UMCN crisis: Ishaku urges to open closed cathedral

The United Methodist Church of Nigeria, Southern Annual Conference has urged Governor Darius Ishaku to open the closed Cathedral of the Church in Magami Jalingo to enable Bishop John Wesley Yohanna to operate.

At a press briefing in Jalingo on Monday, Secretary of the Southern Nigeria Annual Conference Rev. Ande Emmanuel said UMCN in Nigeria is solely behind any realistic peace initiative of Governor Ishaku that is not mud sliding.

He said the Judicial Council of the Church which is the highest ruling body of the Church has officially notify Rev.  Philip Micah Doppah and the faction he represents that Bishop John Wesley Yohanna is the dully nominated, elected and consecrated Bishop of the Church in Nigeria.

“By this, the UMCN throughout Nigeria is calling on Governor Darius Ishaku to open the closed cathedral Church in Magami which is the Ecclesiastical seat of the Bishop to enable him carry out his functions.

“Rev.  Philip Micah and the faction he represents left the UMCN since 2013. Even though they still use the name of the Church, the reality is that they are outside the walls of the UMCN,” he said.

Ande further explained that UMCN is a connectional church throughout the world and is connected to each other and presided over by an elected Bishop.

“If a faction disrespect this connection as in the case of Rev. Philip Micah Doppah and the faction he claim to be representing cannot be a United Methodist Church even if it bears the name of the Church.

“The faction of Rev.  Micah is not connected with the rest of United Methodist Church either in Nigeria or abroad,” he explained.

The secretary further informed that the entire UMC membership in Nigeria is behind the former complaint the Church wrote to the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo.