United Methodists Urged to make Presidential Elections Free and Fair
Ahead of the General and Presidential Elections, the Bishop of the United Methodist Church in Liberia, Bishop Samuel J. Quire, Jr., challenged Liberians, especially, United Methodists to take the elections matters serious. He said members of the church within voting age should not allow themselves to be left out, adding, “make yourselves available to register and do all you can, as much as you can, to make these electioneering activities and the elections themselves peaceful and credible.” Delivering his Episcopal Address at the 190th Annual Session of the Liberia Annual Conference, Quire urged United Methodists to make decisive choices that will determine who will lead Liberia for the next six years.
He cautioned all of the pastors within the United Methodist Church to include in their weekly bulletins the election registration schedule that was released by the National Elections Commission of Liberia. “In order to show the extent to which we all should take these elections matters serious, the National Elections Commission (NEC) wrote us a letter in which they requested our assistance through parish notices to inform and encourage eligible voters of our congregations to turn out and register during the Voters Registration Process,” Quire emphasized. He warned church members not to allow disagreement over a particular choice of candidates lead to violence.
Time to Start Again on Our Development Plans
He indicated that though COVID-19 disrupted much of his developmental plans for the church, 2023 should be considered a new beginning for a more viable and sustainable church. “To assist in alleviating poverty, strengthening the income generating capacity of the Church, re-enforcing its agriculture program will now take center stage in conference,” Bishop Quire said. He also said the leadership of women are empowering the rural Districts Women through agriculture programs for self-sustainability.
United Methodist University in Need of Financial Assistance
Bishop Quire who is currently the Chairman of the United Methodist University’s Board of Directors, lamented the financial situation that the university is facing. “I want to inform this 190th Session that all is not well at our University,” he stressed. Quire pointed out that the university is experiencing a serious financial crisis due to the slow pace in payment of fees and tuitions. The university is currently surviving on tuitions and fees, but is having difficulties in collecting tuitions and fees from students and their parents and their guardians including other sponsors.
Information Campaign Coming Before GC 2023
Commenting on the “Gracious Protocols”, Bishop Quire noted that United Methodist Church in Liberia will launch an educational campaign through its auxiliaries to prepare its member churches for the decisions making process before and after the General Conference 2024. “We cast judgment on no one, neither do we condemn,” he concluded.