By Lisca Philo
The United Methodist Church in Zimbabwe which is led by Rev. Forbes Matonga, has separated from the church due to disagreements over the church’s approval of LGBTQ marriage and leadership issues.
In 2024, the General Conference of the United Methodist Church voted to accept gay marriage and ordain LGBTQ+ clergy and this caused disputes among the leaders .
Rev. Matonga and his team expressed their disapproval citing it was a demonical decision and which goes against biblical teachings.Rev. Matonga also expressed dissatisfaction with the state of the church’s mission schools, hospitals, and farms in Zimbabwe, which they claim have been neglected and mismanaged.
The development is set to have significant implications for the United Methodist Church in Zimbabwe and beyond.
The Methodist Church has been in Zimbabwe for approximately 132 years from 1891 to the present day and splitting means a new dispensation for the church.