The Methodist Church of Nigeria (MCN) has announced it is cutting ties with its British counterpart over the latter’s approval of gay marriage.

Methodist Prelate, His Eminence Chukwumerije Kanu-Uche, made this known in a statement signed by the church’s spokesperson, Reverend Oladapo and Daramola, in Lagos, Nigeria.

The British Methodist Church (BMC) voted in favour of same sex marriage at the just-concluded conference.

BBC reported that a vote to change the definition of marriage at the Methodist conference overwhelmingly passed by 254 to 46.

The Methodist Church is the fourth largest Christian denomination church in Britain with about 164, 000 members across 4,000 churches.

Following the development, Methodist Church has become the largest religious denomination to allow same sex marriage. The first same sex marriage in the church is expected in the autumn.

The statement said, Kanu-Uche, in a message on July 2, that the approval was wrong.

“I wish to let you know that I was invited to the British Methodist Conference this year, 2021 but I was duly represented by Rt. Rev. S. R. Nortey.

“He was part of the Conference and he has given me preliminary information and a report.

“I have requested him to publish and circulate the full report on the SSM to the Conference office and all of us,” he said.

Kanu-Uche said by approving same sex marriage, BMC had fulfilled the prediction of its founder, John Wesley, who said “a time will come when the Methodist Church will exist as a dead sect, having the form of religion and denying the power thereof unless they continue with the spiritual fervency with which they first started.”

He stated further that BMC was not the mother of MCN anymore.

“She is only a sister Church. MCN gained autonomy in 1962 and became autocephalous in 1963. So, we can part ways with the British Conference and have nothing to lose.

“I only pity those romancing with them because of pecuniary interest.

“Suggestion to write or visit the British Methodist Conference is an insult to the Methodist church.

Kanu-Uche said MCN will take further decisions in August after receiving a detailed report from the accredited delegate to the conference.

“As a remedial measure let every Bishop, and Archbishop tell our members that MCN does not support gay or same-sex marriage,’’ he said.

MCN is over 170 years in Nigeria.

The Nigeria’s House of Representatives had some years ago passed a motion against same sex marriage, saying it was un-African.