive measures in addressing debates on sexuality and inclusion.
“The church taught me how to forgive, how to love the broken and the marginalized,” Doe said. “We cannot preach mercy from the pulpit and close our hearts to our own sisters and brothers in faith.”
Her appeal comes at a particularly fraught moment for Liberian Methodists, as the global United Methodist Church recently altered its Book of Discipline — the denomination’s official rulebook governing doctrine and conduct — to remove exclusionary language and affirm the place of queer people in church life. The change, celebrated by progressives as overdue, has sparked fierce resistance from several conservative clergy and lay members in Liberia, igniting protests, formal complaints, and warnings of potential schism.
At the ST Nagbe United Methodist Church in Sinkor, there has been a series of protests against full inclusion for LGBTQ+ Methodists.
She described the situation as a “pastoral emergency,” asserting that it has strained families and fractured friendships within congregations.
“This isn’t a theological abstract . These are real people whose families are being torn apart,” she said. “Rejecting someone because of who they love is not the Christian witness I want to leave to the next generation.”
Madam Doe, a finance professional, said her career experience has taken her across the aisle, working with people identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender.
“I have found out during the course of my career while working on different donor founded projects that LGBTQ people are just like everyone else. We must learn to quit discriminating against people because of how and who they love.”
She urged the LAC leadership to convene open listening sessions, issue clear pastoral guidance that protects vulnerable members, and avoid punitive measures that could push LGBTQ+ Methodists into secrecy or exclusion.
“Rules were meant to serve the flock, not to scapegoat a portion of it,” she said.
Religious observers note that Madam Doe’s intervention is significant because she is widely respected in both urban and rural worship communities, and because she represents a moderate voice that may help bridge increasingly bitter divides.
“Voices like hers can help bridge conversations when institutional procedures become entangled in politics and emotion,” said a theologian at the United Methodist University Gbarnga School of Theology. “The challenge now is translating compassion into policies that satisfy a deeply divided communion.”
The Liberia Annual Conference has not yet issued a comprehensive public response to Doe’’s appeal, though sources close to the leadership say officials are considering a range of options. These include a pastoral memorandum reaffirming the church’s commitment to nonviolence and respect, localized autonomy for congregations to determine their own approach to inclusion, and formal mediation processes involving external church authorities.
Some church elders argue that because the global change to the Book of Discipline was enacted at the international level, Liberian structures must find a way to remain in fellowship while honoring local theological convictions.
Beyond the church walls, civil society organizations and human rights advocates have also weighed in, urging religious leaders to uphold dignity, nonviolence, and human rights.
“Religious freedom includes the right to hold beliefs, but it also imposes a duty to protect the rights of others,” said an activist who asked for anonymity.
Nevertheless, not all Methodists in Liberia share Madam Doe’s stance. A contingent of veteran lay leaders warned that hasty acceptance of LGBTQ+ affirming language could alienate traditional congregants and lead to decreased church attendance.
“We must be careful not to import theological fashions that disorient our people,” said one elder, who spoke on condition of anonymity. “Our mission is to shepherd souls toward salvation, not to conform to every cultural shift.”
Madam Doe also emphasized the need for stronger pastoral training in counseling and conflict resolution, so that clergy can help congregations work through difficult conversations without resorting to exclusion or judgment.
“If pastors fear speaking frankly, we need to build their confidence to shepherd everyone, not just the comfortable,” she said.
Local LGBTQ+ advocates praised Kollie’s call for inclusion.
“This is the kind of moral clarity Liberia needs,” said an activist who works with youth affected by discrimination. “Religious leaders have the power to either deepen wounds or model reconciliation. We stand with those who choose the latter.”
As debates continue, congregations across Liberia are bracing for a period of delicate negotiations and soul-searching. Whether the Liberia Annual Conference will adopt Madam Doe’s recommendations or chart a different course remains to be seen.
For now, she said she will continue to press for dialogue and healing. “I love this church,” she said. “I want it to be strong enough to hold the difference without breaking.”
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