Story by Fairstars Mukungurutse
TWELVE Zimbabwean pastors from the United Methodist Church have resigned, citing that they do not agree with the General Conference’s stance on homosexuality.
The highest decision making body for the United Methodist Church (UMC) at international level, the General Conference, last year passed a resolution to allow same-sex marriages and ordination of non-celibate homosexuals in the church.
However, the Zimbabwe branch of the UMC has maintained that it will not allow same sex marriages, with the church’s incoming Bishop, Gift Machinga reiterating their position this Friday.
“My predecessor Bishop Nhiwatiwa continuously maintained that we do not accept homosexuality that is our position in Zimbabwe and Africa,” Bishop Machinga said.
“When I was elected as the new Bishop of UMC in South Africa, I came back and told the whole world that we do not condone homosexuality and our county’s constitution does not have room for homosexuality.
“We are in the process of establishing regions, and these have been given autonomy to gazette their own laws so we are in the process of ratifying that law as a denomination. So it means in Southern Africa, we will have our region and will be able to draft our own law and the book of discipline (law book) which guides our operations.”
Despite this position for the church in Zimbabwe, local pastors have decided to quit, citing that the decision by the General Conference has put the UMC at the crossroads.
“I Reverend Forbes Matonga and the elders of the church here present have resigned from the United Methodist church with immediate effect because we do not believe in the direction the church has decided to take following the last general conference in USA last year, invented by American progressive and liberal bishops and forced upon the UMC via the general conference’s body.
“Fortunately as we pass this statement today, the book of discipline which is the church law is now published, this new book replaces the 2016 book of discipline that described homosexuality as incompatible with Christian teaching, now the church fully embraces this sin of homosexuality and even celebrate it as a gift of God. Marriage is no longer between a male and a woman only but also between two adults of the same sex,” Reverend Forbes Matonga said.
“I have been a pastor for 36 years in this church, this is an attack to the human race. Just imagine our young generation being swayed by this culture, what happens when our children indulge in same sex marriage. It means the future generations become extinct. This is not modernisation but the destruction of the human race,” Pastor Maria Masamba said.
“Congregants are disgruntled, they are coming to us asking where we are going and when we tell the bishop our concerns he does not listen to the problem so we decided to exit,” Dr Gwinyai Muzorewa said.
Several churches in Zimbabwe and Africa have taken a firm stance against homosexuality, saying it is not consistent with the Bible.
