The President of the Methodist Church in Ireland, Rev Dr Sahr Yambasu has expressed his, and the Church’s, deep concern regarding the support which the Methodist Church in Ghana and its presiding Bishop, The Most Rev Dr Paul Kwabena Boafo, have given to the “Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill 2021”.

The Methodist Church in Ireland continues to maintain the traditional teaching that marriage is between one man and one woman. Alongside that affirmation we are committed to making known in our words and our actions that all people are loved and valued by God. This stance is echoed in the Conference’s assertion (Pastoral Guidelines 2011)  that all forms of homophobia are wrong, and that all are welcome in Methodist Churches and at the Lord’s Table. This is a reflection of God’s all encompassing love.

We are therefore deeply concerned that this Bill criminalises same-sex attracted people and that the passing of this Bill will promote fear and violence against LGBT+ people and their families and friends. 

The Methodist Church in Ghana is an autonomous Church with whom the Irish Methodist Church has a long-standing and valued partnership. As ‘partners in the Gospel’ we feel a responsibility to make our concerns known to the Ghanaian Methodist Church, as indeed we hope that they would make any concerns known to us, and to ask them prayerfully to re-consider their support for the Bill. 

ENDS

25/11/2021