PRACTICING THE WAY!January 2025. We of the Theological Voice of Africa, both in diaspora and on the continent, have realized that the current crisis in the United Methodist Church in general, and especially on the continent of Africa, is based on a lack of transparency, dialogue, and democratization of ecclesial information between clergy and laity. […]
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The mission of The United Methodist Church and its predecessor bodies on the continent of Africa has developed through missionaries, mostly from the United States and from Europe. With the exception of Liberia as a colony for freed slaves, there was no mutual benefit from migration towards and from the U.S. as in Europe
The Future of the United Methodist Church in Africa. Read More »
By Odell Horne, Jr. In 1896 the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a decision by the Louisiana Supreme Court that equal, but separate railroad cars for black and white citizens were legal within the state. This case was known as Plessy vs. Ferguson, and it added to a growing wave of segregation laws in the U.S.
Separate but Equal in the UMC An African American Perspective of Regionalization! Read More »
The United Methodist Church at its General Conference held in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA, from April 23 to May 3, 2024, forever changed the face of the UMC when it removed the phrase that distinguished it from other Christian denominations concerning the practice of homosexuality, definition of marriage, and established regionalization of the denomination. At
The protestant within ProtestantismIntroductionIn the 17th century, we witnessed a movement in the West, with clear objectives of ushering a freedom and returning the authority of Scripture in the church. There were various challenges and wrong doctrines that Martin Luther had to outline and argued against the Roman Catholic Church. This revolution became the impetus
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Editorial Comments Historically, The United Methodist Church is well known for being a “holy conferencing” church. The phrase is typically employed “to encourage people to have polite conversation with each other, particularly around issues where people are going to disagree” (Emily Snell, Means of Grace: Christian conferencing, 2020). A Special Session of the General Conference
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Money, it is said, is a good servant but a bad master. It is a good servant because with money, one can find solutions to various needs in life. One can live comfortably and have many friends. It is a bad master because sometimes money makes people proud and corrupts them. It can, at times,
As a white American United Methodist, I am cognizant of the influence imbalance that has been long a characteristic of the relationship between Americans and Africans. Therefore, to be honest, although I am honored to be asked to share a few thoughts by means of Theological Voice of Africa, I am also aware of how
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John Wesley needs no introduction. However, let us remember that he was one of the main actors of the Methodist Revival which caused a real religious, moral and social upheaval in the 18th century, deeply marked by sin and worldliness. Indeed, the vigor of the Reformation had long since cooled. The preaching, as a whole,
What John Wesley would say to United Methodists in Africa today. Read More »
